Few routers on the market come with a nice base plate with a counterbore for standard template guides. It takes a fair bit of time to make a replacement plate and is a trick to get the counterbore properly centered over the collet. I’m wondering if most woodworkers make their own bases, buy them aftermarket, or do without template guides.
Chris @ flairwoodworks
– Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. – Albert Schweitzer
Replies
I buy from Pat Warner. A little pricey, but better quality than in the stores.
http://www.patwarner.com
TP
Try Woodhaven
dude,go to the video section on DIY.net and type it in. David Thiel shows you how to make on. However, keep in mind that the material Lexan is not acrylic. It's polycarbonate!
You can get the sub-base from http://www.eagleamerica.com with the 1 3/16" PC style hole for guide bushings. Get the Extra long mounting screw kit also. It comes with an alignment bar and disc that fits exactly into the 1 3/16 hole. You will have to drill and countersink the holes but it's easy. The plates are Polycarbonate.
Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
Edited 3/24/2008 9:45 am ET by BruceS
I have PC routers and just use the base that comes with. I did however get the clear bases from Rockler for the PC routers.
Webby
Second Pat Warner - excellent products!
LB
Third for Pat Warner. Nice guy to deal with and the bases are top shelf.
lee valley(veritas) has a couple of different styles, i use the one that has to be drilled for a particula router, its easy tho
"...is a trick to get the counterbore properly centered over the collet."
All you need is a centering pin. My DeWalt 618 came with one, but you can use a piece of 1/4" drill rod, about 2" long. One of the standard guides has a 1/4" ID. Take the baseplate off the router, mount the guide to the baseplate, install the 1/4" rod in the router collet, slide the guide+baseplate over the rod, install and tighten the screws. Perfectly centered.
-Steve
I use PC routers and the problem rally isn't with the sub-base, it's that when cinched down, the base moves to wherever 'tight' pushes it for that depth setting. I don't use the guide collars very often but for such occasions I drilled out the existing mount holes to make them larger, then drilled some flat-bottomed countersinks and used machine screws with a round head and flat mating surface (whatever they're called). Then I can visually centre the collar around the cutter and cinch it down.
Terry, Counterbore and truss head screws
Thanks mate. Old age.
I just bought one from Amazon for my Millwaukee..
I was shocked that it didnt come with one and had to pay as much for shipping as I did for the plate..
Makes me think the heads at Millwaukee have no idea what the 1 3/4 HP tool is used for and why equipe it with a hole an 1" bigger and no way to use a guide bushing or not include the $5 base..
-rarebear-
http://www.rexmill.com My Hand Plane Resource
That's an interesting observation regarding the size of hole in the baseplate. By the way, I just bought the 2-1/4HP Milwaukee. It was only $40 more than the 1-3/4HP at the time, so I figured what the heck.Chris @ flairwoodworks
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Chris,
A number of response refer you to Pat Warner. I would also like to refer you to Pat Warner, but not to buy his bases, but to follow his advice.
This is a note I sent in December.
39006.5 in reply to 39006.1
If you check out Pat Warner's thoughts on this you might save yourself some grief.
I bought a Router Workshop tabletop and insert. My 2 old routers worked fine. The Triton - according to Router Workshop need a special insert. The baseplate mounting holes are slightly larger 1/4 -20 and the bolt heads are not flathead.
Well I don't like proprietary stuff, so my first attempt was to make holes to fit the Triton pattern. This worked but I haven't tried to remount my other routers. The tabletop is 3/4" 13 ply baltic birch.
Then I remembered Pat Warner commenting that table inserts were not all that great because you can and probably will develop an edge where the 2 pieces meet. You are better of mounting your router on a flat, continuous, smooth surface with no insert. His own table does not use an insert and are 5/8" MDF supported on a frame.
http://www.patwarner.com/router_table.html
I went to the hardware store and picked up 4 wood screw threaded studs (headless hanger screws). Put one in each of the 4 base plate bolt holes. I then put a 1/4" drill bit in the router chuck, raised it up and put the router in plunge position. I placed the router in the center of the unused portion of the tabletop, leaned hard on it so the 4 points of the wood screws would mark the table top. I then bored a 1/4" hole through the top, followed by boring out the center with a hole saw. I sized the hole to my largest bit. You can make a good smooth top for any function for the price of a good insert. The Triton comes with its own set of template guides so you could build a table top specifically for that purpose.
I used a counter sink to finish off the 4 1/4" mounting holes. Get the machine screws with the Robertson (square) socket, not the flat head with a slot. The slotted one have a slightly larger head.
I have not drilled the hole to use the fine adjust crank yet, but have had no problems at all with the Triton or by not using the insert. You wind it all the way up to engage the collet lock, change the bit and wind it back down. The collet wrench is offset for thicker tables, but then you need a larger opening. The dust/chip collector is very effective also.
Don
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