Blank Universal Palm/Trim Router Base Plate - Two Handle • Crafted Elements

Get the most from your trim router (compact router) with this precision laser cut 3/8" thick acrylic two-handle router base plate.

The router base features a 1 3/8" diameter stepped-hole that is 100% compatible with "porter cable style" (P-C) router bushings to give you the greatest capability.

Most compact trim routers come with small OEM base plates that tilt or tip while in use due to their small footprint. If you are attempting to do precise work like following a stencil or pocketing, a trim router requires you to grip the entire body of it with your hand, which is both challenging and unergonomic. That's why we developed the dual handle, 9.25x6" compact palm router base. The ~4" tall phenolic handles provide a ridged, ergonomic and comfortable grip for two handed control. In addition, the thick, clear base plate provides unparalleled visibility so you can see your workpiece, stencil or template while you are moving your router around.

In addition to sign making and free-hand wood carving use, this router base plate is also perfect for pocketing large sections of tray, bowl and dish templates. The wide profile of the base ensures your trim router stays level even with pocketing large tray openings because the base is (usually) always going to be riding on top of the surface of the tray or dish template, unlike the small OEM router base included with your compact router.

Unlock even more potential from your router by turning it into a compact router table! Our 9.25x6x0.375" dual-handle router base can drop right into the Crafted Elements Swappable Palm/Trim Router Table Plate (sold separately). Use this router table plate on your workbench or build a base for it to have an instant "hands free" router table.

Fits Any Compact Palm / Trim Router - A Universal "Drill It Yourself" Solution

Unlike the majority of the aftermarket router bases we manufacture, this specialty base is designed to be a "drill it yourself" or "mount it yourself" solution. The blank universal base features two precut recessed channels that will allow you to mount it to any router that has the mounting holes inline (not offset) with the center of the router shaft. You then mark and drill the remaining two mounting holes in the base by hand, then countersink them with a countersink bit before mounting it to your router.

As most routers have four mounting holes it is recommended that all four holes be used to mount the base to your router. Two through the pre-cut channels already in the blank universal base and the other two that you mark and drill yourself. It is important to note that if your router has mounting holes that are not inline with the routers shaft (where the bit goes) and are instead offset, you wont be able to utilize the pre cut channels and will have to drill and countersink all mounting holes. This offset is more common with compact trim/palm routers rather than full sized routers. See the photo on this page for a visual representation of what this looks like.

How To Mount The Blank Universal Base To Your Router

Remove the OEM base and line it up center with the blank universal base. The base features an etched "crosshair" to visually represent the exact center of the hole in the base.
Rotate the OEM base until two opposing holes fall inline of the pre-cut channels in the blank universal base. Please ensure your routers mounting holes are inline with the center of the router shaft/collet if you plan to use the pre-cut channels for two of the mounting points.
Assuming your OEM base is still centered with the blank universal base, mark the other two holes through your OEM base onto the blank universal base. Note that applying some painters tape or masking tape to the blank universal base might help, as acrylic is hard to mark with anything but a permanent marker.
If you are having issues centering your OEM base on the blank universal base, you could use the alternate method of installing a router bushing with a 1/4" hole into the blank universal base, then installing a 1/4" straight bit into your router and through the bushing to act as a centering pin. Then lining up your router (with the OEM base removed) and marking the holes to be drilled.
Put your OEM base (or router) to the side and place the blank universal base on a piece of scrap wood or workbench that you can drill through.
Using a small diameter drill bit (1/8" diameter or less) drill through the marked holes in the acrylic base. Then progressively move up to a higher diameter bit that is large enough for your router mounting screws. The idea is to start with a small diameter bit as a pilot hole, then move up from there, to avoid cracking the acrylic while drilling.
Using a 1/4" to 3/8" in diameter countersink bit carefully countersink the holes to enable your router mounting screws to sit below the surface of the blank universal base. It's always best to start with shallow holes, test the mounting screws to see how they sit in the hole, than to countersink too deep in the first go.
Attach the blank universal base with all mounting screw points drilled out and countersunk to your router. If your OEM router screws are not long enough, a trip to the local hardware store may be in order to purchase longer screws. Just bring your OEM screws along to ensure you match the thread diameter.

We have a large collection of trim router base plates that are pre-drilled to match the mounting hole patterns of the most common palm/trim routers. We recommend using one of those plates if we have one that is compatible with your router. This blank/universal plate is for older or more obscure/off-brand routers that we don't offer a pre-drilled plate for. Check out our extensive line of compact palm router bases.