[Ecomma]

Hello,

I am new to this forum and being a woodworker for over 40 years, I have never used a router in a table configuration. I just purchased a Jessem Mast-R-Lift 2 router lift to go into one of my General 350 table saw extension tables which is made of MDF and covered with white Formica. I would like to used the Biesemeyer fence in conjunction with the router lift as many do. I would like to do a really nice job routing the opening for this lift and routing into a nice Formica top is not for the faint of heart. I'm thinking the best route would be to purchase the Jessem MDF template but it is quite pricey for a piece of CNC cut MDF at around $29 plus shipping. The Incra lift which appears identical to the Jessem sells their MDF template for $13, much better. Can anyone verify these two templates are interchangeable? Or is there a simpler "D.I.Y." method for cutting this opening with precision?

Thank you,

Eric

 

[Ecomma]

Thanks

Thank all of you for the tips! I’m going to do the DYI method, seems easy enough with the correct router bit.

Eric

 

[Ecomma]

Chris, I just had the router lift delivered yesterday. I purchased mine off Amazon from a company called Viking Mountain Tool Works, or something like that, it was the most economical place on the internet I could find this unit. I'm not sure if this was "new old stock" but the box appeared to be like it had been sitting on a shelf for a while. This thing is stunningly beautiful and aside of all of the complaints about incomplete fasteners and leveling screws on Amazon, mine had everything in the box including three of the red table inserts, crank and insert wrench. I assume when you speak of a "router plate" you mean the main
9 1/4"x11" 3/4"x3/8" black anodized plate and not the red table inserts. Mine does have milling marks in a regular pattern over the entire top that appear to be there from the manufacturing process. The black finish is applied on top of this. I wouldn't consider this a deburring proceess as I would think that would occur around the perimeter top and bottom of the plate, similar to the way a machinist would debur the edges of a part. I did read one review on Amazon where a purchaser complained about these machining marks "steering" his work piece around, but other's comments basically debunked the guy's review.

I didn't know we had to accumulate points here to post pictures, I know I can because this is only my first post. Thanks for the info.

Hope this helps,

Eric