precision joinery machines

®
W
oodRat
precision joinery machines
| www.woodrat.com |
“Impressively precise . . .
offers exceptional cutter control”
Fine Woodworking
“A work of engineering art”
Jeremy Broun, Woodworking
Made from the highest quality materials,
the ‘Rat features a heavy extruded
aluminum body and glass reinforced
nylon parts. It has a built-in manual
powerfeed and is the only machine that
gives you total control of your router and
your workpiece. A complete re-think,
designed for woodworkers from the
ground up.
Parallelogram gives
even joint spacing
Heavy extruded &
CNC machined
aluminum Channel
2
Manual powerfeed
makes clean joints
with no tearout
Aileron cable moves
the Sliding Bar with
amazing precision
Takes any
plunge router
Optional PlungeBar
makes depthing an easy
one-handed operation
Alu Sliding Bar tracks
workpiece left and right
Two tough nylon
Cam Locks fix the
workpiece instantly
Laminate plates firmly
support the router
Spiral Cams give a
infinite variable
angle of cut
3
4
A ‘Rat, a bench, a bandsaw and a few
good handtools are all that’s needed
to produce fine furniture
Perfect joinery demands
precise control
is a machine that
T hefinelyWoodRat
controls the action of your
Easy to use
router. Unlike any other router
accessory, the ‘Rat gives you precise
control of both the bit and the
workpiece, allowing you to make any
joint you need.
At its most simple, just clamp the
workpiece in place, turn the handle to
track it to where you want it. Switch
on, bring the router forward and cut
to a pencil line.
The router can be moved back and
forth at 90 degrees to the machine
face, or at angles. It can also be fixed
at any distance from the machine so
that wood, clamped onto the Sliding
Bar, can be tracked left or right with
pinpoint accuracy using the handle.
There’s no backlash in the system –
let go of the handle and the wood
stays put.
At its most advanced it can be used
to make the most complex joints with
absolute accuracy and no tearout. So,
don’t think of WoodRat machines as
yet another jig system. For a start
there are . . .
X Y & Z axis control
Work on the X and Y axis forms the
basis of nearly all jointing operations,
in line with and across the wood. The
Z axis is given by the plunge action of
the router and at last you can use it to
its full potential. It’s mounted the
right way up with all the controls
easily visible and accessible.
Now you can de-clutter your workshop of jigs and router tables. The
WoodRat is your workstation for
every jointing task.
Now you can de-clutter your workshop
of jigs and router tables. The WoodRat is
your workstation for every jointing task.
purpose. Working
methods are
similar to common joinery practice,
and not difficult to learn
No guidebushes
Your router, on its plate, is guided by
its edges, not by a guidebush around
the throat of the bit. Dispensing with
the guidebush makes routing easier
and safer. You don’t need bearingguided cutters either.
No templates
The WoodRat and LittleRat are
complete machines, not part of a vast
system of accessories. This means
that you’re not asked to pay more
money every time you need a
different setting or a new joint. You
decide how big the joints are and
where they go.
Absolute accuracy
If you’re used to an ordinary dovetail
jig with metal fingers, you might be
anxious about losing the metal-tometal contact that the jig provides.
But, there’s no need to worry.
WoodRats make perfect, repeatable
joints accurate to a 1/1000”.
The
machine works a bit like a drawing
board and, with a sharp pencil, it can
be marked up for virtually any
The view through the Plate. The cutter
and any markings are clearly visible.
You can see your cut
As there’s no guidebush and the
wood doesn’t cover up the bit, you
can see where the bit will cut before
switching on. You’re looking down
through the router’s base, watching
the cut as it goes. Once again you
can work to a pencil line as craftsmen
always have.
5
Safer routing
The router is attached firmly to the
machine with the bit safely housed
within. The bit is only brought forward
when making a cut. WoodRats tame
the router and even make it userfriendly. The inexperienced can use it
with confidence!
Dust free
Dust extraction starts right behind the
cut. The big chips might fly, but the
dangerous fine particles are taken
straight into the extraction system.
And you don’t end your working day
covered in dust.
Money Saving
If you’re setting up a new workshop,
you will save money by installing a
WoodRat first. Then you can decide
what other tools and machinery you WoodRats tame the router and even
really need, and invest in the best.
make it user-friendly. The inexperienced
can use it with confidence.
Space saving
Highly versatile
The WoodRat mounts at chest height
on the wall, saving valuable space Over the following pages you will see
while it’s always ready for use.
how the WoodRat can be set up for
many different tasks.
It can also be fixed to a strong board
held in a vice or Super Jaws™ for on- Whether you make dollhouses or
site use.
restore real houses, make furniture
for sale, or enjoy woodwork as a
Enjoyable
hobby, a ‘Rat will save time, workThe WoodRat brings real pleasure to shop space and money, and simply
Woodwork. As you get to know the make the business more enjoyable ■
machine, you’ll find yourself making
better joints and more elaborate
projects with greater confidence.
