# Router base plate



## Swallow (Jan 13, 2010)

Well it's getting to the point with the new RT that I had to find some material for the base plate. I've gone through the threads and read the pros and cons of Aluminum vs Phenolic, buying vs making and the benefits of Lexan. I have decided to go with Aluminum if for no other reason than that I have access to large amounts of it and the machining of it is no problem. The Aluminum plate that I will be using is 3/4" thick 10"x14" 70-75-T6 aircraft aluminum tool plate.

I have two choices on mounting the router to the plate,one is to machine a recess into the plate the exact size of the router base and then screwing the base plate to the router in the conventional way and two is to first machine steel posts to fit the plunge holes in the router body and then press fit them into slightly undersized holes in the aluminum plate. I really don't see a problem with this as the spring mechanism is not required and would make changing over to hand held very easy. And using the second method there would be no loss of cutting height as the Makita 3612 base already stands 3/4" proud.

On the top side its just a matter of machining in a 4x 1/4" deep recess with a 3.5" through hole to fit the aluminum, HDF or acrylic inserts. 

How about some feedback on this.
And oh yes the edges will be machined as will the top surface. Top will be surfaced down perhaps 30 thou for cleanup.


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## iamwelty2 (Dec 27, 2008)

I think I like your approach... I bet you won't have a sagging problem... wish I had access to your equipment!!


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## dutchman 46 (May 23, 2007)

Hello Swallow! The aluminum that You are using, is quite thick. I must tell You that if it isn't tempered, It will be to soft. It is going to be strong enough. but it will not give You bit depth than the Phenolic will. I have aluminum that is tempered, and it seems to work great, but it is only about 3/16 thick. I would not use the aluminum if it's to thick. As it is, there are bits thst are to short. You must buy wisely.


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## Swallow (Jan 13, 2010)

dutchman 46 said:


> Hello Swallow! The aluminum that You are using, is quite thick. I must tell You that if it isn't tempered, It will be to soft. It is going to be strong enough. but it will not give You bit depth than the Phenolic will. I have aluminum that is tempered, and it seems to work great, but it is only about 3/16 thick. I would not use the aluminum if it's to thick. As it is, there are bits thst are to short. You must buy wisely.


If you read my post you would see that the Aluminum that I am using is 70-75-T6 and that is about as hard as it needs to be.


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## Santé (Jan 14, 2010)

Hi

on the aluminium plate , you can glue a phenolic (Formica ?) plate, you only lose 1mm.
i did so on the base of my tilt router

Cheers
Santé


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Daniel

(picture) That setup is very unsafe , I do many strange things with the router table but I would not try that one..  looks like a great way to snap bits off.

They make and sale bits just for that type of job.
Chamfer Bits
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/bt_chamf.html
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Santé said:


> Hi
> 
> on the aluminium plate , you can glue a phenolic (Formica ?) plate, you only lose 1mm.
> i did so on the base of my tilt router
> ...


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## Santé (Jan 14, 2010)

bobj3 said:


> Hi Daniel
> 
> (picture) That setup is very unsafe , I do many strange things with the router table but I would not try that one..  looks like a great way to snap bits off.
> 
> ...


Hi Bob
I don't understand ! I don't see why this router is more dangerous than an other !
Will you explain ?

Daniel


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Swallow...

dang boy, 3/4" thick? I thought I was big on overkill.. *S*.. I take it you have all the tooling necessary to do the machine work yourself? I like plan A....


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

You could resaw that 3/4" plate and make 2 out of it.


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

Santé said:


> Hi Bob
> I don't understand ! I don't see why this router is more dangerous than an other !
> Will you explain ?
> 
> Daniel


Bonjour Daniel:

The way your router bit is set is not a problem. There is a pocket screw cutter that uses 1/4" bits with the exact same motion as you are using. Further, most router bits are made for sideways motion.

Comprends-tu?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Daniel

If you don't see the danger , I don't think I can explain it..

