No problem, glad it was useful ☺️

Thanks Sierk for your WoodRat tips. Very useful. I’m not going to ever say that the WoodRat is the one and only way of making wood joints because we all know that’s not true. Like you I use a router table too and I can also make joints by hand. Sometimes one method can be better than doing it another way. I think the Rat, if modified with a few jigs and options like you mention, can be quite versatile. But like every method it has its limits. But thanks for your ideas it’s good to see what others are doing with their Rats! 👍😊

Hi Paul, it’s from Axminster Tools (I assume you’re in the UK, but if not you might be able to order from overseas?). It’s called a ring friction drive centre nowadays. Here’s a link to it on the Axminster website… www.axminstertools.com/axminster-cone-drive-ax21250 or if you want the pair (for head and tail stock) look here… www.axminstertools.com/matched-pair-of-ring-centres-ax797244 Hope this helps? Regards Steve

Thank you for your prompt reply , very helpful 👍

Good suggestion, thanks. Like all things in woodworking there’s more than one way of doing something. 😊

Thanks Michael. Glad it has been of use.

The WoodRat was invented in the 1980s, so it’s been around a long time now, but obviously not as long as hand tools. If you go to www.woodrat.com you’ll find more info or search for their KZbin channel. The Pantorouter works in a similar way but it’s not the same and is much much more expensive. Basically the Rat is a wall mounted jig for your router. The router sits on a plate which can be pushed forwards/backwards whilst the workpiece is held underneath the plate (either vertically or horizontally). The workpiece is clamped to a bar which can be moved left/right. With the router bit protruding through the plate the workpiece is cut in all sorts of ways depending on how you move the router back & forth or the workpiece left/right. It can cut a large number of different joints and would be able to cut tapered sliding DTS too. If you’re a handtools only person then I guess this is not for you. I can cut dovetails by hand too (see my Roubo workbench series for example), but when I started out in the first years learning to make things I went down the machine route first. Nowadays I have the choice of machine or hand cut and depending on what I’m making (& how many) one may be better than the other (for me anyway). Thanks for your comment and hope this helps?

Thanks Alastair. I do still monitor my KZbin account although it never has been nor will ever be one of these multi-million subscriber channels! But I’m ok with that! 😂 The WoodRat videos were intentionally made to be slow and more classroom like to emulate as though you were on a hands on course. So I realise that the delivery is slow and no doubt boring for some folks. But the point was to explain in as much depth as I could give given that this machine is not altogether that obvious on how it should be used. Anyway, glad you found it useful and hope you’re now making some good stuff with your Rat?

Thanks. Yes, that is most likely the most common traditional method. I repeated what I’d learned on a table making course with a professional cabinetmaker so went with the design on that basis.

No problem 👍

Thanks for your kind words Catt. ☺️ It was good practice for me to improve my skills.

Yes I also have a router table. I bought the WoodRat instead of a router dovetail jig, e.g. Trend or Leigh. When I started woodwork I thought it would be easier to machine dovetails instead of hand cutting them. It’s not impossible but it’s not easy to cut them on a router table. The WoodRat excels at making machined dovetails which are not restricted to a finger template. It also cuts about a hundred other joints. The router table is better for some other tasks though, so really you need both. Alternatively you can cut many joints on a router table too. But with the Rat you can see what is going on since you’re looking down on the workpiece whilst it’s being cut. A more expensive similar machine is the Panto router. But that is a lot more expensive. Have a look at the WoodRat website and you’ll find explanations of what it can do. I don’t work for WoodRat but I’m sure if you contact them they will be able to help with more details. Hope this helps?

Thanks Chris, glad you found it useful. They’re tricky to make and as a hobbyist I’m not turning every single day so it’s always a challenge for me! I’d forgotten that I got the glue gun out for these. 😊

Thanks Karen, much appreciated!

