New Product - "Jessem Mast-R-Plate"

It looks like "just another router plate," but it isn't.  Anyone with a router table will say that the scariest moment is when they had to drill the mounting holes for their router. I know. I have done it many times, and sometimes with error(s).
	This view is of the underside of the "Mast-R-Plate." We know by now that Jessem engineers their products to a "T". This base plate is pre-drilled for some 40 or 50 routers. In addition, is has 3 times more levelers than you would find on most plates. Lastly, it is made of heavy duty aluminum and isn't going to  sag — no matter what. Jessem calls this predrilled sub-base the Mast-R-Ring.
Following the instructions, Beth loosens two of the mounting screws. I didn't want to chance stripping the head, so I gave Beth a brace with a Phillips screw driver installed. Note that she has placed some paper underneath the plate. She doesn't want to scratch either the plate or the router table top.
	With those screws loosened, she can now see that the sub-base can be turned a full 360 degrees.
She has removed two screws and corner clamps completely and can now turn the sub-plate over and see the holes — each one is countersunk. But how does one find which ones will match their router?
	Jessem has thought out that answer completely. In the Instruction Manual there is a page that shows which holes to use with every router imaginable. It took no time for Beth to find the diagram for the Hitachi M12V we are installing.
Before she can mount it on the plate, she has to remove the router's base plate.
	With the printed diagram telling her the holes to use, it is real easy for her to mount the Mast-R-Ring on to the new Hitachi M12V. A real benefit is that the router is exactly centered — once the screws are tightened in those pre-drill holes.
Beth has placed the router on the sub-base. The arrow points to some scalloping that is machined onto the plate. This allows her to rotate the router mount to any direction. The scalloping is part of a clever locking system. She does want the router's plunge lock accessible to the front, so she moves it for that direction.
	When she has the router where she wants it, she adds the other two clamps. The fit very exactly.
Beth flips the router and plate over so that she can double check her alignment and tighten all the screws.
	Beth starts the next operation by getting the little Allen head screws from the parts bag. These will be part of the leveling system.  Instead of four levelers, this Jessem plate has 12. That is very good considering the weight of this and other large routers.
She screws in one screw at a time. I have placed arrows on the nearest corner clamp to show you the three holes at each corner. She inserts each one until it is flush with the bottom.
	Beth insert the Allen wrench from underneath. Each hole has a mating hole in the Jessem table top. Per the instructions, she levels the plate using only the corner screws.
With the corner screws used to level the whole plate, she pulls the router out of the table once more and places a straight edge from corner to corner. She now can adjust the in-between screws so that they are level with the corners — a very smart system, indeed.
	Beth uses the special wrench to put in place one of the insert plates. This one comes with the Mast-R-Plate. A kit of four are available and highly recommended. Beth and I do use these all the time. What we like is the Tab-Loc phenolic insert rings system that holds the ring in place. The wrench allows them to be changed in an instant.         The Hitachi M12V is perfectly mounted. No holes were drilled, and it is absolutely centered. The Mast-R-Plate worked like a charm.  I am not a fan of changing routers and plates, but this system makes that process much improved. The leveling system is perfect. I can remove the entire plate and router and return it anytime and the router is level.    I am tempted to get two more plates and mount two PC 690's. One would be for cutting rails and the other for profiling. The Hitachi could be setup for the raised panel cutting. It's a plan.    I started this session wondering if the added expense to this Mast-R-Plate made sense. I think it does. It is a very good plate system that accepts any router without having to drill holes. And the leveling system is fabulous. The plate is leveled, so that I can switch plates/routers back and forth and not have to level every time.