# bushing bases



## davesluck (Aug 19, 2009)

looking to make or find a base that can accept router bushings. I have a Freud FT 2000. It seems to have an adaptable base plate. New to the site, looks like lots of good workers out here.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Dave

If you want to use the brass guides in your FT2000 the kit below will do the trick,it's the one I use in my FT2000

The mounting plate will also so let you use the brass guide in your router table with the FT2000...

- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

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davesluck said:


> looking to make or find a base that can accept router bushings. I have a Freud FT 2000. It seems to have an adaptable base plate. New to the site, looks like lots of good workers out here.


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

davesluck said:


> looking to make or find a base that can accept router bushings. I have a Freud FT 2000. It seems to have an adaptable base plate. New to the site, looks like lots of good workers out here.


Hi Dave:

I'm going to offer a different perspective. This is not to say that Bob is wrong, only that he provides his perspective. Harrysin and Template Tom both agree that the larger the bushing size, the better and, to a certain extent, I'll go along with that. They both promote 40mm bushings which is 1.574798 inches. The Harbour freight offerings only go to a maximum of 1.375" or 34.825 millimeters.

There will be instances where your bit will not seem long enough. By using a 40mm or 1 1/2" template guide, you can now push the collet of the router even closer to the baseplate. My M12V (Hitachi) gets almost even with the stock baseplate. 

There are two organizations that offer this size, LeeValley Tools and OakPark. However, your baseplate must accept this size of guide. OakPark makes baseplates or you can copy theirs and make your own to match the requirements of your router.

Search the forum and you'll get a myriad of responses on how to do this.

However, you must consider that whatever your choice, you're buying into a philosophy which will be far reaching as you progress into the craft. You will make templates that will work with your initial guide bushings and later on, you'll see that you'll want a 40mm bushing and that will render all your existing templates obsolete.

You'll also find that OakPark's philosophy is quite manageable and you can build most of the stuff at home and use their services for that which you cannot make. Other organizations require you to purchase their products for every step of the way. If this is your desire go for it, but I find it too rich for my blood. Besides, screwing up is half the fun and figuring out how to correct the problem with a minimum of other screw ups is the other half.

I hope this makes sense.

Allthunbs


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Welcome to the RouterForums Dave. Glad to have you join us.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Ron

It would be nice if we could get the 40mm guide in the states,I could not so I had Harry make me one  and ship it to me all the way from AU. 

The sad part I have not used it once, not like the 1 3/16" and the 1 1/2" ones that I used all the time.
http://www.routerforums.com/project-plans-how/10818-bogydave.html

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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

bobj3 said:


> Hi Ron
> 
> It would be nice if we could get the 40mm guide in the states,I could not so I had Harry make me one  and ship it to me all the way from AU.
> 
> ...


(Borrowing Harry's hat since he's not here) 

"Well BJ, if you'd just embrace the metric system..." :yes4: 

(Taking off Harry's hat and returning it carefully to it's resting spot, and replacing it with my own) :jester:


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Thanks Jim, it's good to know that I can rely on you to deputise in my absence!

I've stated on many occasions that there is nothing magical about a 40mm template guide over a 1.5 inch one, other than the fact that metric is so much easier to calculate off-sets. As Ron mentioned, using a large guide allows the chuck to penetrate therefore allowing greater depth of cut. In addition, it's possible to see what the cutter is doing, also the swarf doesn't build up, compact and cause the cutter to overheat. It goes without saying that a bigger selection of cutters can be used. For the sake of new member Dave, I must re-state that I do NOT like the three piece template guides because there is the POTENTIAL to fly apart as confirmed by several members in addition to my own experience.
I'm not familiar with Dave's router but if it isn't capable of taking one piece guides like the Makita and Hitachi, then a sub base that is capable should be made or purchased, similar to this one that I made recently, but whereas this was to use the router's threaded holes, it could be made with it's own. Shot two shows a plastic 40mm guide on top of a steel one and the final shot is a set of those brass things!


