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If I take a straight edge across the the table and adjust the plate so that the center ring is touching the the stright edge. The outside edges of the plate are approx 1/16 below the table surface. When routing shorter stock, the end will tend to catch on the small lip/edge of the formica, as it leaves the plate.

Maybe I just need to chamfer the formica edge to let the stock move over the lip ?

If I understand what you are saying the plate itself is not flat??? Without any inserts and plate out of the table try the same thing and see if when the square is on just the plate are the sides still down by 1/16" or so..... if so the plate must not be flat. If that looks flat then try putting one of the inserts in and trying the same test if it still looks flat then it is table related but if the 1/16" thing only happens with the insert then the insert is the issue..... What ever the case a chamfer is not the solution.

Ed

 

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Ed, the Rousseau plate is not flat. It has a very slight curve built into it that flatens out when supporting the weight of the router. The problem Blair has is leveling the plate to the table surface, and that is solved with the allen screws.

I guess only he can answer but when I read his message I get that the plate is not flat... makes me think how in the heck do they engineer it with all the different weights of routers and hole spaces.... is it a thermaset type plastic? I'll have to stop at their website and do a little reading I guess. All the stuff I've done starts straight and ends straight.... just plain stiff enough.....

Ed

 

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Ed, once the router is attached to the plate you loosen the screws slightly with the router hanging down. At this point you apply hand pressure to flatten the plate and then tighten the screws. Stu made mention of this in one of his posts and I sent Blair a private message detailing this fine tuning process.

OK this makes more sense now. I found their web page in case anyone wants to visit but they don't have much info there:
www.rousseauco.com

The plate is at:
www.rousseauco.com/model3509.htm

The feature called "Unique Leveling System" While it is not explained this must be what you are talking about. I'm guessing from a few other things I found and read tonight that this is not explained very well or needs more press to see what I mean check this out:
www.enotalone.com/tools/B00002242B.html
see the third post down or so.

Maybe it would be a good idea to write out how this works and post it here maybe even with a sticky. What do you say Mike?

Ed