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Santé said:


> Hi Bob
> I don't understand ! I don't see why this router is more dangerous than an other !
> Will you explain ?
> 
> Daniel


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## radios (Sep 30, 2009)

Swallow said:


> Well it's getting to the point with the new RT that I had to find some material for the base plate. I've gone through the threads and read the pros and cons of Aluminum vs Phenolic, buying vs making and the benefits of Lexan. I have decided to go with Aluminum if for no other reason than that I have access to large amounts of it and the machining of it is no problem. The Aluminum plate that I will be using is 3/4" thick 10"x14" 70-75-T6 aircraft aluminum tool plate.
> 
> I have two choices on mounting the router to the plate,one is to machine a recess into the plate the exact size of the router base and then screwing the base plate to the router in the conventional way and two is to first machine steel posts to fit the plunge holes in the router body and then press fit them into slightly undersized holes in the aluminum plate. I really don't see a problem with this as the spring mechanism is not required and would make changing over to hand held very easy. And using the second method there would be no loss of cutting height as the Makita 3612 base already stands 3/4" proud.
> 
> ...


 if you make the recess, you can make that deep enough so there's 3/16 material left so you don't lose much height, and it'll still be very strong, if you use the second method, i wouldn't rely on just a press fit, suppose one or more just came loose somehow? i'd make a groove in the posts so a setscrew(loctite-ed) which would go at a 45 deg. angle from the bottom into the groove, so the posts CAN'T loosen up.


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## Swallow (Jan 13, 2010)

radios said:


> if you make the recess, you can make that deep enough so there's 3/16 material left so you don't lose much height, and it'll still be very strong, if you use the second method, i wouldn't rely on just a press fit, suppose one or more just came loose somehow? i'd make a groove in the posts so a setscrew(loctite-ed) which would go at a 45 deg. angle from the bottom into the groove, so the posts CAN'T loosen up.


G'day Radio
Perhaps I did not make myself clear as to just how the steel posts would be pushed into the plate. This is not something new to me as I built a router table out of the very same plate and I do mean the very same 6'x12' sheet of aluminum some 38 years ago and the posts have not come loose yet, not even a little bit. As I recall the holes were machined some 50 thou under-size and then the posts were pressed in using a 250 ton press. They ain't coming out nohow.

Although the table still works just fine it was built for one purpose only and that was for building full re-curve archery bows. Now however I need a table with more flexibility hence the new router table and plate. As a matter of fact I may well do both vertions just to find out which one really does the best job.


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## Swallow (Jan 13, 2010)

dutchman 46 said:


> Hello Swallow! The aluminum that You are using, is quite thick. I must tell You that if it isn't tempered, It will be to soft. It is going to be strong enough. but it will not give You bit depth than the Phenolic will. I have aluminum that is tempered, and it seems to work great, but it is only about 3/16 thick. I would not use the aluminum if it's to thick. As it is, there are bits thst are to short. You must buy wisely.


G'day Dutchman.
I'm not sure I follow with the problem of bit depth. 
Could you please explain in more detail. Also a 3/16th " plate will unless screwed down vibrate, a 3/4" plate will not. I don't like vibration.


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## Swallow (Jan 13, 2010)

TwoSkies57 said:


> Swallow...
> 
> dang boy, 3/4" thick? I thought I was big on overkill.. *S*.. I take it you have all the tooling necessary to do the machine work yourself? I like plan A....


G'day Bill
You ain't seen nothing yet when it comes to OVERKILL in a tool room.:no:


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## Swallow (Jan 13, 2010)

iamwelty2 said:


> I think I like your approach... I bet you won't have a sagging problem... wish I had access to your equipment!!


Hell yes at my age I have a sagging problem, but NOT with my router plates.:sarcastic:


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## Swallow (Jan 13, 2010)

AxlMyk said:


> You could resaw that 3/4" plate and make 2 out of it.


G'day Mike.

Why resaw? Why not just throw in one of these Bad Boys, I got lots, 12" across. I use them to make weird lathe face plate thingys. All they would need is to be spun round and have a registration dowel and seat.
I always did hate re sawing Aluminum so sticky on the band-saw blade and the cleaning off the pork lard from the wheels was no great hell either.


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

bobj3 said:


> If you don't see the danger , I don't think I can explain it..


Castle, Kreg, Ritter, Marcon and Unique pocket hole borers use the same motion. What is the problem?



> "I don't think I can explain it.."


Huh?


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Swallow said:


> Well it's getting to the point with the new RT that I had to find some material for the base plate. I've gone through the threads and read the pros and cons of Aluminum vs Phenolic, buying vs making and the benefits of Lexan. I have decided to go with Aluminum if for no other reason than that I have access to large amounts of it and the machining of it is no problem. The Aluminum plate that I will be using is 3/4" thick 10"x14" 70-75-T6 aircraft aluminum tool plate.
> 
> I have two choices on mounting the router to the plate,one is to machine a recess into the plate the exact size of the router base and then screwing the base plate to the router in the conventional way and two is to first machine steel posts to fit the plunge holes in the router body and then press fit them into slightly undersized holes in the aluminum plate. I really don't see a problem with this as the spring mechanism is not required and would make changing over to hand held very easy. And using the second method there would be no loss of cutting height as the Makita 3612 base already stands 3/4" proud.
> 
> ...