Wherever two boards meet, there’ll
be an elegant, perfectly fitting,
appropriate joint.
Fine comb joints are
ideal for decorative
boxes. The ‘Rat makes
the finest around
6
The WoodRat
dovetail range
Choosing your ‘Rat
The LittleRat or the WoodRat
We make two WoodRat machines;
The LittleRat LR1 (shown above) and
the WoodRat WR5 (shown on page
3). Both machines are built to the
same high standards. However there
are a few differences in how they
work.
The LittleRat is smaller and simpler to
use for some things. It has one
clamping position and the WoodRat
has two. This alters the way dovetails
are made: the LittleRat’s unique
method of sizing the pin to fit the tail
makes it one of the simplest
dovetailers on the market. The Guide
Rails are designed so that sizing is a
simple matter of aligning two lines on
a scale. This means that you may use
only bits with a 1-in-7 angle and we
supply a complete range of cutters
with this correct slope angle.
that will handle larger work and make
even finer drawer-front dovetails.
The WoodRat method of getting the
pin to fit the socket is not
complicated, but it has more
variables. Thus, it can make a pin to fit
any slope or size of dovetail socket,
so you can use any dovetail bit.
The LittleRat is ideal for the hobbyist
looking to make fine furniture with
the minimum fuss. The WoodRat is a
professional cabinetmaker’s machine
The LittleRat (top) makes elegant 1-in-7
slope dovetails. The larger WoodRat
(above) can use any dovetail bit.
7
Long boards can be
supported by rollers
on in and out feed
The router’s
position is fixed
by a star knob
Work is hand-fed
from the left
Brush
Scrap piece as a
support board
The Brush is in placed in
the Camlock for support,
anti-kickback and
protection for hands
Any cutter can be used for
decorative or functional profiles
or grooves. A bull-nosed board
forms an effective pin router
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Profiles & Grooves
Router table work with the router the right way up
Hand-feed or power-feed along or across the grain. Make decorative moldings, spline joints,
flutings for table legs, table tops, raised and fielded panels, picture frames, baseboards, wall
panels, skirting boards, laps and rebates. With a WoodRat, you don’t need a router table!
Hand-feed
The router is the right way up!
A featherboard clamped under the bit
supports your work while it is handfed through the bit. As with a
conventional router table, any length
of board can be profiled or grooved.
The plunge router was never
designed to work upside down, as its
proper plunging action is downward.
Having it the right way makes it much
easier to use. You avoid the struggle
of hold the table down while pushing
upward against the weight plus the
strength of the springs.
We supply a stiff wooden brush to act
as a featherboard. This gives a
variable upward push as well as
protecting your hands.
Power-feed
Uniquely, WoodRats can work on the
ends of long pieces (boards and rails)
because the workpiece can be firmly
clamped onto the Sliding Bar and
securely power-fed into the bit. This is
impossible to achieve with a conventional table.
You can work the wood in the right
direction: from right to left, or from
left to right as you need to. One way
makes tearout, and the other perfect
clean cutting (see page 15).
or with a gauging piece between foot
and depth stop ■
Uniquely, WoodRats can work on the
ends of long pieces
And, the dust won’t fall into the
router’s motor, so it will last longer
too.
You can reach the controls,
so depthing is easy
Adjust the depth without
turning yourself upside
down trying to see the
depth-gauge settings in
the dark under the
table. Zero the bit onto
the work and then use
the depthing foot
properly. Check the
depth with the scale
Use any bit you like:
WoodRats don’t need
special cutters so you can
continue using the bits
you already own.
Courtesy of Routing Magazine
9
The router is depthed
and brought forward
to cut a trench
Dado
Clamps fix the
board to the
Base Plate
The Brush gives
added support
Tenon
“It is a little bit different ~ ok, a lot different ~
but vive la difference if it does such nice joinery”
John Lucas, woodshopdemos.com
10
The board is power-fed
into the bit to make a
Sliding Dovetail tenon
Sliding Dovetails
and dado/housing joints
Difficult by hand, but quickly and easily made on a WoodRat, sliding dovetails become the
joint of choice for shelving, carcasing and even putting legs on tables.
Made by hand, a set of shelves with
sliding dovetails is time-consuming.
The housing or dado joint is often
used as a quicker alternative.
But, on a WoodRat the sliding dovetail is no more difficult than the
housing joint, but it’s much stronger,
because it cannot pull out of its
socket.
The housing or dado
To make the dado cut, clamp the
workpiece up under the Base Plate.
The Centre Liner accurately aligns the
exact position of the cut. You can gain
extra support by using the Brush
cammed in the Cam Lock. The router
is simply depthed with a gauging
piece and brought forward across the
board.
The new Alu Guide Rails (included)
provide a stiff platform for the router
For shelving, the WoodRat will make
a stopped housing in an 11“ (275mm)
shelf side. The LittleRat will do the
same up to 9” (225mm). For longer
cuts turn the board around.
