I was
, I got it from www.simplyplastics.com,they can cut it to size and add holes. They are also quite cheap although for me the shipping did take some time
Palm router base plate extension
- Thread starter Soulmiester
- Start date
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, I got it from www.simplyplastics.com,they can cut it to size and add holes. They are also quite cheap although for me the shipping did take some timeI am a bit late to this as I could not find the link until now.
If you want to save time and not spend much money, can I recommend this:
https://tools4trade.co.uk/products/excel-trimmer-offset-base-plate
I think most of the trim routers have the Katsu pattern holes in the base plates (including that blatent copy of the machine by Makita). See: Printables for dimensions.
For just over £10, you can remove the aluminium part of the offset base, chuck it in the bin and keep the plastic part. I think you might get a free side handle into the bargain.
If you want to save time and not spend much money, can I recommend this:
https://tools4trade.co.uk/products/excel-trimmer-offset-base-plate
I think most of the trim routers have the Katsu pattern holes in the base plates (including that blatent copy of the machine by Makita). See: Printables for dimensions.
For just over £10, you can remove the aluminium part of the offset base, chuck it in the bin and keep the plastic part. I think you might get a free side handle into the bargain.
I’ve got a couple of alternatives:
- 5 or 6mm acrylic sheet. Easy to work, with the caveats about cutting on the table saw, clear, holes cut well with Forstner bits, nice smooth surfaces. Made an extended base for the trimmer base this way.
- 3d printed. I’ve made a 200mm square sub-base for the plunge base on my Makita hand router, that incorporates the thread for Porter Cable/Leigh/Katsu threaded guide bushes. Only downside is that it’s not clear. But it’s also easy to include slots that help with dust extraction.
I find the band saw much better and safer
As promised a couple of pics of my cactus and some bases I have made in the past using perspex
Soulmiester
Established Member
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Johnwa
Established Member
If you can get hold of an old u.s. flat screen computer monitor, take it apart and buried in the bowels is a lovely flat piece of perspex ideal for the job you're doing. You just have to get rid of the plastic and pcb's afterwards, no real problem.
Soulmiester
Established Member
Good shout, when you say u.s is that a brand or do you mean one made in the USA?
Jester129
Established Member
He means USeless.
Soulmiester
Established Member
Agh, OK, now don't I feel a tit lol. I've got a few old pc monitors so I know what I'm doing today.
I honestly didn't think they would have anything that thick in there to be suitable. Oh well we live and learn.
Lons
Established Member
It would be interesting to know which flat screen monitors had a rigid, thick enough plastic for a router baseplate? I've dismantled several as well as a couple of large LED tvs and nice materials but thin and flexible (still useful just haven't decided for what yet. )
6mm clear or translucent acrylic is my first choice with polycarbonate a close second but I'm lucky as I managed a couple of plastic didtributors in my distant past and still have scrap.
What I suggest you do is some research of your local area, there may well be an Amari Plastics or similar distributor near you and they will have offcuts and scrap available. Look for Sheet or semi finished plastics distributors, also worth checking out, signmakers, thermoplastic form companies and asking in the big sheds for old display or counter screens. Shop fitters are another source as they scrap old screens from banks and shops and another source can be your local authority as they scrap / replace the polycarbonate in old bus shelters and it goes in the skip. A bit of lateral thinking and keeping your eyes open will get you what you want cheap or even free.
)6mm clear or translucent acrylic is my first choice with polycarbonate a close second but I'm lucky as I managed a couple of plastic didtributors in my distant past and still have scrap.
What I suggest you do is some research of your local area, there may well be an Amari Plastics or similar distributor near you and they will have offcuts and scrap available. Look for Sheet or semi finished plastics distributors, also worth checking out, signmakers, thermoplastic form companies and asking in the big sheds for old display or counter screens. Shop fitters are another source as they scrap old screens from banks and shops and another source can be your local authority as they scrap / replace the polycarbonate in old bus shelters and it goes in the skip. A bit of lateral thinking and keeping your eyes open will get you what you want cheap or even free.
Unlucky. Acrylic will become brittle if left in very cold temperatures but I've never had one break on me .
Johnwa
Established Member
Lons,I've stripped down 3 monitors for the plastic now all different makes all had the 6/8 mm plastic sheet. I think because they were oldish ( over 6 years old by now) they could well have been lcd as opposed to the more modern led displays, maybe that makes a difference.
John
John
Soulmiester
Established Member
Fantastic ideas, thank you.It would be interesting to know which flat screen monitors had a rigid, thick enough plastic for a router baseplate? I've dismantled several as well as a couple of large LED tvs and nice materials but thin and flexible (still useful just haven't decided for what yet.
6mm clear or translucent acrylic is my first choice with polycarbonate a close second but I'm lucky as I managed a couple of plastic didtributors in my distant past and still have scrap.
What I suggest you do is some research of your local area, there may well be an Amari Plastics or similar distributor near you and they will have offcuts and scrap available. Look for Sheet or semi finished plastics distributors, also worth checking out, signmakers, thermoplastic form companies and asking in the big sheds for old display or counter screens. Shop fitters are another source as they scrap old screens from banks and shops and another source can be your local authority as they scrap / replace the polycarbonate in old bus shelters and it goes in the skip. A bit of lateral thinking and keeping your eyes open will get you what you want cheap or even free.
Soulmiester
Established Member
Well I have 6 old flat screen monitors in the cellar, trust me they are getting ripped apart today just in case lol.
Lons
Established Member
I didn't mean to suggest you were wrong John just interested because mine weren't, as you say maybe different types. Worth pulling apart for plastic that thick.
If I can find some locally I'll have another go as I'd also be interested in what kind of plastic and I should be able to determine that if I can remember, it's 40 years since I was in the plastics industry.
Lons
Established Member
What do you do, collect the things?
Hopefully they'll yield some useful material.
Soulmiester
Established Member
I did a community Christmas refurb old computer run last year, ended up giving away 8 refurbished windows 11 desktops to low income families for the kids.What do you do, collect the things?
In doing that I collected an absolute shed load of crap pc's to get the parts I needed. Hence all the monitors lol.
I didn't get a chance today but over the next few days I will rip them apart and post my findings.
Johnwa
Established Member
The perspex is really deep inside the monitor, keep fetching stuff out until you practically come out of the other end, it is easy to think there is no perspex in there, it happened to me but I went back in and found it. It is normally covered with sheets of clear and white thin plastic sheets, these are ideal for using as gluing up mats as well.