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

Hi Harry:

For the longest time now, I've been trying to figure out what you meant by 3-piece brass guides. I have the OakPark and LeeValley so I really didn't know what you were referring to. Thanks for the pictures. That clarifys alot.



harrysin said:


> I've stated on many occasions that there is nothing magical about a 40mm template guide over a 1.5 inch one, other than the fact that metric is so much easier to calculate off-sets.


Ok, enough already about all this metric vs imperial vs 'merican vs persian vs 
Horus-Eye vs Egyptian vs international standard units vs Babylonian vs Maltese vs Mesopotamian vs Shizhi vs Taiwanese vs Hong Kong vs first Roi vs second Roi vs all of the other systems used in the world, currently and historically. The important part is that this craft wouldn't exist were it not for some unit of measure. Each has it's strength and each it's weakness. Just in case you think that we've progressed "Vedic and Puranic units of time span from the truti (microsecond) to the mahamantavara (311.04 trillion years)." (Wikipoedia) and forms part of the measurement of time of the Hindi religion, one of the oldest in the world.



harrysin said:


> I'm not familiar with Dave's router but if it isn't capable of taking one piece guides like the Makita and Hitachi, then a sub base that is capable should be made or purchased, similar to this one that I made recently, but whereas this was to use the router's threaded holes, it could be made with it's own. Shot two shows a plastic 40mm guide on top of a steel one and the final shot is a set of those brass things!


A bit of a rub here. It never occurred to me that there were such convolutions out there. As I've already mentioned I have OakPark baseplates and guides. These replace the stock baseplate. OakPark baseplates only accept 2 part guides, no adapter is necessary.

I don't know about the plastic guide, I'll await the opinions of the jury before I stick my neck out. However, Harry, I certainly don't like the steel guide. I would think with your skills in the machine shop you could easily prepare baseplates to take 2 part brass guides easily. Given your connections with this forum, I find it curious that Rob and Rick couldn't figure out some way of providing you with access to their products. I've shipped stuff all over the world with never a problem. I've even gotten stuff from Canada to Indonesia, overnight and delivered by 8:00 a.m. in Indonesia. Now, if I can do that, I'm sure that laziness is the only obstacle to getting Harry good safe products.

A note: I had to modify one of my M12Vs to accept large bits. When you put together your router collection, you must consider that some routers will not accept large bits. I bought one of my M12Vs used and the person I bought it from had installed >3" bits actually sitting above the baseplate so the whole bit was exposed. That was nuts. Bits must always sit within the base of the router. This is for your protection as well as better stability of the bit.

There are two support tabs in the baseplate on the M12V. If you look closely, you'll see that there is a circle defined where the tab connects to the baseplate. This forms the cut line to remove the two tabs. This also removes the ability to use the stock Hitachi template guides. However, I use only the OakPark/LeeValley guides so I didn't need the tabs in the first place. I must note that OakPark offers a baseplate with a >3" hole for oversized bits. I made my own from a beaten up baseplate.

Allthunbs


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## Mike Wingate (Apr 26, 2009)

I had an Hitachi M12 router years ago, and was frustrated with the max diameter capability (and lack of variable speed). Since reading on this forum, I have grasped the 40mm template guide philosophy. And now use it. Bigger templates, slightly easier to cut, more to hold, clamp, glue, screw to. I have a round and a square subase to take the Trend type guides. I aso use a rubber O rings to secure my brass 2 piece bush.


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

Mike Wingate said:


> I also use a rubber O ring to secure my brass 2 piece bush.


Hi Mike

Where did you get your 'O' ring?

Cheers

Peter


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## Mike Wingate (Apr 26, 2009)

I got the O ring out of a plastic box to the left of my drill press. I bought boxes of O rings, compression springs and tension springs from Machine Mart and Aldi, they come in useful. I should have bought some O Jesus springs at the same time, as my hydraulic brakes on my mountain bike needed a repair to a left hand threaded knob.