Swallow, the thickness at the centre of the 3612 is more like 3/8" and remove the plastic base, which one does when table mounting and we save about another 1/8".
Fitting steel posts into the table is certainly unique but probably limits you to a 3612, which of course I rate as only second to the superb variable speed 3612C.


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## Swallow (Jan 13, 2010)

harrysin said:


> Swallow, the thickness at the centre of the 3612 is more like 3/8" and remove the plastic base, which one does when table mounting and we save about another 1/8".
> Fitting steel posts into the table is certainly unique but probably limits you to a 3612, which of course I rate as only second to the superb variable speed 3612C.


G'day Harry.

Thanks fer dropping by and your right about being limited to using the 3612, but dammit man I have a dozen of them that I acquired when I shut down the family business a bunch of years ago. Now I'm not telling anyone to do it this way, it's just a way that I have found to work very well for me. Check out some of the attachments in another reply and you will see what I mean.


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

Swallow said:


> G'day Mike.
> 
> Why resaw? Why not just throw in one of these Bad Boys,


Because 3/4" is a little thick for a router table insert.


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## Swallow (Jan 13, 2010)

AxlMyk said:


> Because 3/4" is a little thick for a router table insert.


I disagree,3/4" stock is only to thick if either one doesn't have it or one doesn't know how work it. And personally I have yet to see a piece of woodworking equipment that was too heavy, to massive or just plain to solid.


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## radios (Sep 30, 2009)

Swallow said:


> G'day Radio
> Perhaps I did not make myself clear as to just how the steel posts would be pushed into the plate. This is not something new to me as I built a router table out of the very same plate and I do mean the very same 6'x12' sheet of aluminum some 38 years ago and the posts have not come loose yet, not even a little bit. As I recall the holes were machined some 50 thou under-size and then the posts were pressed in using a 250 ton press. They ain't coming out nohow.
> 
> Although the table still works just fine it was built for one purpose only and that was for building full re-curve archery bows. Now however I need a table with more flexibility hence the new router table and plate. As a matter of fact I may well do both vertions just to find out which one really does the best job.


when i mentioned 3/16" thick, i meant JUST the recess for the router, with the rest of the plate 3/4" as it is now, it won't vibrate at all..


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

Swallow said:


> I disagree,3/4" stock is only to thick if either one doesn't have it or one doesn't know how work it. And personally I have yet to see a piece of woodworking equipment that was too heavy, to massive or just plain to solid.


OK. You have metal working equipment available to you. Most don't.
If someone wants to give up 1/2" of router adjustment, then go ahead and use a 3/4" thick plate. Makes no sense to me.


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## dutchman 46 (May 23, 2007)

Swallow My plate is made out of tempered 3/16th aluminum, and I don't have any movement, or vibration. The plate is press fit, and with the weight of the router, and the pressure of the object being routed, there is no movement. I can pop it out to change bits, and I can make measurements with it out of the table. I can also turn the handle on the height adjustment in the table, and it has worked out well. No vibration,ever.


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

Swallow said:


> I disagree,3/4" stock is only to thick if either one doesn't have it or one doesn't know how work it. And personally I have yet to see a piece of woodworking equipment that was too heavy, to massive or just plain to solid.





> when i mentioned 3/16" thick, i meant JUST the recess for the router, with the rest of the plate 3/4" as it is now, it won't vibrate at all..


My perspective is that you're trying something that others may be interesting in trying. That you chose to document it here is much appreciated by the readership at large.


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## radios (Sep 30, 2009)

it seems like a good idea to use a 3/4" thick tempered aluminum plate, but you lose 3/4" of travel due to the thickness of the plate, which means you may have to use longer bits, and the longer the bits are, the more the chance for chatter, partly due to the leverage the longer bits have, and if a long enough bit can't be found, you'll have to use a bit extension.. that's why i mentioned making the router recess deep enough so there's 3/16" of aluminum left, you'd have the travel that most table users have, and won't have to use long bits or extensions. and the 3/4" aluminum around the router will stabilize it. i hope you understand what we are trying to point out.


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## Santé (Jan 14, 2010)

Hi
I always put my routers without flat, with the sole
directly on the table, Without bolt. the router will be installed by Under The Table

Cheers
Santé


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Hi Daniel, 
That's a nice little demonstration.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Veritas® Base Plate/Table Insert - Lee Valley Tools


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## Santé (Jan 14, 2010)

hi
Yes Bob , it is exactly the same method

Cheers
Santé


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