Thanks Melissa. Glad you found it useful. Good luck with your woodturning progression…

That’s a shame, the box is quite nice. At least your friend got the plane!

😮 damn. Bet the price didn’t go down.😐

Yeah, it seems to be a general global problem with supply of all sorts of things these days. The Veritas one is pretty good too according to many folk, why not have a look at it if it’s available?

Thanks Bob for your kind words, I’m glad the videos help. This machine is not very intuitive and I was lucky enough that there was a great course near me by Mike Humphrey back in the early 2000s. He taught me and others most of the techniques that I share on KZbin. He retired a long time ago and so his course is no longer available. I tried to make these videos in the style of being on a course and made them deliberately slow so you’ve got time to take it all in. Some folk don’t like my delivery but I can’t please all the people all of the time it seems! If I make them fast they’ll complain it’s too fast, make them slow and it’s too slow. Etc. I’ve met the inventor a few times at woodwork shows here in the UK in years gone by and he has definitely created a useful machine. Not everyone agrees but each to their own I say! Once the concept has clicked in your brain it’s straight forward after that. Good luck with your new found skills…! Cheers Steve

Thanks John, glad it was of use

Good question. I don’t know really. The tail vice has a 374mm slot in which to travel. This defines the overhang of the tail vice end, but of course can be changed to your requirements. I think it might work to go down to 5ft//1525mm. Not sure about 4ft though. Have you tried asking Frank Strazza? He can be found via Instagram and you can send him a private message there. Since he’s making a living out of making these benches he will know the answer. HTH?

Thanks, glad you found it useful. Not sure about the haircut though! 😂👍

Thanks Lance. Ah I didn’t include that part of the build in this video as I didn’t have any photos of it. I used a keyhole router bit to machine a keyhole for a screw or bolt head (projecting out of the wall). This was machined into the back of the side walls of the cabinet. Hope this helps 👍

Oops, apologies for the delayed response! Great tip and one that I should have included but obviously forgot. Thanks

Thanks Zee for your kind words. Glad the videos help. As written in the description the credit for most of this goes to Mike Humphrey who was my tutor. His training courses have not been available for years now. The WoodRat is very flexible compared to say a dedicated dovetail jig but once you get your head around how the rat works you can think up all sorts of ways of cutting wood and creating joints and much more. Don’t get me wrong, I still have a router table but for joints I love using my rat.

@@SteveCashmoreWoodworks Thank you, Steve. I have also downloaded a written tutorial from Mike Humphrey on the WR, which is also very useful. I’m a hobby woodworker (“woodworm/wood freak”), but I haven’t used my WR very much to date. Thanks to you and to Mike that situation will now change. Thanks again !🪵🪵🪵

Thanks Stewart. Glad you’ve found them useful. His course was incredibly useful. All the best with your renewed interest…!

Hi Gerard! So good to hear from you! How are you? I don’t remember being into woodwork at that age but I do remember you making your violin case. I guess I made a lot of airfix models! Take care Steve 🤗

Thanks Jim. I’m a bit of a WoodRat fan and got into Woodturning after a mate at work gave me this little lathe. This Coronet lathe is quite small, but it’s fine for most things I make. I’m mostly a flat woodworker so turning is not my key skill. I think schools always teach the safest methods, they have to! Many pro turners seem to use all sorts of tool holding methods so I don’t think there’s only one way. Whatever works for you I say, of course, as long as it is safe!

Thanks Jim. I’m glad you find it useful and hope it helps motivate use of your Rat. Most folks do leave the pins protruding and clean them up with a handplane. In case you didn’t know there’s several other WoodRat videos on my channel.

Thanks Peter. I guess they’re normally avoided since they might fall out, especially larger knots? But yeah they do look nice!

