My BT3100 base, Spruce and Sandeply, an article in the old articles part of this website, includes a router table in the extension table. It, like all router tables I have made, does not use a plate. To me it is just unnecessary additional cost. My extension table uses 3/4 melamine particle board as the top with some stiffener ribs of plywood. I routed the underside to 3/8 thickness in the shape of my PC690 router's fixed base. A hole for the router bit and three for the attachment screws and you have a router table. This will stay flatter than you might think because the thin part is still attached to the rest of the sheet of 3/4 melamine and the thin area is much smaller than a router plate. I made a separate fence of scrap plywood and melamine that adjusts using t-nuts on the under side of the extension table and slotted holes in the fence. It works well but I mainly use my separate router table with a home-made lift in it now. I used the BT3100 extension table setup until I made my latest router table (which also has no router plate). I made multiple raised panel doors on the BT3100 setup. Nothing particularly wrong with it but a dedicated router table, expecially when it has a lift, is nicer (but costs more and takes up more space).
Jim
Jim
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