router plates

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  • Eagan
    Established Member
    • Feb 2006
    • 190
    • bloomington, IN
    • rigid r4512

    router plates

    I'm looking to build a router table for my Dewalt 618 router (duh). My original plan was just to screw it to a plywood board but I'd like to make somehing better. Anyone got any preferences on router plates for this puppy?
  • pelligrini
    Veteran Member
    • Apr 2007
    • 4217
    • Fort Worth, TX
    • Craftsman 21829

    #2
    If you've got the available funds you ought to get a lift. I put my DW618 motor in a Jessem Routerlift-FX that fits into my outfeed table for my saw. I really like having a lift; repeatable accurate adjustments, no futzing with adjusting it from below the table. I think it's one of the best tool buys I have made.

    Poolhound got one for his new table that had a neat feature the mine doesn't, a quick lift. I think it was the Pinnacle model.
    Erik

    Comment

    • LarryG
      The Full Monte
      • May 2004
      • 6693
      • Off The Back
      • Powermatic PM2000, BT3100-1

      #3
      +1 on a lift; if you use a router table much, a lift is a wonderful convenience. The price of a high-quality plate (see below) will make a pretty big down payment on a lift.

      For a plate, I would suggest aluminum, and I would suggest a minimum thickness of 3/8". Some people swear by phenolic plates but I had one warp to the point of being unusable while carrying only the weight of a 2-1/4HP Makita fixed-based router (i.e., not a heavy router at all). And while I've had no personal experience with 1/4" aluminum plates, I've read numerous reports of sagging problems with those, too.

      Woodpeckers has 3/8" aluminum plates, and the 9.25" x 11.75" size of their plates is more or less the de facto standard, in case you ever wanted to upgrade to a lift later on.
      Last edited by LarryG; 02-19-2010, 12:02 PM. Reason: typo in the router HP rating
      Larry

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      • os1kne
        Senior Member
        • Jan 2003
        • 901
        • Atlanta, GA
        • BT3100

        #4
        +1 on Woodpeckers. They cost more, but you'll never have a problem.
        Bill

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        • bthere
          Established Member
          • Jan 2007
          • 462
          • Alpharetta, GA

          #5
          I have a Woodpecker lift and really like the convenience, but they do cost a fair amount of money. I did have my router hung under my table for a while, and it worked ok, but was a little less convenient and time consuming to change bits. The accuracy and ease of setting bit height is sure improved with a lift.

          One in-between step between direct table mounting and a lift is to get a router plate. It is fairly easy then to remove the whole plate/router from the table to work on it. The plate, being thinner (usually around 3/8") gives you more protrusion for the bit above the table. The plates also usually come with inserts to adjust clearance around different size bits, or to provide for a collet mount in the table.

          They are usually made of plastics of various sort, such as phenolic, or aluminum. The aluminum is nice since it won't sag, but it can be a bit more expensive. Rockler was clearing out their old style aluminum router plates a while back, but I don't know if they still have some. At the less expensive end, Harbor Freight has a phenolic plate for about $20 that looks pretty decent.

          Comment

          • sweensdv
            Veteran Member
            • Dec 2002
            • 2862
            • WI
            • Baileigh TS-1040P-50

            #6
            Take a look at this aluminum plate, $65 delivered.
            _________________________
            "Have a Great Day, unless you've made other plans"

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            • Uncle Cracker
              The Full Monte
              • May 2007
              • 7091
              • Sunshine State
              • BT3000

              #7
              I'm in the Woodpeckers fold. Never regretted the investment. Not even once.

              Comment

              • phi1l
                Senior Member
                • Oct 2009
                • 681
                • Madison, WI

                #8
                Originally posted by pelligrini
                If you've got the available funds you ought to get a lift. I put my DW618 motor in a Jessem Routerlift-FX that fits into my outfeed table for my saw. I really like having a lift; repeatable accurate adjustments, no futzing with adjusting it from below the table. I think it's one of the best tool buys I have made.
                Or, if you don't you can always make one like this, I would modify the design a bit so that you can adjust the height from above. This guy uses his wood geears every chance he gets

                Comment

                • Bill in Buena Park
                  Veteran Member
                  • Nov 2007
                  • 1865
                  • Buena Park, CA
                  • CM 21829

                  #9
                  Eagan,
                  I've used this plate in my router table for a couple years now, may have paid $50 with a coupon, and the phenolic is holding up very well - still flat. Has a couple insert rings (one allows guide bushing use), but no lift, so stock height adjustment only.
                  Bill in Buena Park

                  Comment

                  • gsmittle
                    Veteran Member
                    • Aug 2004
                    • 2784
                    • St. Louis, MO, USA.
                    • BT 3100

                    #10
                    Between Router Table Depot and the wooden gears guy, I think I just lost about an hour looking at the goodies.

                    I have a phenolic plate for my Bosch router. It's the only router I use regularly (the infamous three-base Ryobi kit is semi-retired), and therefor isn't in the table all the time. I haven't seen any evidence of sag.

                    g.
                    Smit

                    "Be excellent to each other."
                    Bill & Ted

                    Comment

                    • 3thumbs
                      Established Member
                      • Oct 2008
                      • 162
                      • Northern Colorado
                      • Delta 10" contractor saw/cast wings

                      #11
                      I have a Bosch bench top router table, and it works fine, but since I have to share my shop with cars, I have to put that heavy table up on a shelf. I rigged up a bicycle lift and a couple of drawer slides to make a lift. It is job enough to get it down, I have even put off some work because of it. I think that I'll get the Woodpecker's aluminum insert, and put the router in my table saw wing.
                      I like the idea of the aluminum rings also. The ears broke off the Bosch rings long ago.
                      DM

                      Comment

                      • Eagan
                        Established Member
                        • Feb 2006
                        • 190
                        • bloomington, IN
                        • rigid r4512

                        #12
                        Thanks! Got thoughts about this?

                        Thanks! I knew I could get good advice from you. I'm trying to steal all your best ideas for my own woodshop. Regretfully, I'm stuck with my own skill level.

                        Regretfully, the router lift seems to be a little pricing for what I need (or what LOML will permit).

                        The primary purpose for the router table is to give me space to work my old-style incra jig. My thought was to either build a table that I could use with my workmake or include it in the table I'm building for my bt-3000 rails. Anyone got any experience with either? I do have the old ryobi router mounting kit, but thought I'd have better luck if I didn't try and use that.

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                        • LarryG
                          The Full Monte
                          • May 2004
                          • 6693
                          • Off The Back
                          • Powermatic PM2000, BT3100-1

                          #13
                          I have seen (but not personally used) two or three WorkMate-based router tables. It's a clever idea but many people, myself included, would find the table surface too low. I think it's better to err on the side of a router table being too high than too low ... a higher table is more comfortable to stand at, and gives you better control and visibility. I am six feet tall; my current router table is ~38" high; the next one will be right at 40".

                          What about building a riser-like box deep enough to house your router and placing THAT atop your WorkMate?
                          Larry

                          Comment

                          • Eagan
                            Established Member
                            • Feb 2006
                            • 190
                            • bloomington, IN
                            • rigid r4512

                            #14
                            Aha! Voice of experience. I wouldn't have thought of the height issue.

                            Comment

                            • dbhost
                              Slow and steady
                              • Apr 2008
                              • 9209
                              • League City, Texas
                              • Ryobi BT3100

                              #15
                              You could add an extension wing on to the right of your blade on the BT, and go that way. I did using a Bench Dog Pro Plate. No router lift, but no real need either...



                              Sorry I don't have a better angle pic of the finished product...
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