Working big
On the WoodRat you can easily make
a perfect straight tenon up to 30”
(760mm) long.
The sliding tenon
The sliding tenon is made in two
passes. The first rebate is run against
the back edge; then the router is
moved forward, re-fixed and the bit
cuts the front edge. The two sides of
the joint are parallel, even if the board
is warped. This ends the problem, on
assembly, of the sliding dovetail
jamming halfway down its groove as
the glue dries in the groove.
Chests of drawers
Making carcasses for chests of drawers is intricate work. If you frame up
a carcass with halving joints there is
nothing to prevent the wood of the
posts from cupping, and jamming the
drawers. The sliding dovetail, however, holds the rail firmly right across its
width and stops this happening.
You have exact placing of all the rails
and posts. The drawers fit exactly so
there’s no need for overlapping drawer fronts to hide the gaps.
A simple set of shelves quickly made
with sliding dovetails and chamfered
on the WoodRat too
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The Stop is used to make
accurate, repeatable
tenons in seconds
The Raising Plate allows
for a 2” depth of cut
Down-cutting using the manual
powerfeed
Cut on the down-cut. Wood goes
into the blades from the left, going
with the spin of the blades. This
gives a clean shoulder to the cut.
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Tenons
Perfect in four cuts
There’s no machine for the small workshop that can compete with the WoodRat for
versatility, accuracy and speed when it comes to making tenons. If you normally cut
tenons on a bandsaw or a router table, the WoodRat will amaze you.
Just lock the workpiece in the
Camlock, depth the bit and cut, to get
perfect, square tenons in just four
hits. You can make any kind,
haunched, twin, double twin, and so
on. You can even cut compound
angled tenons for chair making.
The maximum cut depth is 2”
(50mm) which is ample for most
projects. However, if you need a
longer tenon, you can start it on the
WoodRat, so that you know it’s
accurate, and extend it in depth,
using a band saw or finish the cut by
hand.
Lightening fast
A new technique now incorporates a
router stop that attaches to the Alu
Guide Rails. Combined with a simple
spacer block, this allows you to make
perfect tenons (and sliding dovetail
tenons) in seconds.
The tearout problem
The router table is hopeless at cutting
tenons or in fact, any joint across the
end of a rail, as you have to go against
the spin of the bit to avoid the workpiece being snatched out of your
hands. Unfortunately, this method
(up-cutting) produces bad tearout.
you go around the wood clockwise, and
eliminate tearout entirely
WoodRat’s solution
The WoodRat cuts perfectly across
the ends of boards thanks to the
built-in manual powerfeed. The Cam
Lock holds the wood firmly as it feeds
it steadily into the bit on the down-cut
(see diagram). This gives a clean cut
at the shoulder. Your tenons will
come straight off the bit as clean as a
whistle.
No tearout means that you can depth
the joint so that you have very little
cleaning up to do, which means
thinner wood, and lighter, stronger
furniture. Down-cutting prolongs the
life of the bit too.
The Stop, Block, and an abutment
fixed to the router. These are used to
make accurate tenons, fast
A complete cupboard door, including
raised panel, made on the WoodRat
“For me the WoodRat would pay
for itself used solely for tenoning”
Paul Richardson, The Router
“Without doubt, the best tenons I
have ever cut have been with the
aid of a WoodRat”
Ron Fox, The Router
13
The PlungeBar is used to
quickly plunge a neat row
of holes.
Mortise any size or shape
of workpiece
Clamps fix the workpiece to
the Mortise Rail where it can
be tracked left or right.
This special design of
Mortise Rail can be bought
from WoodRat. Or you can
make one yourself
Before plunging the mortise,
you can plow a groove to
take a raised panel.
14
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Mortises
and holes for dowel joints
Even if you own a chisel mortiser you’ll enjoy the easy way you can correctly detail a
cupboard door – cutting the grooves, chopping out the mortises, and then raising and
fielding the panel to fit the frame – all in one easy sequence.
A simple carriage (we call it a Mortise
Rail) holds work under the Plate,
parallel to the machine face. This
turns the WoodRat into a mortiser –
but it’s a mortiser with a difference:
the rail can carry all kinds of long,
bulky or awkward objects, firmly
fixed with clamps.
You can move both the work and the
router, but it’s the plungeability of the
router that is all-important. With a
WoodRat PlungeBar™ (see page 26),
chopping holes is as easy as it is with
a chisel mortiser. Just squeeze the
bars to drop the bit.
How to mortise
The mortise is formed by sinking two
holes next to each other. A short
sweep of the bar makes them into a
short slot. Plunge another hole and
sweep back to the first and the slot
grows into a mortise. The ‘Rat may
not be able to make square holes like
a chisel mortiser, but it has other
advantages
Other advantages:
• There’s no machine bed, so you can
set the work of whatever size or
shape, up under the plate, and sink a
mortise or drill holes in it.
