Veritas’s new rotary tool plunge base is designed for fine detail work such as inlay. The base and its accessories are well made, and fit nicely together. The plunge mechanism works smoothly, free of any side play, and can be locked in place for a continuous cut. Although I rarely, if ever, plunge for inlay work, I found it worked great as a microadjust for accurately setting the depth of cut. On its own, the base works smoothly for setting inlays such as bellflowers or medallions, as well as small hinges and similar hardware applications. A cutaway on one side of the base offers great visibility and facilitates chip removal. The contours of the base make it easy to hold and maneuver while keeping a safe distance between fingers and cutter.

The plunge base by itself weighs 1 lb. Add the extension rods, fence, and precision adjuster, and the assembly comes in at just under 2 lb., a weight I find cumbersome for detail work. With the fence removed, a pair of curved guides works well to track the router along an outside curved edge. The circle head attachment came with three options for setting the center point, a sharp pin, a 1⁄4-in. post, and a flat disk. I found these extremely awkward and hard to use. Because of this, the base performed poorly when used to rout channels for intersecting arc stringing.

—Steve Latta is a contributing editor.

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