# Sears 17543 Plastic Sub Base Plate Problems



## hungerfo (Sep 7, 2009)

I bought the 17543 and some Sears router bits. I thought the router bits could be used out-of-the-box with the 17543. However, I found that the router bits, if used will damage the plastic sub-base plate because the hole diameter is too small for the router bits. I found that Sears offers a set of five or six sub-base combos, one set for the fixed base and one set for the plunge base at a price of $19.99. A bit of a rip-off. I had an old Sears router at one time and I don't recall that it had a plastic sub-base mounting plate and it worked fine for free hand edging. Do you really need to use these plastic sub-base mounting plates or for that matter the plastic sub-base mounting plates that came with the 17543? Another comment is that the router seems O.K. (sub-base problem not withstanding) but the manual sucks. The description of the router height adjustments and zeroing borders on cryptic--very poorly written.:angry:


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi John

They are trying to keep you safe  by not letting you use the big bits in the hand router, once you mount it in your router table you can take off the plastic sub base and use all the big bits you want..

If you want you can drill out the hole to about 2 1/4" but not any bigger but it's best to make your own plastic sub base with some plastic or some 1/4" thick stock then you can use the bigger bits to a point...

Just use the sub base you have for the pattern to make a new one 

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hungerfo said:


> I bought the 17543 and some Sears router bits. I thought the router bits could be used out-of-the-box with the 17543. However, I found that the router bits, if used will damage the plastic sub-base plate because the hole diameter is too small for the router bits. I found that Sears offers a set of five or six sub-base combos, one set for the fixed base and one set for the plunge base at a price of $19.99. A bit of a rip-off. I had an old Sears router at one time and I don't recall that it had a plastic sub-base mounting plate and it worked fine for free hand edging. Do you really need to use these plastic sub-base mounting plates or for that matter the plastic sub-base mounting plates that came with the 17543? Another comment is that the router seems O.K. (sub-base problem not withstanding) but the manual sucks. The description of the router height adjustments and zeroing borders on cryptic--very poorly written.:angry:


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## Old_Chipper (Mar 30, 2009)

Bob is right, only takes a few minutes to make another base. Almost any 1/4 material will work.
Harry
the TX one


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi John

I should note 

I do recommend picking up one of the MileCraft base plates,they are sold at the right price and once you have it installed you can use up to a 2" OD bit plus you can use the smaller bits and guides with the same base plate install ..

In that way you don't need to switch base plates 

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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

Hi John,

I endorse Bj's advice on the Milescraft base. He put me onto them and I really do like it :sold:


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

Hi John,

I guess I'll have to "third" Bj's recommendation about the Milescraft plates. To be honest, with the sears routers, it's always best to make or get a different base plate. I can complain about them because I have two different craftsmen routers. I use either my milescraft and my OP plates with them only.


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## dutchman 46 (May 23, 2007)

Very good advice


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## TorontoBoy (Oct 24, 2009)

I opted not to get the Craftsman base set, as I thought it was not worth the asking price. Instead I got the one sold at [sorry I can't suggest links yet]Lee Valley[/sorry no linky], made by Jasper Tools, model 500. It fits very well, after I figured out of the hundreds of holes in the base, which one fit my Craftsman router.


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## weigie (Feb 28, 2010)

bobj3 said:


> Hi John
> 
> I should note
> 
> ...


I have the same Router and picked up the MileCraft base and it works very well.


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