Thread: Review: Veritas Router Base Plate from Lee Valley

Darren,

Slightly off topic, but did you end up attaching your router table to your TS or did you go stand alone?

Craig

I did end up attaching it to the saw. I'll post a picture soon. It's not quite finished yet but the basis of it is done.

Originally Posted by silentC

I did end up attaching it to the saw. I'll post a picture soon. It's not quite finished yet but the basis of it is done.

I'll look forward to that. I might have to plagarise your idea.

Hello All,

Is there an Australian distributer for this magical base plate. It sounds just like what I am after.

My 1st post - yippee!

Cheers,

JamesP

James,

I bought mine direct from Lee Valley in Canada. I'm not sure whether or not it's available from an Aussie retailer but I imagine that if it is, it will cost quite a bit more than what I paid.

I received it in the mail one week after placing the order.

It's a ripper!

I also forgot to mention that if you stuff up drilling the holes in the base plate, they'll send you another plate free.

I also forgot to mention that if you stuff up drilling the holes in the base plate, they'll send you another plate free.

Dare I ask how you found out.
Kind regards
Termite

Nah, it says so on the web site. I think the reason they offer it is because it's nigh impossible to stuff it up. But I'm sure it can be done...

Thanks,

I may email them direct - or sell my soul to Mr Visa.

Cheers,

JamesP

Silent.
Can you tell us what was the cost, including delivery.
I have purchased from Lee Valley at times. Their price is good but, in my experience, their delivery cost is high.
I recently put in an order for 4 magnetic tool holders at CA$6 each and the delivery would have been more than twice the cost of the items. I got around that by, as I told my wife, bulking up the order with some minor items, a Starrett combination square included, to make the delivery cost worthwhile. She believed me, I think, but did disappear into "retail alley" here in Albany very soon after that conversation.
Rob.

I'll have to look at the invoice to get the postage. Will post later on. I ordered a few other bits and pieces as well but the adaptor plate was the most substantial item in the package.

The plate was $29.50 US, around $41 Aus dollars.

Silent c
It is possible to drill the holes wrong . I did it,( How I Don't Know ) I didn't bother returning the plate i turned the template and drilled 4 more holes so mine has 8 holes in it
I have had it for 3 or 4 years and it works great. I use a Hiatachi M12v on it
paul

Lee Valley / Veritas certainly make some great stuff - see their router table system as an example. I don't think that their phenolic router insert is that great. I paid about $70 for one of them in 2000, and finally ended up routing out a circle in the top of my table to go to drop in mode. I found that attaching the router from the bottom lost me too much depth of cut. I ultimately saw the phenolic base disintegrate when I mistreated it with a plum sized router bit and constant speed 2 hp hitachi router. the router fell to the floor but still kept going. Hitachi do make robust stuff. A router insert just as good as the veritas one can be made with a $25 offcut of Lexan purchased from a plastics supplier such as Cadillac. Get the 6mm stuff, cut it to whatever shape/size that you like, as long as it is larger than the original router base. Then cut out the centre, to accommodate the router bit, and drill and counter sink holes in exacly the same places as on the original router base and, voila, you have a new oversize router base. Some dude in the US makes and sells oversize bases through the web, so they have been empirically tested. Now here's the point of the 6mm Lexan: go to your preferred supplier and buy sheet of 900 x 600 x 6mm mdf and another of 18mm veneer finished pineboard or ply. Make a cutout in the 6mm board in exactly the same shape/size as your new Lexan router base. In the corresponding place on the 18mm board, make a cutout exactly the same size/shape as the router base (with allowances for handles, etc). Now glue the two together in a vacuum press, seal on both sides and at the ends with poly and you now have a drop in router table. I have used one successfully for twoyears with my orange router. If you don't have a vacuum press then buy one from Cloudmaker, and you'll also need a compressor, which has the added advantages of introducing you to the joys of veneeering, allowing you to duplicate all your power tools in air powered versions, and of irritating the neighbours' barking dogs as much as they irritate you. Such a setup will cost you about $700, half of which you will recoup by avoiding the purchase of the phenolic insert and an orange pressed metal router base. Such an economical purchase does not warrant discussion with your significant other

SilentC,

When you (eventually) get around to building a morticing jig, you will need to modify its dimensions a bit, if you are using a 9"-diameter baseplate. My jig is designed for a baseplate about 7 1/4" in diameter, so you will need an extra 7/8" between the near edge of the horizontal platform and the window. You might want to make the platform a bit wider too.

Rocker

Rocker,

Thanks for the tip. I had considered that and was going to ask you what you thought anyway, so thanks for anticipating.

I'm starting (and hopefully finishing) the jig this weekend :eek: