There’s no denying the versatility of today’s compact routers with plunge bases, and Rockler is expanding their potential even further with the new Router Mortise Centering Base. Its concept is simple: attach the clear base to your router, and a pair of pins underneath straddle either side of a workpiece. Give the router a slight twist in hand to snug the pins against the workpiece faces, and they center the router bit automatically for routing mortises.
The brass pins for this ¼-in. acrylic base screw into various threaded inserts to adapt it for a range of stock thicknesses up to 4 in. They also have nylon guide sleeves that rotate on the pins for smooth-sliding operation. The center hole in the base measures 1-1/4-in. in diameter, so it suits a full range of straight or spiral bit sizes.
Selling for $19.99, Rockler’s Compact Router Mortise Centering Base (item 57523) is pre-drilled to fit the mounting hole patterns of DeWALT, Porter-Cable and Bosch compact routers. Here’s an inexpensive item that could be worth adding to your woodworking wish list this holiday season.
