Pathfinder instructions - The WoodRat

Using the MitreBox
The full MitreBox will allow you to cut accurate 45° angles across the ends of the four pieces
of a box, as well as hold work at any required angle.
Mark out the work with a sharp pencil or knife. Arrange the Box
with the two Cheeks held apart with the Rod Clamp and the
Spreader Rod so that the workpiece can slide between them.
Use a 45° set square to check the angle, and then tighten the
CamClamp to hold the work square and firm.
Like this, a variety of mitred joints can be cut, but for Secret
Dovetails we need to mitre the Set up the MB3 as for Half-
Blind dovetails. You will need a 45° bevel or, better, a
45° triangle set square.
Place the work inside up, with the 45° set to make the angle
between workpiece and the underside of the plates.
The HB Template you use will determine the bit needed,
as each Half-blind Template is designed to work with its
own WoodRat bit.
Using that dovetail bit, cut the mitres at each edge, and along
the back edge. Repeat for each of the other seven board
ends.
Next put each Side piece in vertically and reduce the board
end as shown (fig 32.2). Measure the dovetail bit’s blade length
(less a 0.5mm) up from the 45° line.
Cutting away this part will allow the Bit to cut to full depth down
to the 45° line when making tail sockets.
The Gauging Piece
See from figure 33 that the Side and End will be cut with the
same cutter but at two different set depths: the Side with the
bit depthed to the full board thickness, but for the Ends the Bit
is depthed to the bit blade depth (less a fraction).
It’s worth making a gauging piece that is the difference between
the board width and the cutter blade length. It will give
you the exact gauge between cutting the tails (without the
WR-8-7-20-10
34
The 45° line determines the
depth of the Bit for cutting
tail sockets. Cut away the top
of the board. Make the gauging
piece to be the thickness
of this cut away part.
The 45° line projected
from the corner and
taken across the face
of the board
(fig. 32.2)
gauging piece