• When making a chair, clamp the
wood on the Mortise Rail at any angle
you need, and mark the rail so that
you can repeat the cut on further
pieces. Use the Mortise Rail like a
drawing board.
The New Mortise Rail
gives new clamping
options. It is available
as an accessory
There’s no machine bed, so you can set
the work of whatever size or shape, up
under the plate, and sink a mortise or
drill holes in it
• Setting the whole Mortise Rail at an
angle to the bit gives angled
mortises.
• You can use any bit you need.
Extremely small and delicate work is
possible.
• You can make the mortise match
the groove for the panel in a paneled
door. This groove will also give the
thickness of the tenon to fit the
mortise.
• The 2” (50mm) cutting depth of the
plunge router is reasonable for most
cabinet-making operations. When
you’re making larger doors you can
work from the other face and mortise
to a depth of 4” (100mm).
• Shallow mortises make accurate
pockets for locks and hinges and
other ironmongery.
15
16
LittleRat Dovetails
with the ‘point & shoot’ dovetail jig
Making a ring of dovetails on the LittleRat is dead easy. All you need is two WoodRat cutters
(a dovetail bit and a straight bit) four boards and a sharp pencil.
All kinds of decorative
dovetails are possible . . .
We set ourselves the task of making The LittleRat features a totally new and
a dovetailer that you could take from original way of making dovetails.
the box, hang it on the wall, show it
the wood, and have a perfect ring of Elegant joints
fine dovetail joints.
The LittleRat uses WoodRat cutters,
The LittleRat features a totally new because they are the finest available
and original way of making dovetails. and form a complete set, from 4mm
The machine face is marked with to 16mm diameter, all at 1-in-7 slope,
pencil lines, these lines are aligned as standard in cabinetmaking
with the clear cursor. At each position practice.
a joint is cut.
You can include any reasonable
The sockets are cut straight through number of joints and the pitch is
using a dovetail bit with the straight infinitely variable.
edges guiding the plate. The Guide
Rails are then switched left for right
and positioned according to the scale.
The pins are cut with a straight bit.
Now the angled sides of the
Guide Rails guide the pass.
. . . as well as the Mitered
Through Dovetail
All the grooves, rabbets and
dovetails for this jewellry box
were made on the LittleRat
17
The Centre Plate forms a
pivot and its position
dictates the size of pins.
The Spirals dictate the angle of cut
and thus the shape of the pins. Here
the left Spiral has been brought in to
guide the plate when cutting square.
Spiral and Centre
Plate settings are
gained from the
chart provided.
Before cutting the
joints for real, you
can make a test joint
and fine-tune it if
necessary.
The Router Plate can
now cut at angles
defined by the size
and shape of the
dovetail bit you are
using.
Each socket is lined up in turn
against the Mark. At each position
a corresponding pin is cut.
18
WoodRat Dovetails
The finest dovetails of any machine
Once again the through dovetail becomes the common way to join two boards. The
WoodRat is the most versatile dovetailer there is. Stock can be wafer-thin or up to 2˝ thick
and 30” wide, with any spacing, using any bit.
The simplest dovetail jigs are
designed for speed, cutting both the
pins and tails at the same time. They
may be simple, but the dovetails look
machine-made and it’s difficult to
avoid tearout.
More sophisticated jigs allow you to
vary the pitch, but even they dictate
the shape of dovetail, as the jig can
work only with that manufacturer’s
own special cutters. These cutters
rarely have the same elegant shape
that hand-cut dovetails have, and
never form a proper graded set or
work to any angle that a cabinemaker would recognize.
WoodRat solves the problem
• The WoodRat can match handmade
work at any size. You can use any
dovetail bit from any manufacturer,
but we alone produce a full range of
finely graded bits.
• It will make any kind of through or
half-blind or mitred dovetails.
• No other dovetailer works as large
nor as small. It will join drawer sides
as thin as 1/4” or less.
No other dovetailer works as large, or as
small, as the WoodRat.
• The WoodRat automatically aligns
the two boards so that the edges do
not “joggle” at the corners. Perfect
alignment is built in to the way the
boards go together.
The WoodRat makes dovetails in
boards up-to 2” thick and 30” wide
• There are no templates or fingers,
either fixed or adjustable. Thus, there
is nothing to tinker around with, and
no extras to buy when you need to
change the settings or need a
different joint. In fact, there is
nothing to dictate to you where the
joints go. You put them exactly
where you want them. You’re in
charge.
• Even spacing comes from the
parallelogram marker, whatever the
width of the workpiece. This is
accurate, and super quick to adjust,
particularly when you have a lot of
graded drawers to make. They will
need a different spacing front to
back, and between each row of
drawers in the chest. You can change
the position of the pins with just a
sharp pencil.
• The WoodRat can batch-cut stacks
of dovetails without sacrificing
quality. Both tails and pins can be
batch-cut, and no dovetail jig can do
this.
