Scott Grove is not only known for his amazing veneer work and spectacular architectural restorations, but he’s also recognized as quite a MacGyver-type in and out of the shop, solving problems with creative solutions. Now he’s taken one of those solutions to market in his Ultimate Router Base.

Whenever someone says “ultimate,” my skepticism alert goes up, but this elegant router base is so versatile and accommodates so many features and attachments, that this patent pending design just might live up to its name.

 

In the box
When you open the box, the base is impressive with the heft of its black anodized heavy aluminum and highly legible engraved markings. Graduations in metric and imperial standards and a veritable Swiss cheese of mounting holes get your attention. The box also holds a handle, Allen wrenches, guide pins, and knobs.

Letters on the base correspond to an extensive chart of compatible routers, which includes virtually every popular brand. The idea is to locate your router on the chart and use the mounting holes with corresponding letters, but I found it faster and easier to just put the router on the base and rotate it until the matching holes lined up.

What will it do?
At its most basic, the base adds a stable and hefty outrigger-style base to your router for much surer manipulation. It has a removable center disk with a 1-3/8-inch template guide mounting socket. The center plate is also threaded for self-centering mortise guide pins (one of my favorite features).

A long slot with metric and imperial markings works with circle or radius cutting or adjustable fences. The same hole for mounting the tall handle can also be used as a pivot point for a 12-1/4-inch radius. Side slots with knobs and bolts work for quickly adding adjustable fences or other attachments.

Two separate edges of the base have a 1/16-inch difference to the spindle center for a fast two-step operation to make a rough cut and a fine cut without resetting a fence. Universal mounting holes add more options for mounting and attachments. Mount it to a table or bench instantly. A template guide accessory pack is sold separately.

This is the kind of tool that the more you use it, the more you’ll find you can do with it. Learn more at imaginewoodworking.com.