This question has been asked in the past, and the usual answer is to get a router centering cone; Dewalt and Bosch both make these. However, the reviews on these products indicate the cone is often not centered and/or floppy, and in the case of the Dewalt, only suitable for 1/4″ shanks. Also I am annoyed that they charge $18 for a necessary tool that does not come with their routers. I have both Dewalt and Bosch routers.
Anyone know of some simple hacks to accomplish the same thing? I have eyeballed it with a ruler (1/64″ markings), but that probably only gets me to 1/20″. No way that is going to work with bushings or using the edge against a guide.
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Replies
What are you trying to center... the base plate? What are you trying to accomplish?
Yes, centering the base plate - pretty much all plates are misaligned from the factory, or any time you are swapping base plates will need an alignment.
If you have a drill press, clamp a 2"W x 10-12"L piece of 3/4" plywood or straight stock onto the table then take a 1" Forstner bit and drill a 3/8" deep hole in the center, without unclamping the board drill a 1/2" hole using a Forstner or quality Brad point bit, don't use a common twist bit because they will drill an elliptical hole. You now have 2 perfectly centered concentric circles. Install a 1"O.D. Bushing in your base and either a piece of 1/2" drill rod or even a drill or router bit in the collet. Loosen the screws holding the base in place then slide the rod through the 1/2" hole and maneuver the base until the bushing fits into the 1" recess. Now tighten the screws you can rotate the board as needed to access all the screws. Your base should now be perfectly centered.
The only thing I've cared about centering is a guide bushing. The plate itself just doesn't matter for any other application. If I'm using the base itself as some sort of guide, I just use one side as the reference point to keep things consistent.
That is exactly why you need to center the baseplate since on most routers guide bushing index off the baseplate. If you ever remove it, or even on a new router it pays to insure it's centered before relying on guide bushings.
Get a center guide made to do just that.
https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-RA1151-Router-Subbase-Centering/dp/B004Z8SM6M/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Bosch+RA1151+Precise+Centering+Template&qid=1638627112&sr=8-1
a dovetail bit can do a similar thing. Install the bit from the outside (away from the router, and intall it until it just makes contact with your guide bushing. if your baseplate is centered, it should contact both sides evenly.
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