On Thu, 12 Sep 2013 10:44:52 -0500, -MIKE-
What kind of material do you prefer? 1/4 inch MDF, polycarbonate, some type of sheet metal?
phenolic resin

Can you say why? I always disliked the thickness of phenolic resin.
Yes, that thickness assists in keeping something like a router in
place, but the weight of most routers was sufficient in keeping any
metal plates in place for me.