Thanks Mike. I uploaded this video to show my mistakes and how I fixed them. Hopefully it gives others who are also making mistakes some encouragement to continue improving. Woodwork is not easy, especially when you’re doing it as a hobby. Cheers

Thanks, yeah, I was very pleased with the project overall

Thanks Gav, much appreciated 👍

Hi Stuart, the video reveals the answer! In short, you need both - the ally guide rails for cutting the tails and the spirals for cutting the pins. Hope this helps? There is a shorter video on through dovetails (about ten mins) if you prefer but this video gives all the details. Thanks Steve

Thanks Steve. The aluminium rails on the top surface of the base plate seem to strengthen it up a lot. But I know what you mean, it can still flex a little. This does ensure that the workpiece is held correctly during the cut. Cheers Steve

Thanks Bob for your kind words. I’ll try and get more videos out as and when I can. Cheers Steve

Thanks Jack and thanks for still being here following along. Sorry for the long absence but I’m hoping to get more content out more often from now on. We’ll see…!

Thanks Jack for your kind words. I will put the dimensions of the table in the description as soon as possible in case anyone wants to make one. Let me know if this is something you’d like…

Merci beaucoup Franck. Je suis contente que ça te plaise

Merci, ce n’est probablement pas la seule façon de le faire, mais cela fonctionne pour moi!

Thanks, it has been a long time coming but I got there in the end! I will try to get more videos up as time progresses now but I have to balance everything else in life too, like everyone else! Cheers

Thanks James. Many of these tips have come from The Woodwhisperer and other woodworkers. I can take no credit for this. But glad you’ve found it useful. 👍

Can you explain your comment a bit more please, Steven? Who is “him”?

@@SteveCashmoreWoodworks The guy doing the talking doesn’t come across to me as good as Martin Godfrey

Ok, well that would be me then! Thanks for your feedback. Martin Godfrey being the inventor of the WoodRat is bound to be the best. I’m just sharing the things I’ve learned through a course I did with Mike Humphrey over 20 years ago (he’s retired now and you can’t do the courses any more). Mike knew a lot about the WoodRat and his course was a revelation. I don’t profess to be a professional teacher and I am a hobbyist woodworker (as explained in my info), but these techniques are brilliant, however I may have delivered them to the public.

Thanks Craig. The router base is the standard one that came with the Dewalt router, including the side fence. I guess you mean the “plungebars”? The metal bars which I use to set the depth of cut. These I bought from WoodRat so go to their website and hopefully you can still buy them there? But these will not make the base any different. Hope you find the video series useful and good luck with your build...!

Thanks Andy. I’m glad it helps. As found in the description much of the tips are from a course I did with Mike Humphrey around 2000 and he’s retired now I believe so you can’t get this info any more. I must be related to your Dad as I’m a toolaholic too! Lol. There’s a total of 8 WoodRat videos currently on my channel. Just scroll around my channel and you should find them. Thanks! 🙏

Hi Ossie, I haven’t ever made inlaid dovetails either by hand or by router. At the moment I just haven’t got time to be honest due to DIY jobs taking priority over furnituremaking. Maybe one day but I can’t promise unfortunately... thanks Steve

@@SteveCashmoreWoodworks

Hi Steve Thanks for the response, no worries I totally understand! I think I have a plan. Well let’s say another attempt method😂 . I guess with the rat that’s the way it is, trial and error, adjust retry . I’ll try to let you know how I get on Cheers Ossie Higgins Beaver Projects

Thanks Ossie and good luck! When you’ve sorted it you should get a video out on KZbin...! 👍😬

Thanks a lot, hope they’ve helped in some way, cheers

Very well explained very easy to follow

Thanks Brian. Good to hear that it helps.

Thanks Alistair. I can’t remember now, the video is a few years old. But it was probably an up cut spiral bit (HSS). I’ve not tried birch ply finger joints as I haven’t had a project yet that requires them.

😂 each to their own, hey?! I’m sure this is what most folk do but I have a bit of OCD I think! 😬👍

Thanks. Good news, I wish you luck with the build... it’s an incredible bench!