I didn’t know where to post this, it’s about hand cut joints and power tools. On the Wood Rat website they claim you can use smaller HSS Bits and achieve dovetail joints that look handcut. So my question is why don’t more woodworkers use those same HSS bits on their dovetail jigs? I’ve cut a few dovetail joints myself but have never used a jig because they look like crap. In fact I I think we pay way too much attention to this joint in the first place but if I could get the look of a handcut joint with a HSS bit I would. Has anyone tried this? sorry for my ignorance about this.
Edited 9/8/2009 3:05 am by geppetto425
Replies
G,
Here is a pic of some slimmer DTs made with the woodrat and the larger of their super-narrow HSS bits. It is possible to make them slimmer at the bottom with the same bit - those in the pic were made without plunging the bit as deeply as it will go, i.e. to the thinnest part of the bit's neck.
Also, their smaller super-narrow bit will make even slimmer DTs albeit not having as much height.
View Image
As you can see, using the woodrat allows the DTs to be placed anywhere one wishes, whereas many DT jigs give only pre-determined spacings. Also, I doubt if you could get the slim profiles using a woodrat skinny DT bit in a jig, as the jig makes you cut according to the width of a cutter bearing or other jig-following part.
True houndstooth cannot be made on the woodrat even with the smallest/slimmest bit. True houndstooth have a only a handsaw-kerf width at their narrowest whereas the woodrat bit needs about 2mm of metal at its neck otherwise it would snap off in use. Also, one may handcut very tall houndsteef; but the height is limited with those super-narrow bits.
The bits were sold in pairs, with the understanding that such snapping-off was bound to occur if and when the user got rather too impatient and pushed the router about too fast whilst cutting the joint. One does have to go quite carefully.
Lataxe
Thanks for taking the time to answer that! And sorry for not getting back to you sooner. I'm going to start saving up for a Woodrat!
Although not Woodrat-related, don't forget that you can alter the appearance of DTs from a conventional DT jig by skipping some of the guide slots. Doing so requires some planning and care, but it can jazz up the resulting joints a bit. The thin-pin look isn't possible, though.
Edited 9/25/2009 12:41 pm by RalphBarker
Okay, thanks for that tip.
One thing it the woodrat is not a jig it is a machine
The first thing you would need to understand is the WoodRat is not a jig it is a machine. I reciently finished a review of the WR600 and the first thing that became aparent was the WoodRat is not like any jig it is more like a milling machine on sterroids. your question about why you cant use the woodrat cutters on other jigs is because of the jig not the bit I will experiment with this but feel it may be difficult on many of the jigs I own and on some it wont work because their isnot a bering for the bit to ride the fingers of the jig .I will try to post my results on this thread .
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