Looking for router plate recommendation

[JR]

The HF plate is not carried in the store, must be ordered from the catalog/online. AND it's out of stock until Feb. 8, or untils HF's totally unrpredictable supply chain catches up, whichever comes first.

I'm feeling Mark's passion on this. Still, IMO, an aluminum plate should be priced at $20-$25. I mean there is nothing compicated about this assy.

JR

[John Hunter]

I too have the Rousseau plate and am very happy with it. I put it in the router table I built back in April and it has seen a lot of usage.

[RayintheUK]

Ray with all due respect if you are talking about the same Rousseau plate that i purchased from MLCS several years ago, phenolic with the 2 or 3 rings (I do not recall which) Bull S H I T!!!!!!!!!

I had one they are crowned! by several thousanths of an inch making precision joinrey a bear. plus with enough weight they will sag.

The slight crowning is deliberate and is there to ensure that the area surrounding the bit is the highest. If this were not so, the results across a length of stock would vary. It is NOT there to "allow for" any sag. However, it is also not enough to affect the stock adversely in any way (i.e. not enough to see, or to rock the stock on). I have never had any problem turning out precision joinery using these plates, including literally hundreds of coped bit rails and stiles.

I have no idea what your plate looked like compared to my two. I merely reported my honest experience (as usual) in answer to a question. I cannot imagine why you would think that I would do otherwise.

Ray.

[messmaker]

The slight crowning is deliberate and is there to ensure that the area surrounding the bit is the highest. If this were not so, the results across a length of stock would vary. It is NOT there to "allow for" any sag. However, it is also not enough to affect the stock adversely in any way (i.e. not enough to see, or to rock the stock on). I have never had any problem turning out precision joinery using these plates, including literally hundreds of coped bit rails and stiles.

I have no idea what your plate looked like compared to my two. I merely reported my honest experience (as usual) in answer to a question. I cannot imagine why you would think that I would do otherwise.

Ray.

__________________________________________________ ___________
The sound of a nerve being hit!

[sparkeyjames]

Sure make your own. Get a blank they are cheaper than the full featured ones but you get the satisfaction of doing it yourself and it's just the way you want it. You can get them online from many places. I got mine here. http://www.ttrackusa.com/router.html

[onedash]

love my Jessem.

[Black wallnut]

Ray bud I was not thinking you were intentially trying to mislead. Nor was I challenging your honesty. It seems that in your case the slight crown has not been an issue. I'm thinking that you are very fortunate in that respect. I was only trying to point out the truth that these plates are in fact crowned and that the crown was an issue for ME and my joinery and I am not even thinking of saying my joinery is any better or worse than yours. That I'm sure is not the case. What I think I failed to point out is that given the sheer mass required to first level the plate and then the added mass required to sag the plate in my tests it is unlikely most users under normal use will be able to either flatten the crown or worse create concave sag. These plates are very stiff!

My conclusions are that I had issues with the crown of the Rosseau plate (many have not and they are a very popular plate) and I think Aluminum is a far superior plate material.

[LarryG]

I think Aluminum is a far superior plate material.

I agree, wholeheartedly.

As I've mentioned several times before, I had a 3/8" thick (the typical dimension) phenolic plate from Woodpeckers that sagged to the point of unusability for joinery within a matter of a few months, bearing only the weight of a mid-size 2.25HP router (Makita RF1100, with the lighter fixed base).

At the risk of sounding confrontational, I wonder whether some of the folks who are saying (not necessarily in this thread; this subject comes up a lot) that their phenolic plates don't sag have checked them carefully. With most router bit profiles, a small amount of deflection is neither noticeable nor problematic. But it all depends on what one is doing. My Woodpeckers plate sagged right at 1/64". Not much, right? No, it's not -- at least not until you try to fit together the two halves of a sliding dovetail ...

[RayintheUK]

Ray bud I was not thinking you were intentially trying to mislead. Nor was I challenging your honesty.

OK - I'm a bit raw at the moment with other stuff. Didn't mean to over-react.

Ray.