Yesterday forum member BrianS and I built a couple of replacement sub base plates for his Craftsman router so it could use PC style guide bushings. The material used was an old plastic sign. Here is the process we followed:
Remove the sub base plate from the router and apply double sided carpet tape. Press it firmly on the material and rough cut to shape with a band saw. Using a pattern bit we cut the final outside shape. The next step was to drill the mounting holes. We used the large diameter hole saw to drill the recess just deep enough for the guide bushing to sit flush with the surface, then the smaller hole saw for the through hole. There is a small amount of material left around the through hole and we used a Forstner bit to clean this up. While you can use Forstner bits instead of hole saws I feel it is easier to align the holes using the pilot bit of the hole saws and this is critical for a good fit. Separate the sub base from your original sub base and countersink the mounting screw holes using a Forstner bit. Since this countersunk area is non critical we used a 1/2" bit as opposed to the factory 7/16" size. (If your router uses flat head screws then use a countersinking bit.)
The sizes of the center holes vary between PC style and the Router Worksop style from Oak Park. The large hole saw will be the overall OD and the small hole saw will be the through hole size for your bushings.
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Mike
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