The Smallest and largest
dovetails from any machine
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WoodRat
Centre Plate with Allen
Key in place to stop
the cut
Parallelogram for
even spacing on any
size of board
Spirals
Front Stop
LittleRat
Angled Guide Rails
4
3
2
1
Stop Block
20
Half-Blind Dovetails
to rival the master craftsman
There are many jigs on the market that produce half-blind dovetails for drawer fronts. Some
even have variable spacing. None, however, come close to matching the elegance of a hand
cut joint. For that you need a ‘Rat and its high-speed steel bits.
The half-blind (lapped or drawer-front)
dovetail is perhaps the joint that most
lets down the dovetail jig. Open any
drawer and you can see instantly
whether the the chest has been
hand-made or mass produced. Cheap
jigs make blocky pins and tails that
are the same size. Even the best jigs
are incapable of producing an elegant
joint at smaller sizes. The WoodRat is
the only machine that makes halfblind dovetails that closely resemble
the classic needle-pin look of the
hand cut joint. We produce ultra-fine
HSS bits with the correct 1-in-9 slope.
you might cut them by hand with
square shoulders. This is achieved by
simply stopping the forward travel of
the router when cutting the pins. A
stop is provided for this.
All that remains is to square up the
rounded corners left by the bit using
a skew chisel, making fine dovetails
without the rounded corners.
The second method makes the joint
with rounded shoulders
using the Alu Guide
Rails. This is somewhat
faster, yet retains the
elegant appearance of a
handmade joint.
Traditional looking needle-pin
dovetails for the classic look
The LittleRat
A range of lapped dovetails with
rounded shoulders
The Technique
Unlike a dovetail jig, the WoodRat
makes drawer-front dovetails in one
of two ways. The first method is as
The LittleRat can also
employ both of these
techniques. However, it
cannot use the 1-in-9
cutters. It is limited to
the 1-in-7 range as
shown here (on the right). An elegant
joint nonetheless.
“An excellent dovetailer capable
of producing the finest joints”
Andy Standing, The Woodworker
21
Dowelling Jig
This simple jig allows you make
your own dowells
Sugar-tong vice
Holds awkward shapes like this
round table leg, just cut with a
tapered sliding dovetail
Panel Raising
The mortise Rail can be set
at an angle and used to raise
panels
22
Mitre Box
Holds wood at angles for mitred
laps and secret dovetails. It will
also take wood horizontally.
Adding simple jigs
As well as the main jointing operations, the WoodRat has many other tricks up its sleeve.
A few simple jigs allow huge extra potential at minimal extra cost.
Dowelling Jig
The jig is simply a block of wood with
a hole the diameter of dowel you
need. Cam it square in the Cam Lock
and plunge a straight bit down to the
hole. Prepare a stick for the dowel,
roughly round and sharpened like a
pencil at both ends. As the you push
it through the hole the cutter trims it
to size. You can spin the stick using an
electric drill to give a smooth finish to
the dowel.
Now you will never be stuck for the
right size of dowel or for the right
wood. Just cut your own.
The Mitre Box holds the work
at angles
This has a variety of uses, not least
when making mitred (secret) dovetails (a useful joint when molding,
carving or inlay follow round from one
face to the next).
The Mitre Box is also used for holding
pieces horizontal above the reach of
the Cam Lock.
Batch Cutting
This technique is ideal for making
sets of beautiful miniature boxes. As
well as dovetail bits, we also supply
a graded range of tiny HSS straight
bits for making miniature comb joint
boxes. The smallest is just 1.6mm in
diameter (perfect for a ring box). The
results of this technique are guaranteed to impress!
We prefer this method rather than
using large horizontal bits as vertical
bits are cheaper, cut deeper, and the
technique is easier.
Invent your own
With complete X Y and Z axis control,
you have the perfect starting point on
which to base all kinds of special jigs
to suit your needs. Be inventive, it’s
what the WoodRat is all about!
Pieces clamped for batch cutting
Sugar-tong vice
This jig allows any shape of board to
be held firmly to present it to the bit.
In the diagram opposite it is being
used to put a sliding dovetail in the
round leg of a spindle table.
Panel raising
You can make a classic raised panel
using just the Mortise Rail, clamps
and a straight cutter. Angle the
Mortise Rail with the panel clamped
to it and cut an angled border around
it. Down-cut for a clean, sharp edge
to the panel in the centre.
The mortise and tenon joints in this cupboard
door are pinned with dowels. Both the dowels
and the holes were made with the ‘Rat
23
WoodRat razor-sharp
high-speed steel bits
Most of the world uses Tungsten
Carbide Tipped (TCT) router bits,
yet WoodRat recommends HighSpeed Steel (HSS). Why?
Quite simply because HSS bits are
the right choice for real wood.They
are more flexible and less brittle
and, although they won’t stay
sharp for as long as TCT bits,
they’re easy to sharpen using a
diamond whetstone.
As tungsten tends to chip, TCT are
made with a straighter hook angle or
rake. This means that they tend to
push rather than slice their way
through the wood. This is fine going
down the grain, profiling and rebating
etc, as in a router table. However,
HSS is far superior when going
through and across the grain, making
joints in the ends of planks and rails.
Here, the higher rake and sharper
edge gives a better, cleaner cut.
Because the WoodRat can deliver the
wood into the bit on the down-cut,
you get a perfect clean shoulder to
the cut and a clean finished face.
They even have great end cutting for
mortising.
Gourmet cutters
Dovetail bits have an inherent
problem: The shape is wide at the
bottom and narrow at the neck. This
neck size, of course, determines the
24
the higher rake and sharper edge gives a
better, cleaner cut
strength of the bit. The bit designer
needs to make the neck small and
elegant to give that hand-made look
to the pin but not so fine that it lacks
strength. TCT cutters have the tips
welded onto the structural shaft of
the bit, so the welded-on tips tend to
make the bit stout and clumsy – it’s
a giveaway.
HSS bits are all structure, even the
cutting edges, and can therefore have
an elegant shape at virtually any size.
HSS well repays the small amount of
time taken to hone the edges.
HSS is also recommended for cutting
plastics, and soft metals like brass
and aluminum. TCT bits are only
needed to cut man-made boards.
Why 8mm Shanks?
1/4" shanks have been dropped from
our range in favor of 8mm for added
strength. If you have a 1/2" router you
can simply sleeve down with a 1/2"8mm sleeve, and those of you with
1/4" routers can use the 8mm collet
supplied with your router (or available
from the manufacturer).
Uniquely, our 8mm range includes
long-bladed (42mm) straight cutters ■
WoodRat bits are designed by woodworkers for woodworkers!
The WoodRat Bit Range
WR-8-7-7-4
WR-H-S-50-10
WR-8-7-12-6
WR-H-S-50-H
WR-8-7-14 -7
WR-8-S-42-12.7
WR-8-7-16-8
WR-8-7-20-10
WR-8-S-42-10
WR-8-7-24-12
WR-8-S-42-8
SLV8
WR-8-7-32-16
SLVQ
WR-H-6-25-15
WR-8-9-13.5-5
(x2)
WR-H-6-36-20
Sold in pairs
WR-8-9-18-6.5
(x2)
Sold in pairs
CL-Q-6-5
WR-H-6-50-28
CL-Q-6-4
Contained in Set 1
CL-Q-6-3
Contained in Set 2
Contained in Fill In Set
CL-Q-4.47-1.6
105° Hook angle
-22° Angle
of the land
Contained in Drawer-front Set
Only sold separately
25
“A delight to use”
Good Woodworking
“Highly recommended”
The Router
The PlungeBar is an essential
accessory
that
dramatically
improves the action of depthing
your router. It consists of two or
three bars that fix easily to your
router.
26
There are many applications
where improved depthing will give
greater comfort, speed and safety...
In a router table
Depthing and fine adjustment are
now smooth, fingertip actions,
thanks to the added leverage given by
the bars. One hand brings the bars
together, while the other is free to
check the depth of cut.
Depthing a bit in a router table can
literally be a pain in the back. You have
to use two hands to push the router
up, another hand (or chin) to hold the
table down and a fourth hand to
measure the depth of cut! At best it’s
uncomfortable, at worst it can be
painful.
It also improves safety. Instead of
having the router revving at 22,000
rpm with the bit dangerously
exposed, you can keep the bit safely
concealed and drop it into the wood
only when you’re ready to cut.
The PlungeBar makes it easy: the bit
is raised by squeezing the bars
together with one hand and its height
above the table is measured with the
other.
Working freehand
Using the PlungeBar puts no
pressure on your work and so avoids
the burn marks and jaggies as the bit
enters the wood. It allows you to
make ramping cuts that simply
cannot be done accurately by pushing
against the springs with the conventional handles.
You may take your cut down in more
than three stages, or in only two, but
however you plan your cut, it’s easy
with the PlungeBar. Squeeze the cut
down a little as you go and lock it off.
You can do it by eye and get a perfect
result.
Depth your router smoothly with one hand. Check
the depth with the other. The PlungeBar allows
subtle depthing control even during a cut.
EASY SQUEEZE: In a table, one hand raises the bit
Bar Type
Router
D
Axminster AW127R
D
Bosch GOF800/900/1300
Router becomes mortiser
D
Bosch 1613EVS/1614EVS
Squeezing the bars together lets you
use the end cutting facility of your bit
to chop mortises for tenons and
plunge holes for dowels.
D
Bosch 1615/1619EVS
C
Bosch GOF2000/1600
C
Bosch 1617EVS Plunge Base
Track the work underneath the router
and squeeze the bars. The bit will cut
a perfect hole.
