Woodrat questions

[RogerS]

You're spot on, Noely.

I see that they are much cheaper in the US (so that's one up for the EEC anti-competition laws then :evil: ). 110v no problem but anyone any idea if the motor is 60Hz or perhaps it doesn't matter?

Good freud review. Minor niggle...the woodrat 'select-a-plunge-bar' chart says that you have to saw the switch off the Freud. Ho hum

Roger

 

[Chris Knight]

Roger,
I use a DW 625 with mine and it is fine for most things despite having a very crude fine depth adjuster which is one thing I would look for in a better router for the Rat. I would also seek one that plunges as far as possible - in this respect a Triton would appear to be pretty good (although I don't know the router except from what's been mentioned here on UKW.

The DW has the merit that it is basically the router which the Rat was "designed around" so that the spacing of the holes in the base plate matches for example and the first plunge bars were produced for this router (or its predecessor actually the ELU MOF177)

 

[Alf]

Wot Chris said. Plunge depth is dire really, but it is the "industry standard" and the one the 'Rat's built around. Oh, he already said that too. :roll:

Cheers, Alf

 

[frank]

i have the power pro 2050 but if i could swop it i would go for the de wally 625.

 

[RogerS]

Alf or Chris

When you say 'dire' , just how dire is it?

Roger

 

[Alf]

Roger,

Well the collet doesn't even plunge down as far as the base of the router, and with the added thickness of the 'Rat mounting plate etc you lose a lot of depth. Ideally you want a router that has a collet that actually plunges below the base of the router. You can work round it with longer cutters, but it's a bit of a pain.

Cheers, Alf

 

[RogerS]

Ah well.. bit hasty there then as I forgot this advice and got a slightly used one on ebay last night. He gave me an extension gadget FOC but I'm not sure on its' practicality as it seems wider than the slot. I'll see how it goes. If it doesn't seem right then I'll try and sell it back on ebay.

Reckon I got a bargain... talk about being in the right place at the right time. It was pure serendipity that I put Woodrat into eBay and came up with just this one hit. Apparently I was the first to contact him as he got quite a few emails. The whole package was the WoodRat, mitre box, his homemade bench mounting plate for the 'rat, a homemade mortice jig, new set of Cutter Set 2, Fill In set and Drawer Front set.

Which is the best plunge bar. One from Woodrat or a.n.other?

Alf, you asked about his handtools. Planes...about 20...nearly all from some US outfit...LN or something? Monsters down to tiddlers. He appreciates quality. Chisels..stacks and stacks and many very, very good quality. Guages, stones, granite lapping plate, Aladdins cave. Bessey (?) clamps..about 30! Festool....nearly everything in the range. EB planer/thicknesser. Scheppach table saw (with extension everything). Super router table...some canadian outfit...Routalift was the product name.

And to top it all he's an incredibly nice guy!

 

[Chris Knight]

A small rant about Woodrat.

I just had another look at the USA reseller site http://www.thecraftsmangallery.com/Merc ... rchant.mvc

Why, oh why can't those folk at Woodrat.com (Godfrey and Son) get their act together. They have to be the world's WORST marketers!! :roll:

They have had an open field for 10 years and totally wasted their lead. Heck they still have an open field. Craftsman gallery did a good job of showing them the way but there is still a lot more they could do and they haven't even taken the first step.

Makes me wonder what they would want for the company...?

 

[Anonymous]

I think that's been a long term rant against the woodrat bods Chris!

I recall a lot of discussion about them being too expensive for the hobbyist due to low production runs, but with decent marketing, resulting in more sales, resulting in larger production runs, resulting in lower costs, resulting in more sales...etc etc

 

[RogerS]

????

What's wrong with the site, Chris?

 

[Chris Knight]

Roger,
The craftsmangallery site is OK, the Woodrat.com site falls short of it.

Until they got craftsmangallery in on the act there was hardly any web presence worth looking at and only a few accessories. The USA guys showed what could be done (but seem to have stalled a bit).

I really don't know how the economics of woodworking tool manufacture look but I if was them, I would be talk to people like Rob Lee at Lee Valley.

The basic tool can be made so much more - as various folk have shown with ingenious accessories. The company just needs a sense of direction, a bit of a strategy and some professional help to make it into the same sort of league as Leigh (the Dovetail jig people) and then some.

 

[RogerS]

Ah..I see what you mean although I could argue that the two websites reflect the two different business models. The USA site is geared to selling stuff whereas the Woodrat site is more educational (?) as they don't sell direct.

I guess it all depends on what the owners of the company want out of life...which reflects your point.

Roger

 

[Anonymous]

erm - woodrat doesn't sell direct? I haven't looked, but I know I got my 'rat directly from woodrat.com.

 

[Anonymous]

Waterhead37:

Long mouldings. No contest, the table is far easier and safer than the Rat.

I am glad you said that because I tried a long moulding (only 6ft) and did not like it one bit. For skirtings and such a table is far better and less precarious.