Leigh FMT/WoodRat/Multi-Router

[Bill Wallace]

I am looking at various mortise and tenon type machines. I am looking for something for a quasi-production environment. Of course my budget won't allow me to buy some huge dedicated Italian beauty (machine not girlfriend) so I am looking at benchtop type solutions.

I've pretty much narrowed it down to the Leight FMT.

1. The WoodRat looks a bit gimmicky with the crank feed and attach to wall, plus from what I can tell it makes round end mortises and square end tenons. Go figure. Is that true?

1. The Multi-Router looks like what I really need but at k to get setup, I think the Leight will have to do for starters at less than k.

My questions: Has anyone used the Leigh? If I had to do 150 mortises an tenons once or twice a month... do you think it can take that kind of usage? do you think I could be reasonably productive?

I am thinking I might make some custom, air actuated clamps and build out some adjustable stops that can be setup for various reproducable pieces.

Any comments would be helpful.

BW

[Weldon Griffin]

I have done 140 joints in a week end without getting in a hurry. Expensive jig but does exactly as advertised.

[Phil Hansen]

I agree. Mine gets used a lot for production work. Once set up (easy and quick) can do joints all day and all fit perfectly.

[JoeV]

Bill,

I went to a Woodcraft demo of the jig last Saturday. Watched him cut a double M&T in less than 5 minutes. Expensive, but if you are looking to do more than a couple, may be worth the price. Everything fit perfectly. I would see no trouble with the volume you listed based on what I saw. A little too rich for my blood, but I only cut a few MT joints here and there.

According to the Woodcraft salesman, Leigh is doing very well with the FMT (not necessarily woodcraft).

Joe

[Robin Lee]

Hi Bill -

Please contact me by email...

Cheers -

Rob

[Larry Jaques]

dOn 24 Nov 2004 15:50:51 -0800, [e-mail] (Bill Wallace) calmly ranted:

It sure looks that way, doesn't it? (Though I've only seen them in pictures.) They tried to save too much money and lost the solid look & feel.

Leigh definitely looks to be the best bang for the buck.

Why not build your own horizontal mortiser, a Multi clone, for 1/4 of that price and a day of fun in the shop? (Can you tell that I've already mulled this over for a long while?)

Use pairs of good drawer slides for movement, perhaps set in slight tension to remove any play. Or upgrade to 3' long 3/4" precision- ground drill rod. It's available from Enco for $6.49 a pop (Qty 2+). Drill out blocks of UHMW-PE for slides or spend $40 a pop for linear guides. Use 3/4" baltic birch for platforms/mounts and t-slot for holddown.

www.wwhardware for slides

for FA409-0045 rod stock and Acme threaded rod/nuts. Use one of your existing routers.

Shop-Notes Vol. 12 Issue 68 has a modest plan for one which you can upgrade as you see fit.

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[Leon]

So I take it you did actually build the Shop Notes model.. How is that working out for you.