Sommerfeld's insert plate drilling?

[Hoyt Weathers]

I asked Marc Sommerfeld if drilling and tapping the insert plate for their 999.501.19 Industrio phenolic top to accept my Bosch 1617 router base could be done by them as Woodhaven offers. Their answer, by Marilyn, was: "Marc is only one, and doesn't have a lot of woodworking people working for him. If he started this, it would be endless for him."

Now I am in a real quandary. I want Sommerfeld's phenolic top, and not the Woodhaven top, but I am anxious of doing the drilling and tapping myself. That assumption is based upon my recent failure in that aspect. I assume Woodhaven's phenolic insert plate would not fit properly, if at all, into the opening in the Sommerfeld top.

I could just take the insert and router to my local machine shop and have them do the drilling and tapping of the insert plate.

Now for my questions: Do any of you have the Sommerfeld Industrio system and how do you like it? If so, how did you get it to accept your router?

Hoyt W.

[Anonymous]

O have the older top with no insert plate and I love it .. .. heavy, flat, and no warpage .. .. ..

I use a Bosch 1615 and had no trouble mounting it .. .. .. simply pick up 4 set screws that are the same as the existing baseplate mounting screws (7mm I believe, maybe 8) .. .. chuck them up one at a time in a drill, and sharpen them to a point by grinding the tips with the drill running. Thread them into the tapped holes in the body of the Bosch until the tip barely protrudes from it. Set the routher in position, slowly advance each setscrew a few turns, and tap each one with a punch/hammer, making a precise prick mark. Use this mark as a guide and drill the hole .. .. .. no problem. I don't know why you would want the holes tapped though .. .. on mine, the holes in the phenolic are clearanced and the screws go throught the top and into the Bosch base from the top - downward.

[Hoyt Weathers]

TKX "Bob"

Two points:

1. My Bosch 1617 has 4 mm screws into the base plate. That does not matter.

1. What *does* matter, and very much so, is your suggestion of sharpening the screw tips. That would allow me to insert them from the upper side of the router base, position the base properly, and then tap each one with a hammer to make a depression mark. All of that without moving the base one iota. That should certainly work. Then just drill clearance holes in the insert plate from the bottom using the drill press. Then countersink the holes for suitable 4 mm screws on top of the insert, insert the said screws through those holes and into the bottom of the router base- snug it up well. Voila! That should do it. I just did not have that "flash of the obvious." "Too soon old and too late smart"

I greatly appreciate your reply.

Hoyt W.

[Mark L.]

Actually, if you aren't careful, the points on the set screws may not wind up being concentric with the threads. This would result in locating the holes in the wrong place. If you use regular cup point set screws, there is no need to put points on. They have a concave point which is already concentric and will make a circular impression. All you need to do is to put your center punch inside of this small impression, I do this all the time in metal and it's easily accurate enough for router mounting. Mark L.

[Hoyt Weathers]

Where do I find cup point set screws? HD or Lowes, Ace Hardware or ? I've never heard of them before. Your advise sounds valid though and I wish to follow it. Thanks again.

Hoyt W.

[Mark L.]

[Hoyt Weathers]

TKX Mark. I will start with Ace Hardware, then go to HD and/or Lowes if I wash out at A.H. . I hope one of the 3 has them in the M4 size I need for my router base. I sharpened the tips of the M4 screws I have as suggested by "Bob." I think I will try the cup point set screws and the pointed ones I made - all on a test piece for a trial run. From that test, I should be able to discern which works best for me.

Hoyt W.

[Leon]

If you are talking about a plate that can be easily drilled, you do not necessarily need to use the same style screws that most of the plates are predrilled for.

I drill 1/2" holes deep enough that a "Bolt" head will be below the surface. I drill this with a forsner bit. Then I drill the holes for the bolts over sized so that alignment is not critical. The flat bottom bolts heads can wiggle within the 1/2" wide holes until you tighten them down with a socket. No real need to countersink the holes as this truly does require precise location of the holes.

[JLucas ILS]

Hoyt; I understand your panic but having done it 4 or 5 times, there is no need to be so anxious...but I do understand why. It was scary the first time. But, take it slow, use or maje a pattern, drill carefully and know that if you screw up, you have a 2nd and even thrid chance. I have screwed up and simply filled the beautiful phenolic surface with dark shellac stick...could have used a number of things. It was as smooth as the surface so no harm done.