Router plate choice

[Wizard9999]

I was lucky enough to be given a router table and in anticipation of the workshop getting to completion I want to get a plate for it. The recess was previously fitted with a standard North American sized plate 9 1/4" x 11 3/4" (235mm x 298mm I think) and rather than lengthen it and fill the sides I think buying a plate tis size will be best. I've identified two options the Jessem Rout R Plate (9.5mm phenolic) at about £70 or the Incra magna-lock (9.5mm aluminium) at about £100.

I'd appreciate thoughts on this choice or indeed other options I have not found. Does anyone have either of these and have anything good or bad to say? I know it was previously fitted with a woodpecker plate, but can't immediately see these available in the UK, but is there a supplier? If so, any thoughts on how this would stack up against the other two options?

Thanks in advance,
Terry.

 

[Rod]

I've got a Woodpecker together with the insert plates - works well.
I bought them many moons ago from the firm that Peter Sefton took over - he might still sell them?

Rod

 

[9fingers]

I've got a Woodpecker together with the insert plates - works well.
I bought them many moons ago from the firm that Peter Sefton took over - he might still sell them?

Rod

Agreed. Peter is stocking a subset of the woodpecker range but presumably he can order anything else from them as a special.

Bob

 

[RogerS]

I've got a Woodpecker together with the insert plates - works well.
I bought them many moons ago from the firm that Peter Sefton took over - he might still sell them?

Rod

Agreed. Peter is stocking a subset of the woodpecker range but presumably he can order anything else from them as a special.

Bob

Plus he's a nice bloke to deal with! Helpful and very knowledgable.

 

[Wizard9999]

I was looking at Peter's site for the Incra Magna-lock. I'll get in contact to see whether he can source the Woodpecker and if he can what he thinks of the Woodpecker versus the Incra.

Terry.

 

[the bear]

Even with shipping and import duty I would think a standard Rockler plate would be much cheaper than either option

Mark

 

[Wizard9999]

Even with shipping and import duty I would think a standard Rockler plate would be much cheaper than either option

Mark

Mark

A very good idea and at $40 for a 1/4" thick aluminium plate the Rockler destroys anything available in the UK for value. Unfortunately it is only 8 1/4" x 11 3/4", so is smaller than the others and the existing recess in my top. But yet again it shows that life is a heck of a lot cheaper in the US.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Terry.

 

[the bear]

My apologies, I assumed all the American plates were the same size

Mark

 

[9fingers]

Terry, Had you thought of swapping the table top for the UJK one (currently on offer at axi for £45 ish) and then you can fit your choice of UJK plates?

Just a thought.

Bob

 

[Rob]

That sounds like an altogether better way of doing it to me. Those UKJ tables look pretty sturdy to me and that price is good value. It then stops you going down an insert plate cul-de-sac

 

[Wizard9999]

Bob, Rob,

But the equivalent (i.e. 10mm aluminium) UKJ plate is £100 anyway, so I would just be spending an extra £45. But I guess to balance that it does have track in it, which I was thinking about adding to the existing one. But then again, I was looking at the nice Woodpecker twin slot track Peter S sells.

In terms of cul-de-sacs I had assumed that once I have a plate that is it for some time, surely it will not have an impact on my use of the router table itself? Or am I misguided / I'll informed (again)?

Terry.

 

[9fingers]

Since getting my woodpecker lift (carried through customs by a friend) I have only bought one accessory for it, a range of different inserts which I got whilst on holiday in the US. So not really a cul de sac.

If you are going for a basic plate, then yes extra £45 is a significant delta but if you were going for a lift then it would be almost insiginificant.

Bear in mind that if you do a personal import, the the import duty (4%??) is imposed on the goods plus carriage but worst of all is the 20% vat on the same total plus Parcel Farce's service charge which I think was around £10 last time I got stuffed by it.
So a £100 plate from the US could easily cost you £150 and more by the time you get it in your hand.

I still have lumps of kitchen worktop ~40mm thick with laminate on the top which you can have and make your own new top.

Bob

 

[Wizard9999]

Since getting my woodpecker lift (carried through customs by a friend) I have only bought one accessory for it, a range of different inserts which I got whilst on holiday in the US. So not really a cul de sac.

If you are going for a basic plate, then yes extra £45 is a significant delta but if you were going for a lift then it would be almost insiginificant.

Bear in mind that if you do a personal import, the the import duty (4%??) is imposed on the goods plus carriage but worst of all is the 20% vat on the same total plus Parcel Farce's service charge which I think was around £10 last time I got stuffed by it.
So a £100 plate from the US could easily cost you £150 and more by the time you get it in your hand.

I still have lumps of kitchen worktop ~40mm thick with laminate on the top which you can have and make your own new top.

Bob

Bob

The Incra is £100 in the UK (from Peter S), it is $100 in the US, so my options / comparisons are UK to UK. I have friends who are cabin crew and in the US regularly, but I think they have a much lower limit on what they can bring in and I don't want to ask theme to break any rules.

I will be buying a plate rather than a lift as I have the Triton router which can be adjusted from above the table.

Terry.

 

[9fingers]

Prompted by this topic, I've bumped my topic in the For sale section offering free router table top material.
Open to all.

Bob

 

[Peter Sefton]

Thanks for the mentions guys, the majority of the plates we sell are Incra which are very solid and well made. We stock 8 plates with pre drilled holes for the most common routers and one undrilled for customers with the more unusual routers.

We often supply them with the Router Raizer and or Extreme Extension, if fitting these the RR can interrupt the position of the lead screw on the plate that fits the DW 625 so people may wish to buy their own plate and drill it themselves. (not for the faint hearted)

We have bought in one Woodpecker plate for a customer and that did look very good. We are stocking more Woodpecker products and may carry the plates in stock in the future.

We are about to start an extension to our stock rooms so this will give us room for new products which is good news as we have been appointed stockists for Jessem. They are making up our first order at present, so I am very exited about that! I do off course have to have a full Jessem router table setup in the school just to practise on.

I am also working on supplying an American style round bodied router that works on UK power supply to fit all the US router lifts. I have a sample being made so we can trial it in our workshops.

Sorry I haven't been on The Haven much you may appreciate it's been busy :!:

We have also had our first delivery of one of Tom's old product lines Igaging. Tom bought them to a couple of my Open Days a few years ago and they caught my eye.

Cheers Peter