A
CMT 1850W
B
DeWalt 613
D
DeWalt 621
A
DeWalt 625/624/629
F
DeWalt 626
Working with the WoodRat
F
DeWalt 6182 Plunge Base
With the PlungeBar, the up/down
positioning of the router can be as
accurate as the WoodRat’s positioning of the wood left and right, putting
you in complete control of your cuts.
The WoodRat, the PlungeBar and a
Router make a perfect combination.
B
Elu 96
D
Elu 97
A
Elu MOF177
C
Freud 2000
F
Fein RT-1800
B
Hitachi M8
C
Hitachi M12
C
Holzher 2365
F
Makita 3612
B
Makita 3621
F
Metabo 1800W
E
Porter Cable 7529/97529
D
Power Pro 1250W/2050R
C
Ryobi 601/600
B
Trend T5
F
Trend T9
This technique is also excellent for
lettering, and for clearing waste in bas-relief carving and moldings.
FREEHAND: Fingertip control gives perfect results
PlungeBars now fit plunge bases from
DeWalt and Bosch
RATTING: The PlungeBar turns the ‘Rat into an
efficient mortiser
See woodrat.com for the complete list
27
The LittleRat Kit
Base Plate
3mm Allen Key
Stop
Base Plate
3mm Allen Key
5mm Allen Key
Stop
Crank
Handle
Small Cursors
Crank
Handle
Small Cursors
Stop Plate
Center Liner
5mm Allen Key
Star Knob
Acrylic Slats
Cutter Block
CamLock
Acrylic Slats
Dust Chute
Cutter Block
Fixed Fence
Large
Cursor
Silicon Lubricant
(UK only)
Silicon Lubricant
(UK only)
Star Knob
Stop Plate
Dust Chute
CamLock
Center Liner
Raising Plate
Fixed Fence
Large
Cursor
Alu Guide Rails
Brush
Raising Plate
Manual
Alu Guide Rails
Brush
Manual
The WoodRat Kit
Allen Keys
3mm
5mm
6mm
Allen Keys
3mm
5mm
6mm
BasePlate
CenterPlate
Stop
BasePlate
Crank Handle
Star Knob
CenterPlate
Stop
Crank Handle
Silicon Lubricant
(UK only)
Spirals
Star Knob
Parallelogram
Silicon Lubricant
(UK only)
Spirals
Stop
Parallelogram
Stop
Dust Chute
Cutter Block
CamLock
Alu Guide Rails
Dust Chute
Cutter Block
Alu Guide Rails
CamLock
Raising Plates
Fixed Fence
Raising Plates
Fixed Fence
28
Center Liner
Manual
m8 45s
Acrylic Slats
Brush
Manual
Acrylic Slats
LR WR
WoodRat and LittleRat
WoodRat and
comparison of
comparison
ofLittleRat
functions
functions
Where indicated the WoodRat or
LittleRat is capable of assisting you in
making the joint either fully or in part,
where some chisel work may be needed
LR WR
24” 36”
46” 46”
18” 30”
1/1000”
2” 2”
8” 10”
4 4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4 4
4 4
4 4
4 4
4 4
The chart below is not intended as a
complete list of all the possible joints.
Key
MR Mortise Rail
MB Mitre Box
C some chisel work required to square
rounded corners left by the bit
J Requires a simple shop-made jig
Space required
On the wall at working level
Height of plate approx. (longer pieces
can be cut by fixing at a higher level).
General
Maximum clamping width
Positioning accuracy
Cutter depth
Max. forward router travel (this is
doubled by turning the board)
Work down the grain
(work as router table)
decorative profiles
grooves
slots
rebates/rabbets
large diameter cutters
rail and stile profile joints
straight profiles
curved edge profiles
Pin routing (J)
curves, circles and holes using template
Edge joints
vee t and g
matched cutters
coopering (edge joints for boards at
angles)
Work across the grain
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
end profiles (MB)
Trenching (cutting across the board)
dado/housing joint (female part)
sliding dovetail (female part)
tapered sliding dovetail
cross halving joint
oblique halvings
cogged halving joint (C)
Tenoning
Shallow tenoning
shooting board end
housing joint
sliding dovetail
laps and grooves
bread board ends
Deep tenons
corner tenon for bridle joint
stub tenon
plain thru’ tenon for wedging
stopped for pinning
fox tail wedging
barefaced tenon
double tenons
twin tenons
double twins
angled tenon (J)
compound angled tenon (J)
haunched tenon
rebate/rabbet
tusk tenon joint (C)
Bridle Joints
bridle joint
mitred bridle joint (MB)
tee bridle joint/forked tenon
Mortising (C) (MR)
mortises for all of the above tenons
dowel joints
Raising and fielding panels (MR) straight
bit, angled panel
vertical cutter, vertical panel (MR)
horizontal cutter
Drilling holes
carcassing dowel joints
LR WR
4 4 rails at angles
4 4 Making dowels (J)
4 4 Dovetailing
4 4 variable spacing
4 4 one for one
1:7 any slope angle
4 4 Through dovetails
4 4 Half-blind dovetails
4 4 square shouldered (C)
4 4 round shouldered (MB)
4 4 Mitered dovetails (MB)
4 4 dovetails with mitred end pins
4 4 decorative through and half-blind
dovetails, most kinds.
