How thick is the Hard Fiber Base LA-OF1400?

[Daviddubya]

There is a discussion going on at another thread that mentions using the Hard Fiber Base, LA-OF1400, part number 492574, as an auxillary base to level the OF1400 router when using it on a guide rail, with the router riding fully on the work surface.  At least two of us users have purchased LA-OF1400 this year, and that base measures 3mm, or .12".  McFeely's site states the base is 5mm thick, here:
http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/492574/Hard-Fiber-Base

Has the thickness been changed recently?

 

[David Makseyn]

Hi Dave,

My local rep told me that the base is 5mm thick exactly, to offset the thickness of the guide rail.
He also said that the quick connect fitting on it is removable, just held on with screws, so you can screw it to the router base and use a copy ring (AKA Guide Bushing) through the hole if you have a need to do that!
I wanted to see one but there were none to be had in stock at the time of my visit so I have to wait to verify his info.
Hope this helps!
Dave

 

[Corwin]

I purchased one of these bases earlier this spring -- mine measures 3.09 mm.        CD

 

[Jesse Cloud]

Does the 3 mm thickness offset the guiderail?  Can you use the copy ring with it?
Thanks!

 

[Daviddubya]

Does the 3 mm thickness offset the guiderail? ...

No - the thickness needed to offset the guide rail is 5 mm.  That's why I'm asking Festool what the base measures if you buy it today.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

The base measures at a thickness of 3mm.  I checked all of the units in the warehouse and they were all identical.  No one here is aware of a recent change to this product.

Shane

 

[Daviddubya]

The base measures at a thickness of 3mm.  I checked all of the units in the warehouse and they were all identical.  No one here is aware of a recent change to this product.

Shane

Shane - Thanks for the reply.  That's interesting.  Now I must wonder out loud why the McFeely's site is saying the thickness is 5mm, and why David Makseyn's rep told him the base measures 5mm.  Makes one wonder if there are two different bases with the same Festool part number floating around?  Or maybe those folks are mistaken?  Hmmm.

BTW - If the base were 5mm then it could be used as an auxillary base when the router is on the guide rail, eliminating the need to use the outrigger foot (or footie as I like to call it).

 

[Zaphod]

Ran into the same frustration recently; can't think of a good reason not to make the base equal thickness with the guide rail.  A needlessly vexing oversight in the overall "System" paradigm. 

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

With the hard fiber base installed on the 1400, it does sit perfectly level when used with the guide rail adapter, no leveling foot required.  The combined thickness of the router base and the hard fiber base does the trick allowing the guide rail adapter to perfectly engage the guide rail.  The combined thickness is 6mm leaving an approximate 1mm gap between the bottom of the guide rail adapter and the guide rail presumably to allow the guide rail adapter to slide with more ease.  I confirmed this to be the case with a 1400 here this morning.

If you want, I would be happy to post a photo later to better illustrate.  Just let me know.

Thanks,
Shane

 

[Brian 57]

Still not clear- a picture would help - thank you.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

See attached image.

 

[greg mann]

Actually, Shane, I think your picture confirms what David is saying. If you look at the gap between the attached accessory base and the actual router base you can see that it is uneven, with a small but noticeable gap close to the rail and no gap at the far end (actually out of the picture but you can see that it will close up by the time you get there). I still feel that this is not how the Festool engineers envison this accessory being used. If it was, then I believe they would have made the base about 2mm thicker as Dave has pointed out. I believe their intended use was as an aid in edge profiling where the larger hole in the standard base would be too unstable. That is how I use it and it seem just the ticket. If it were 2mm thicker it could have served both functions perfectly but I don't believe we should be too frustrated over the fact that it is not. It would not be that difficult to build the base thickness with some UHMW tape. I think I have some at about 1/16 inch (1.5mm) that I picked up at Woodcraft a while back. Just for kicks, I might try it just to see if it gets the base close enough.

 

[Daviddubya]

With the hard fiber base installed on the 1400, it does sit perfectly level when used with the guide rail adapter, no leveling foot required....

Au contraire Shane.  Please see this post by Jim McFarland, who went to lots of trouble to prove that one needs an auxillary base that measures 5mm to make the OF1400 sit level:
http://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php?topic=1883.msg18579#msg18579

ps - I tried my OF1400 with my 5mm auxillary base and with the 3mm Festool base.  It is hard to see the difference, but Jim's measurements prove the point - to me at least.  I do not understand how you achieve "an approximate 1mm gap between the bottom of the guide rail adapter and the guide rail".  I cannot slide a piece of paper between the Guide Stop and the rail with either of the auxillary bases in place, and the Guide Stop firmly seated on the guide rail.

 

[rblaustein]

I agree with Dave's assessment.  There should be a some sort of 5 mm base provided--the leveling foot is just too flimsy in my opinion.  After posting some problems I had cutting dadoes to consistent depth I followed the advice of some respondents and ended up fabricating an auxilliary base similar to Dave's but with a twist.  My base attaches over the existing base but doesn't cover the entire bottom of the router--that way one can use it on or off the rail.  Here is the post where I show the base:http://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php?topic=1994.msg20061#msg20061
Some sort of aux base like Dave's or mine really should be included with the guide rail adapter.

 

[Hotwheels]

Hello Dave,
I measured one I bought a few months ago and it is about 3mm. When I plop it on top of my existing router base and measure, then the total is around 5+mm.
JR

 

[minimal]

I'm sorry to have to add a post which contradicts some of what has been said here.

I have a 1010, which out-of-the-box has a 2mm phenolic plate on the bottom. I got the
extra "hard fibre base plate", which measures 3mm. (item # 489229)

With both attached, my 1010 is now dead even with the rail guides. That is, I can slide it onto the
rail guide attachment with the router sitting flat on the table and the guide rail attachment in place.

A piece of paper cannot slip between the baseplate and the supporting wood form any angle.

[It does NOT look like Shane's picture below, which to me looks like 2 of the 2mm baseplates, and
clearly has gapped].

 

[greg mann]

You very well could be right, minimal. The 1010 may have a different height to the holes for the rods than the 1400. This thread concerns the 1400, so your contribution is not in contradiction to what has been said. It might even confirm that there is a disconnect between intent and execution on the 1400. In other words, the 3mm auxiliary works on the 1010 but the same isn't true for the 1400.

 

[minimal]

Ahhh, yes, of course, I got caught up due to a search, just assuming the
topinc was fiber base plates, not the particular router...my mistake.

And, I have an adendum: while I slid the 1010 onto the rails without having
to pick it up or tilt it, I neglected to lock down the screws. When I did that,
it *did* pick to 1010 up a touch. I see in the other thread that the offset is something
like a degree or two: I think it may be similar on the 1010, though it still
passes the paper slip test and it's nothing like the image of the 1400 above.
And when there's even the slightest pressure on the router it'll keep it totally
flat anyway.

All FYI...

 

[JSands]

Shane, I know this is an old thread, but I saw no response from you above.....

And I am confronted with this issue now....  the only closure on this subject seemed to be, you must build your own base...?

Do you agree on the need for a 5mm homebrew base when router is off the rail as your picture shows? 

 

[JSands]

SHANE, you out there?

Watched a youtube video,  40 seconds into it, he shows a Festool 5mm thick fiber base...

Is this a new product?  Previous posters mentioned it was only 3mm...