Make Your Router More Stable with a Custom Base

Quick fix. A custom-made baseplate provides a solid base for routing edges.

Replace your router’s base with one that is oversized and stable.

The router can be a great friend in the woodshop, but it’s one of those friends with character traits that aren’t welcome in all situations. Like the fraternity brother you want at your bachelor party but not necessarily at your wedding ceremony, the router is noisy, spews trash everywhere and is decidedly off balance. Lose control of it for a brief moment, and all kinds of damage can be done.

But the good things a router can do (that other tools can’t) make it worthwhile to put up with some things you can’t change, and look for ways to improve the situation. Put in your earplugs and put on your safety glasses because the noise and chips won’t go away.  But you can improve the stability of the beast. A router table is one way to do that, as is the addition of a custom base.

The problem. Most routers are top heavy and likely to tip. The standard baseplate doesn’t leave much room to hold on with two hands.

The solution. The extended base provides better control, eliminating the tendency of the router to tilt.

Adapt to the Situation

Custom router bases can be made in a short time out of simple and readily available material. Swapping the stock base for a custom one doesn’t take long either, so there’s no reason not to have a few dedicated to difficult tasks. If you struggle with holding your router steady and maintaining control, a larger base will overcome those issues.

The base shown here increases the surface area, and it provides a place for your off hand to hold the router down to the work. Commercial versions of this old standby are often in a teardrop shape, but we couldn’t think of any good reason to do that, other than to make it look cooler. Keeping the shape a rectangle will speed fabrication, and leave you with useful reference edges for joinery.

Almost like wood. Plexiglas can be cut to size with standard carbide-tipped saw blades, and drilled with twist drill bits. Go slow and back up the work with a piece of scrap wood.

We used a piece of 1⁄4“-thick Plexiglas we had in our shop. You can find this material at the home-improvement store, or if you’re in a larger town you can get offcuts from a plastics fabricator. The clear plastic is nice, but the only advantage it has compared to other materials is that you can see through it. Any material that is thin and stiff, such as plywood or hardboard, will work as well.

Use the same tools you use to work with wood to cut the plastic to size and to drill the required holes. Carbide-tipped saw blades are preferred, but don’t spend $150 on a triple-chip-grind, 80-tooth blade until you go into the plastics fabricating business. What you have will work fine for the few cuts you need to make. Wear a dust mask and safety glasses as you work with it.

Good old twist drill bits will handle the holes; just use a slow drill speed to keep the plastic from melting. If the plastic you have comes with a paper covering, leave it on while you work on it. Our Plexiglas lost its cover years ago, so I put some painter’s tape down the center to make marking possible.

Front & Center

Before removing the existing baseplate from your router, take note of how the switch and handle are oriented in relation to it. You want your custom configuration to be suited to your task and easy to use. After the screws are out, tape the existing plate down to your plastic to use as a pattern.

On the level. Countersink the holes so the screws are below the plate surface. You may need to make a trip to the hardware store for longer screws.

Find a drill bit that matches the diameter of the holes for the mounting screws, and drill a hole at each location. If you have a drill press you should use it, but if you don’t, drill through with a hand-held drill into a scrap of wood beneath the plastic. When all the holes are in, remove the stock baseplate and carefully countersink the screw heads below the surface.

Big bit, same story. The larger bit clearance hole can be cut with a spade bit or a Forstner bit. A drill press is nice, but not necessary.

Now drill the center hole for the router bit clearance. I had a Forstner bit that was close in size to the original center hole, so that’s what I used, but a cheap spade bit works as well if not better. Use your drill press if you have one, or clamp the plastic down on top of a scrap of wood and guide the drill by hand.

Any rough edges from cutting or drilling can be removed with a few strokes of a file. The knob is a leftover cabinet knob, screwed to the plastic on the centerline. You can turn or whittle something fancier or more comfortable, or just attach a chunk of scrap wood.

Variations of the basic plate can be used for a variety of purposes. Increase the length and add a hole for a pivot pin to rout perfect  circles or arcs. Attach a fence to the bottom to locate grooves or rabbets a set distance from an edge. Use a straight side of the baseplate against a straightedge to precisely guide the router to make dados.

Knowing how to use your tools includes knowing their limitations and discovering ways to overcome them. Most often the solution is simple, and waiting for you to uncover it and give it a try.