4 4 end to end dovetails
4 4 climbing dovetails
4 4 tails batch cut
4 4 pins batch cut
4 4 Comb Joint box or finger joints
Knuckle Joints
4 4 round knuckle (C)
4 4 stopped knuckle (C)
4 4 Mitred / angles (MB)
4 4 plain butt joint
4 4 grooved and tongued
4 4 rebated joint
4 4 tongued mitre
4 4 stopped mitre
4 4 lipped mitre
4 4 Rule joint
4 4 Showcase joint (C ) (mitres mortise
and tenon and dovetail)
4 4 Scarf joints
4 4 bird’s mouth scarf
4 4 Key joints
4 4 butterfly keys
4 4 dovetail slip keys
4 4 Clamping joints
4 4 secret screws
Cutting Pockets
4 4 locks (C)
4 4 hinges (C)
4 4 ironmongery etc
29
An exploded view of a
classic kitchen table with
drawers and sliding dovetails to joint the legs. All
the joints can be made
easily on the ‘Rat
“ Offers an endless array of wood-jointing capabilities”
Patrick Spielman, The New Router Handbook
30
About WoodRat
See it in action
The WoodRat was invented in 1988
by Martin Godfrey. Martin is a
passionate cabinetmaker and wood
carver. At the time he was carving
ornate rocking horses to commision.
He now heads the company and
demonstrates at exhibitions around
World. WoodRat has a small but
dedicated team who are happy to
answer queries and provide aftersales support. We are:
We attend as many exhibitions as we
can, and we’ve produced a 50 minute
demonstration video. It shows all the
main joinery operations in detail. You
can order it from our web site.
Dave van Deudekom (Sales)
sales@woodrat.com
Technical Support
support@woodrat.com
Henry Godfrey (Media)
media@woodrat.com
Robert Best (Production & Logistics)
robert@woodrat.com
Martin Godfrey (Inventor & Principal)
martin@woodrat.com
Some User Testimonials
The WoodRat has been made a
success largely by word of mouth.
Here are a few customer comments:
How to order your ‘Rat
The WoodRat web site has a forum, a
store and downloadable worksheets
WoodRat.com
The WoodRat website acts as a hub
for ‘Rat users Worldwide. You can buy
machines and spare parts, read about
our latest developments, download
manual updates and chat to other
WoodRat users.You can also read
reviews and find links to other
WoodRat sites on the net.
more you use it, the less you even
think of using clamps, jigs etc.“
rec.woodworking Date: 2003-02-07
“Thank you for the WoodRat. I love
it“ Duncan Buchanan (email)
“Using the LittleRat has greatly
improved production and quality in
our woodworking shop.” Dan
McBride www.azwoodman.com
“The Rat I purchased so many years
ago is still my most used router
setup” Wayne H. Tinker (email)
“Your WoodRat is a joy to use, a very
clever woodworking jig.” Shane
Hertzog (letter)
“The WoodRat fills many roles with
no compromise in quality that I
have yet found.” UK DIY Forum
“I bought it as a dovetailing machine,
but I now use it for so many
joints I could not begin to write them
all down.” Andy Boyd (From email)
“Most used tool in my shop. The
WoodRat products and spare parts
can be ordered in various ways
depending on where in the World you
live. We have a growing number of
official dealers (listed on our web site)
or you can order direct from us via
our web site or by phone:
USA/Canada: 1-877-WOODRAT
UK: 0845 458 2033
Worldwide: +44 1458 832744
However you buy, the ‘Rat comes
with a satisfaction guarantee. If you
don’t like it, you can send it back.
“As for the learning curve - its been
fun.” WR Forum ID: synonym
“I'm producing accurate tenons with
the cleanest shoulders this side
of woodwork heaven, neat mortises,
elegant dovetails etc. etc” WR
Forum ID: spikeu
“Thank you for your great invention.”
Beau Dobson (letter)
“It is an extremely clever instrument,
having
both
precision
and
finesse.“Michael Williams (letter)
“I’m stunned. What an amazing
tool.” G. Glass (letter)
31
“ Using the WoodRat is like being at the
helm of a ship, steering a path towards
new and exciting jointing”
Jeremy Broun, Woodworking magazine
WoodRat is a registered trademark. LittleRat and PlungeBar are
trademarks. The WoodRat emblem is a registered trademark.
The WoodRat® is fully protected by patents worldwide. U.S.
Patent No.4 995 435 Australian Patent No.60 98 26 UK
Patent No. 036 22 51 Japanese Patent Application No.504
322/63 Canadian Application No. 2003 492-1 German Patent
No. 38 80 138.8. The LittleRat has patents applied for. We
reserve the right to alter specifications without giving notice.