Centering your router on a mounting plate

Mike

It is very important that your router be centered on your mounting plate. Many people sweat over this for hours remeasuring before they drill their mounting holes. The quick and easy way to do this is with a centering kit from Rousseau. These kits work with all brands of mounting plates that accept Porter Cable style guide bushings and they cost $5.

Step 1. You chuck up the centering pin in your routers 1/4" collet.
Step 2. Insert the disk into the center hole of your mounting plate.
Step 3. Remove the sub base plate from your router, set it and the screws aside.
Step 4. Install the transfer screws into your routers base with the points facing out.
Step 5. place the centering pin into the disk, position your router to face the direction you want it mounted and lightly tap the edge of your router with a mallet. This marks the locations you need to drill.
Step 6. Drill the holes, flip the plate over and slightly countersink them.
Step 7. Using the new screws that came in the centering kit attach your router and it is perfectly centered.

If you are using a plate that accepts the larger Oak Park style guide bushings you can purchase a centering disk and a guide pin from them. You can purchase transfer screws from most hardware stores or tool suppliers.

Attached Images

	Rousseau centering kit.jpg (26.6 KB, 73 views)
	centering_pin_1.jpg (2.7 KB, 113 views)

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Mike
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tomfitzman

Thanks

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Best
Tom

falk

Why is it important? The only reason I can think of is if you think you might remove it and put it back rotated, in which case it could mess up your pre-sets.

jschaben

Hi Edward,
I think Mike presented that with the assumption that the router opening was also in the center of the plate. I don't see why it HAS to be there but you want the router centered in the router opening. Primarily, should you ever need to use template guides with your table, the bit would not be centered in the guide effectively rendering the guide and template worthless. The other reason you would want it centered is if you are running a larger bit, it could strike the edge of your insert or opening itself, if your not using an insert.

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John Schaben

"I haven't failed, I have simply discovered several hundred ways that don't work"

falk

Got it. Good reminding me that the router needs to be centered in the hole. My Milwaukee came with a centering jig for installing base plates, I'll have to see if I can use it somehow.

falk

Oh, FWIW, I'm just making the mounting plate out of malamine. Is that a dumb thing to do?

jschaben

Hi Edward, I dunno, knee jerk says no but I haven't got that much experience.
Somehow you got to posting this under a "Sticky" which seldom gets read more than once. I'd try starting a new thread under "Table mounted routing". Go back to the Table mounted routing and drop down below the stickys.

Most of the plates I have seen refered to are either phenolic or aluminum. I suspect the melamine and whatever substrate it has been applied over isn't going to be rigid enough until it is made so thick that you loose a significant depth of cut.
Good Luck

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John Schaben

"I haven't failed, I have simply discovered several hundred ways that don't work"

Mike

Good answers John.

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Mike
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dirko

Hi Ho: I don't know if one can respond to stickys, but I found the easiest way to center the router is to use guide bushing with a 1/4 inch hole and then put a 1/4 inch bit in the router. Since the guide bushing is the best reason for centering you probably already have what you need if your insert plates take guide bushings and already have them.

Dirk

Bonehead V.2

Nice tutorial. Thanks for posting it.

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Thanks very much,

Mark