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

Mike Wingate said:


> I got the O ring out of a plastic box to the left of my drill press. I bought boxes of O rings, compression springs and tension springs from Machine Mart and Aldi, they come in useful. I should have bought some O Jesus springs at the same time, as my hydraulic brakes on my mountain bike needed a repair to a left hand threaded knob.


Thanks Mike

I've lots of RS boxes, supplemented by Lidl assortments, bought on the same basis. I've a particularly good set of dozens of Jubilee clamps, complete with tool, that came out of Lidl. I doubt if I'll ever need to buy one again !

Half the village comes to see me if they are fixing something and need an odd grubscrew or whatever! Since I usually have, it only encourages them further ! Still, I usually get it back in wine, olive oil, fruit or cake !

I must check them. I'm not sure my 'O' rings go up to that size.

Cheers

Peter


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Ron, I simply can't understand the reason/s that you would prefer two piece guides to single piece whether they be steel, brass or any other material. Who in the world would consider it safe to use cutters over 3" in a hand held router?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Peter


=========


istracpsboss said:


> Hi Mike
> 
> Where did you get your 'O' ring?
> 
> ...


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## Mike Wingate (Apr 26, 2009)

If you don't have an O ring, use PTFE tape or an elastic band each time. Something is better than nothing. I have 12 set of Trend single piece bushes, plus others that I have made.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Also a rubber band works ,if you don't have any big O-Rings 

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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

harrysin said:


> Ron, I simply can't understand the reason/s that you would prefer two piece guides to single piece whether they be steel, brass or any other material. Who in the world would consider it safe to use cutters over 3" in a hand held router?


Hi Harry:

I got the impression that the adapter part of your three-piece guide was what let loose. Is this not so? That would mean that the two part guide remained intact and did what it was supposed to -- be as benign as possible.

What do you consider a single piece guide? I referred to the three-piece that was in your picture and I referred to my being cautious about the plastic bushing and that I'd wait for the jury before sticking my neck out. I did not refer to a single piece anything. However, I won't use the stock bushings for any of my routers, simply because they're a pain to get and they are too darned expensive for what you get. Remember, cost plus shipping and handling plus taxes plus wait times and back ordered items = one horrendous pain in the ---!

About the 3" cutter: The baseplate was screwed to the router properly, but instead of having a 3" hole, it had the 1 1/2" hole. The panel bit was mounted above the baseplate but the shank was in the router collet. When I removed the bit and the baseplate, the guide bushing tabs were still installed, in spite of everything else being modified for table use -- springs removed etc.

The modifications for that machine has now been completed properly for table use but because the tabs have been removed, I cannot use any original guides and have to use the OakPark.

I'm not convinced that "O" rings are the ticket either. I would like to hear if Rick or Rob has ever had one of their brass guides come loose? Whatever the situation, does an "O" ring provide substantial additional support or does it interfere with the efficient operation of the router and bit, or none of either?


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

I use teflon tape. Works for me.


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## davesluck (Aug 19, 2009)

*Fast reply!*

==========[/QUOTE]
Super! Thanks for the tip. I am more of a wood turner at this point, but it's all fun. Thanks again Bob J.
Davesluck


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## davesluck (Aug 19, 2009)

*You're too kind*



allthunbs said:


> Hi Dave:
> 
> I'm going to offer a different perspective. This is not to say that Bob is wrong, only that he provides his perspective. Harrysin and Template Tom both agree that the larger the bushing size, the better and, to a certain extent, I'll go along with that. They both promote 40mm bushings which is 1.574798 inches. The Harbour freight offerings only go to a maximum of 1.375" or 34.825 millimeters.
> 
> ...


Thank you for all the info, I will review it carefully. I have used LeeValley before, I can't recall OakPark, but your suggestions make sense. Again thanks for the fast reply!!
Davesluck


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