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I said last week that we
were going to skip a few chapters and try our skills (and luck) with dovetails and the
LittleRat. For those of you who are familiar with the WoodRat, it can make many
different dovetails. The LittleRat can too, but only using the 7o cutters. In
my estimation, these slight 7o dovetails look the best anyway and resemble the
prized, hand-cut dovetails of craftsmen of the past.
Note that we have the LittleRat manual AND a dovetailing update that I
printed from their website. The company is constantly updating these pages with new and
better ideas; it pays to check the site occasionally.
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I have quite a range of 7o
cutters. They should allow us to make these through dovetails in almost any size board.
The catalog page is direct from the WoodRat webpage. These are the 7o dovetail
bits that can be used with the LittleRat — they cover just about everything you will
ever need.
The inset shows the marking on the WoodRat bits. The "8" is the
shank diameter (8mm); "7" is the slope or angle (7o); "20"
represents the length of the cut, from top to bottom (20mm), and the "10" is the
width of the cut (10mm.)
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We take a
look at the excellent drawing in the LittleRat Manual. I have done dovetails many years,
and I still have to think about the orientation of the pins and the tails (sockets). This
illustration works very well to eliminate any confusion that you might have. [All these
manual pages are also available to any one. Click here to go there
— I will repeat this URL at the end of this section.]
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Tracy follows
the diagram in the tutorial and marks the ends and the sides. This system has been used by
most cabinetmakers in the past years. You will see that it gives us a way of keeping the
parts of the box in the right order and place.
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Since the first box is
going to be of 3/4" poplar, Tracy takes one side and tries two cutters to see which
has sufficient height to cut this thickness.
We are working in inches and the router heights are in millimeters. This can
be a little confusing. Trying the dovetail cutter on the edge of the board will
always be the preferred method.
It would be nice to use the smaller bit to give us more "graceful
dovetails" but there appears to be not enough cutting height to cover the depth.
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In order to use the 8mm
diameter bits, Tracy will install an adapter that reduces the 1/2" collet diameter to
the 8mm.
It is important to insert the adapter all the way into the collet. The bits
can be partially inserted when greater depth is required but most manufactures suggest
that only 1/3 of the shank can be exposed. Be sure that the collet is fully tightened when
using adapters.
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The space is tight, so I
don't know what we would do with a router requiring two wrenches and several revolutions
of the collet. Tracy picks up the skill and ease of changing the bit in the Hitachi M12V.
She holds the shaft lock with her right hand and tightens the wrench in her left. About
1/4 turn is all that is required with this collet.
Note, the wire attached to the wrench. That wire is attached to the plug and
ensures that we unplug the router before we change bits.
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The LittleRat comes with
two guide rails that have one side that is straight and the other which is angled. She has
put them in position with the straight sides against the router base and is tightening the
red knobs.
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The instructions call for
the insides of both sides be facing you. This is where having the marks helps.
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She clamps the two sides so
that the tops are even with the aluminum fixture.
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