A clearly superior subbase for routers
My shop-made router table has one big advantage over other tables—I don't have to remove the router's subbase when changing between freehand work and table work. That's because the 1⁄4 " clear acrylic subbase I made for handheld use also sits securely in a 3⁄8 " rabbet 1⁄4 " deep in the router table opening.
Make the subbase plate 1" larger in diameter than the router base and add a tab at least 1⁄2 " wider on all sides than the side handles, as shown. (This tab makes it possible to insert the router from above and keeps the router itself from spinning.)
When mounting the subbase plate, be sure to align the tab directly underneath one of the handles. To install the router in the table, drop the uncovered handle through the handle opening, and then spin the router 180° to align the subbase plate. Secure the router in place with short lengths of rubber hose jammed between the handles and the underside of the table.
—Robert Martin, Picture Butte, Alberta