Parts of a Router – Labeled Woodworking Router Diagram

All 18 parts on the diagram

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Fixed-base router 9

Motor The electric motor. It spins the bit.
Base The housing that holds the motor upright over the work.
Sub-base The flat plate under the base. It slides on the work.
Handle A knob on each side, for guiding the router with two hands.
Switch It turns the motor on and off.
Speed control dial The dial that sets how fast the motor turns.
Base clamp The lever that grips the motor in the base.
Power cord It carries electricity to the motor.
Bit The cutter. Its cutting end reaches below the sub-base.

Plunge router 4

Posts Two upright rods on the base. The motor slides down them.
Plunge lock lever It locks the motor at the depth it was lowered to.
Depth rod The rod that stops the plunge when it meets the turret.
Turret A stepped stop on the base, turned to choose a depth.

Collet and guides 5

Collet The split sleeve that grips the shank of the bit.
Collet nut The nut that squeezes the collet shut on the bit.
Shank The plain round end of a bit. It goes into the collet.
Template guide A flanged tube in the sub-base that follows a pattern.
Edge guide A fence on two rods that follows the edge of the work.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30 and kept only where at least two of these use it. (1) Wikipedia, Router (woodworking), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Router_(woodworking) , with Collet: motor, base, base plate, collet, bit and its shank, handle or knob on each side, switch, speed controls, plunge and fixed bases, template guide bushing, fence. (2) P. Spielman, The New Router Handbook (1993), search passages at https://archive.org/details/newrouterhandboo0000spie : motor unit and base, sub-base, collet and collet nut, switches and handles, speed-control dial, depth adjustment and base clamps, plunge posts and springs, plunge lock and release lever, turret, template guide, edge guide. (3) A router maker's manual, full text at https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-6930770 : motor housing, base, sub-base, collet chuck and collet nut, base clamp lever, speed control dial, switch, plunge lock lever, depth rod and depth stop turret. (4) A second maker's router manual, search passages at https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-7315293 : depth rod, turret stops, collet and nut, sub-base. (5) ShopNotes no. 88, a woodworking magazine, search passages at https://archive.org/details/shopnotes88vol15shopbuiltpanelsaw : on a plunge router a pair of posts attached to the base. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's tool, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

This router is the woodworking tool, not the network box: a motor in a base that spins a cutting bit. This router parts diagram shows a fixed-base router, a plunge router and the collet.

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Motor, base and sub-base

The motor is the upright cylinder. It sits in the base and is held there by the base clamp. Under the base is the sub-base, the flat plate that slides on the work. The bit reaches down through an opening in it. A handle on each side guides the tool.

What a plunge router adds

On a plunge router the motor rides on two posts with springs. The plunge lock lever holds it at the depth it was lowered to. The depth rod comes down onto the turret, a stepped stop on the base.

The collet is also called the collet chuck, and the sub-base the base plate. The quiz takes either.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a router called?

A router has a motor, a base and a sub-base, with a handle on each side. The bit is held in the collet by the collet nut. A plunge router adds two posts, a plunge lock lever, a depth rod and a turret.

How does a plunge router differ from a fixed-base router?

In a fixed-base router the motor is clamped in the base at one height. In a plunge router the motor rides on two posts with springs, so the bit can be lowered into the work and held there by the plunge lock lever.

What is the collet on a router?

A split steel sleeve on the end of the motor shaft. The shank of the bit goes into it, and the collet nut squeezes the sleeve shut on the shank.

What is the sub-base of a router?

The flat plate fastened under the base. It is the part that slides on the work, and it has an opening for the bit. A template guide fits into that opening.