The Problem with OEM Router Sub Base Plates
Most trim router brands provide a standard base plate that is about the diameter of the tool’s fixed base, which is usually 3.5 to 4 inches. Because of this, the router tends to wobble due to its small base diameter. Another reason it might wobble is because cordless palm routers tend to be top-heavy because of the large hefty battery. Additionally, some OEM base plates are compatible with guide bushings and some are not. Some have their own proprietary guide bushings, which can be a little more costly. Some base plates are hollow and flimsy. In fact, we’ve purchased all the routers that we’ve made accessories for so we’ve seen first hand how small, and in some cases, how flimsy they can be.
Material and Thickness
When you purchase your router it will typically have a sub-base plate attached to the fixed base and/or a plunge base. These sub-base plates are typically made of either acrylic or some type of plastic. Without getting into the nitty gritty of acrylic and its benefits, just know that clear cast acrylic is the best option for these router base plates because of their durability and resistance to vibrations. Something to consider, however, is the OEM base plate your router comes with is about 1/4" thick and sometimes can be a thin hollow plastic with channels to give it some basic rigidity.
All Wood Grain Junkie router base plates are made with 3/8" thick cast acrylic, which makes them extremely durable. You will not see any deflection with these plates, even on the larger 10 inch long Dual Grip router base plates.
Guide Bushing Compatibility
Many OEM base plates do not support guide bushings or they have their own proprietary guide bushing style. This is important if you want to route out patterns and designs based on acrylic templates. Typically you’d use a guide bushing that rides along the template pattern. If your base plate doesn’t accommodate guide bushings you’ll have to purchase one that does. If your base plate accommodates guide bushings, well you’re still stuck with a small base plate with little surface area.
The Wood Grain Junkie router base plates are compatible with standard (Porter Cable Style) brass guide bushing with plenty of surface area. We also offer three different styles–Round, Single Grip and Dual Grip, which we’ll cover below.
Universal vs Brand Specific
Many aftermarket router base plates are designed to be universal and will have about two dozen holes to accommodate as many router brands on the market as possible. It’s a cost-effective way of producing thousands of base plates, but it’s not keeping you in mind. When I started using my router more and more I found it frustrating fumbling through dozens of hole patterns. That’s not even the worst part. The worst part was that dust and chips would get lodged in all those vacant holes and cavities and would sometimes get caught on an edge. When you’re operating a router with a sharp bit spinning at 18,000 RPMs, the last thing you want is for it to get tripped up on some wood chips. You want a clean flat base plate with as little holes and grooves as possible.
Wood Grain Junkie router base plates are brand specific for a perfect fit. There’s no more fumbling through dozens of universal hole patterns and more importantly, no more unnecessary empty mounting holes for chips to get stuck in.
Which Wood Grain Junkie Base Plate is Right for You?
Round
The 6 inch round base plate has a larger surface area than the standard OEM base plate your trim router comes with. The added surface area helps you stabilize your trim router, especially if you have a top heavy cordless router. The Round base plate is perfect for quick roundovers, chamfers and other edge profiles. Another great benefit of the Round base plate is it gives you a perfect round edge when you’re referencing a fence or straight edge, so if you need to rotate the router as you move along the workpiece, you’ll always maintain the same distance from your straight edge. Some OEM base plates have a half circle or odd shape which can make it awkward to reference a straight edge. This is most apparent when trying to cut juice grooves on a cutting board and you need to rotate your router to maintain the same edge of the base plate.
Single Grip
The Single Grip base plate measures 6x9 inches and comes with a 4 inch tall handle. It is perfect for edge profiling table tops or larger pieces where you have both hands free to secure the router from the router itself and the 4 inch handle. The handle is removable so you can use it without it as well.
Dual Grip
The Dual Grip base plate measures 6x10 inches and comes with two 4 inch handles. This base plate is perfect for inlays and detailed work. Since it’s compatible with standard brass guide bushings, you can use it for epoxy inlays or use it with an inlay kit to make wooden inlays. The two handles make it ideal to free hand your own designs as well. The handles are removable so you can use it with one handle or remove them both to be used as a large standard base plate.
Conclusion
We’ve received such positive feedback from customers who have purchased and tried our trim router base plates. We encourage you to read some of those reviews if you’re still not convinced. Whether you’re looking for more stability from your router, looking for something more comfortable to operate, or you just want that added security your router won’t slip from your hands, we believe you’ll be very satisfied with one of Wood Grain Junkie’s trim router base plates. Please send us an email if you still have questions or check out our FAQ section.
