# MLCS/Harbor freight router plate inserts not flush with plate



## Mike Gager (Jan 14, 2009)

i have a MLCS router plate (same as the HF plate) and the 2 plastic inserts do not sit flush with the plate. they are below the plate level which causes a lot of problems including the small lip that always catches when i slide a workpiece across the plate while routing. the other problem is on shorter pieces there is no support so i dont get a straight cut because the wood rides along the dip of the inserts

i know bob will tell me to just buy new inserts for $10 or whatever but will that even fix my problem? i mean what if its the plate thats messed up? does anyone else have this problem?

i thought about just getting a different brand plate but they all seem to be of slightly different sizes, i really dont want to have to redo my table top because of this


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## RustyW (Dec 28, 2005)

Mike, I have the MLCS plate and it does'nt have that problem. I think whoever makes them may have let the quality slide when they started supplying HF. At one time I had both plates, the rings interchanged, and fit both well. MLCS has great customer service, I would call them, and I bet they'll send you a new one.


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

Mike Gager said:


> i have a MLCS router plate (same as the HF plate) and the 2 plastic inserts do not sit flush with the plate. they are below the plate level which causes a lot of problems including the small lip that always catches when i slide a workpiece across the plate while routing. the other problem is on shorter pieces there is no support so i dont get a straight cut because the wood rides along the dip of the inserts
> 
> i know bob will tell me to just buy new inserts for $10 or whatever but will that even fix my problem? i mean what if its the plate thats messed up? does anyone else have this problem?
> 
> i thought about just getting a different brand plate but they all seem to be of slightly different sizes, i really dont want to have to redo my table top because of this


Hey Mike, is that the aluminum plate?
I have their aluminum plate and my inserts didn't sit flush either, :angry: even worse, they weren't even around the hole . I got my hands on some plastic shim stock and glued about 12 thou along the front edge (closest to the operator) and I think about 15 or 17 around the back edge. If you can't get ahold of shim stock you might be able to go with light cardboard. I used a caliper to compare the depth of the relief to the thickness of the inserts, which vary 3 to 5 thou themselves, and shimmed the difference.


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## Mike Gager (Jan 14, 2009)

after looking at the inserts some more today i realized they were both concave so i took them out and taped them to my bench with double side tape and took my ROS and flattened them down. they are now flat all the way across but of course they sit even lower in the base plate. i am going to try your idea john of shimming the inserts, just need to find something to use that will work.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Mike

" find something to use that will work"

Don't laugh ,,Duck Tape works good, I use two layers sometimes 

If you look real hard at the snapshots below you will see it on the bottom side of the ring..
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Mike Gager said:


> after looking at the inserts some more today i realized they were both concave so i took them out and taped them to my bench with double side tape and took my ROS and flattened them down. they are now flat all the way across but of course they sit even lower in the base plate. i am going to try your idea john of shimming the inserts, just need to find something to use that will work.


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## Duane867 (Oct 25, 2008)

Kentucky chrome works on every thing !


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

Or as they call it in Alaska "100mph tape". All the "Bush pilots" carry a roll in their emergency gear. There's been more than one plane that crashed so badly they tore off a wing (or badly damaged it) but the pilot used his axe (also in the emergency gear) to make some spruce reinforcement poles, duct taped it together and flew it out!

Since most of Alaska is uncontrolled airspace, if the pilot doesn't file a flight plan with *someone*, they're pretty much on their own!


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

I used some last night on son's truck,,he had a rubber hose ( 3 " diam. )going from the air cleaner box to the air intake and the hose had a big split in it ,not now with the tape in place..6 rap's and it's like new and it was black duck tape too..  LOL

=====


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## curiousgeorge (Nov 6, 2006)

Just plain ole masking tape makes a pretty good shim also. Simply apply as many layers in as many places it takes to bring them level.


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## Mike Gager (Jan 14, 2009)

i actually tried masking tape already with not much luck. id imagine duct tape would be the same. the problem is the lip that the insert fits on to is only about 3/16" wide and just doesnt give the tape enough surface to stick too. had to trim the other surfaces that the tape sticks to because it gets to thick to snap the insert back in place. it appears 4 layers of tape should be pretty close but the tape just comes off the first time i snap the ring in place.

what i need is an oring or gasket that would fit on the insert or maybe shim stock like john mentioned. what exactly would i be looking for when looking for shim stock? 

i picture this

Product Details | .005" Blue 5" x 20" Polyester Shim Flat Sheet | Fastenal


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## Slingshot (Dec 14, 2009)

I'm not sure if this applies to your particular problem, but for what it's worth I like epoxy for exact shimming. I did that with many items, the closest to yours were my homemade tablesaw inserts. 

To index the insert perfectly with the base, mount it to a very flat piece of stock. Put a "release agent" AKA Vaseline or car wax on the base plate, clean the insert really well & put a layer of JB Weld or Marine Tex (thick, non-running epoxies) were it joins with the base. Mate the two of them together and let it cook. Pull them apart just at the minimum cure time. Trim off the flash & let it cure completely.

Jonathan


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## Duane867 (Oct 25, 2008)

Mike Gager said:


> i actually tried masking tape already with not much luck. id imagine duct tape would be the same. the problem is the lip that the insert fits on to is only about 3/16" wide and just doesnt give the tape enough surface to stick too. had to trim the other surfaces that the tape sticks to because it gets to thick to snap the insert back in place. it appears 4 layers of tape should be pretty close but the tape just comes off the first time i snap the ring in place.
> 
> what i need is an oring or gasket that would fit on the insert or maybe shim stock like john mentioned. what exactly would i be looking for when looking for shim stock?
> 
> ...


Duct tape is about a billion times stickier then Masking tape.
Use the real deal though not a knock off if you want the sticky goodness.
It'll stick.


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

If you need thinner shims than Duct tape, electrical tape or friction tape works too...


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## Microsuffer (Aug 7, 2008)

"Kentucky chrome works on every thing !"

First time I've ever heard that particular name for that ubiquitous fixer.


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## Clouseau (Oct 12, 2009)

Good masking tape is about .004" thick. Card stock is about .010" thick. You can also get two-sided masking tape or carpet tape. I haven't measured the tickness of a soda can lately, but that is what I used to shim my tablesaw extensions.
Dan


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