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My DeWalt DCW600B 20V MAX XR Brushless Cordless Compact Router came with a D-base base plate with an approximately 1.5 inch opening. This is slightly too small for my 1/2 inch roundover bit (see picture). What should I do?

  1. grind out the opening larger? I am concerned this will cause plastic to stick out so the base is no longer smooth, thus making it hard to slide the router across the wood (and possibly scratching the wood)
  2. buy another base with a larger opening? So far, the only bases with larger openings that I have found have 3 screw holes instead of 4, and my router does not have 3 holes that are spaced like this. Example

router bit is too wide

1.5 inch base opening

router bit

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    If you don't want to make a subbase right this second do feel free to modify this one. It's a cheap plastic item (as in cheap plastic, no idea what it actually costs!) so you shouldn't feel at all precious about it. "I am concerned this will cause plastic to stick out so the base is no longer smooth" The grinding would almost certainly create the burr you're worried about but you'd just scrape, sand or file this off.
    – Graphus
    Sep 11, 2022 at 17:52

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This is a good opportunity to make yourself an additional base with a bigger opening. Drill and countersink the holes to match the router casting.

It’s pretty obvious from the pics, but the extra length lets you do hinge mortises without the router tipping in as you get to the sides.

The plexi/lexan is 1/2”, so doesn’t flex. The downside is that the added depth reduces reach, but in years of use that’s happened maybe a couple of times.

my go-to trim router

Edit to say that you can absolutely open up the existing hole on the existing base, per the excellent advice of @graphus. The downside is that if you ever want to use a router guide bushing, you'll have to purchase a new base.

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  • Yes this. Better suggestion than I had quickly composed in my head! One thing though, it's not really necessary to use 1/2" based (haha, see what I did there?) on many of the subbases I've seen.
    – Graphus
    Sep 11, 2022 at 17:49
  • Agree that 3/8 lexan might be acceptable, but don’t blame me if it flexes!
    – Aloysius Defenestrate
    Sep 11, 2022 at 18:02
  • Well FWIW I've seen these made in what appears to be 1/4" (just judging from the scale of things in the photo). Given the typical use case, i.e. a fairly minimal overhang, this seems fine, plus these were fitted to trim routers or compact models naturally, not full-size plunge routers.
    – Graphus
    Sep 12, 2022 at 3:24

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