Need :through to work as has many rather than HABTM

I’ve a horrible feeling I’m missing something here, but I’d like to have
something like :through to model a has_many relationship rather than a
HABTM relationship (and I don’t think it does).

The is the model I have (simplified):

Users have many Models (and Models belong to Users)
Models have many Pieces (and Pieces belong to Models)

In (badly drawn) graphical form:
_________ _______________
/ /
Users/--------------Models/----------------------Pieces
__________ ________________

In a perfect world you would be able to use something like :through to
get user.pieces…
…but I know we don’t live in one of those. So, is there a neat way of
doing this?

Thanks in advance

Chris T

ChrisT wrote:

I’ve a horrible feeling I’m missing something here, but I’d like to have
something like :through to model a has_many relationship rather than a
HABTM relationship (and I don’t think it does).

Never mind. Solved this through defining an instance method in the users
class. Guess I was too eager to uses Edge Rails new bells&whistles
forgot about the basics.
CT