Choosing a Kapex Stand and Extensions

[Doubled33]

I am getting ready to buy a Kapex and am having trouble on weather to buy the MFT Mini or the UG cart.  It will be used at my house 95% of the time. Perhaps it will be in my garage or on some days I may want to set it up outside the garage. Most of my cuts are 4/4 hardwoods around 8' and widths up to 10".  I currently have a CT 36 and a full size MFT table that will complement this purchase. Does one have more use with what I already have than the other?

I also plan on purchasing the wings unless something better is around these days. In a search I found mention of Best Fence but those post were a few years old. My main use for the wings that would be a selling point is somewhat easy setup and a good useful stop for repetitive cuts.

Lastly do the extension wings have any other integration or uses in the festool system? In other words the tracks can be used with the routers, TS, jig saws etc...do the extension wings have the same functionality?

 

[nclemmons]

Welcome to the FOG -

The Kapex extensions will work with an MFT table or a Festool CMS router  table.  Great for working with  longer pieces or handling off-cuts.

I have the smaller MFT table for my Kapex and made extensions out of plywood attached to the Kapex crown extensions.  I purchased before the UG cart and extensions were available.

The smaller MFT is lower to the ground than an MFT such that the top of the Kapex table is the same height as the MFT/3 top. 

I have on occasion taken the MFT/Kapex table out of my shop for projects around the house, or outside.  It's really study and useful in those occasions.  I also made a lower shelf under the table for holding other items off the floor.  So there is a bit more utility with the table over the UG Cart.

If you want to transport your saw, the UG cart and extensions are probably the better alternative.  Lighter weight and they fold up to be pretty compact.

 

[richk]

Just got a Kapex and outfitted it with the Best Fence system with the Kapex adapters from Fastcap.com

I liked the precision saw stop for quick and repetitive cuts and it was actually less expensive than the UG. I've used the UG in Festool classes and it is a bit rickety--ok if you're careful. The Best Fence is much more solid and easier to collapse to move around. The extensions store more securely and are a snap to set up because the height is dialed in at setup.

On the Fastcap site there are a bunch of videos showing the system.

I didn't order it until I had received my Kapex and was satisfied with the cutting accuracy, which is spectacular. The Best Fence comes on a pallet, so return would be a challenge unless you lived in WA.

RichK

 

[sofa_king_rad]

I have very little experienxe to offer but I did by both. First I got the Kapex. I do plan to use it mobilely (word?) but very rare, however I have a small work space and Need to be able easily put things away.

After getting the Kapex I realized I'd definitely need the cart to take this to job sites, however with been great using it at home and being able to easily take outside or wherever I have space do some work then quickly out it away. the cart is extremely easy and light weight.

 

[gsdvorak]

My setup is in the shop about 95% of the time as well- I have the MFT mini with the extension wings.  The big advantage for me using the table vs. the UG cart is that I have a place to set my tape measure, cutoffs, etc while working, instead of setting them on the wings or somewhere else where they are in the way.  I bought the Kapex with the table before the UG cart was available here, but if it were, I probably still would have purchased the table.  However, if my situation was different to where I was transporting the saw more than 25-30% of the time, I would opt for the cart instead. 

One accessory for the extensions I have been looking at is the bracket from Multiblades.com that allows for attaching a crown stop.  It is on my wish list but haven't purchased as yet.

Regards,
Gerald

 

[semenza]

I am getting ready to buy a Kapex and am having trouble on weather to buy the MFT Mini or the UG cart.  It will be used at my house 95% of the time. Perhaps it will be in my garage or on some days I may want to set it up outside the garage. Most of my cuts are 4/4 hardwoods around 8' and widths up to 10".  I currently have a CT 36 and a full size MFT table that will complement this purchase. Does one have more use with what I already have than the other?

I also plan on purchasing the wings unless something better is around these days. In a search I found mention of Best Fence but those post were a few years old. My main use for the wings that would be a selling point is somewhat easy setup and a good useful stop for repetitive cuts.

Lastly do the extension wings have any other integration or uses in the festool system? In other words the tracks can be used with the routers, TS, jig saws etc...do the extension wings have the same functionality?

Hi,

  Welcome to the forum!  [smile]

      Will you be leaving it set up while it is in the garage, or will you take it down between uses most of the time? If you are planning to take it down most of the time the UG cart will be handier to set up and take down move in / out.

      I have the table and prefer it for the way I work and the sites I work at. But I only set it up and take it down once for most sites. I would still prefer the table for shop use (or a home built or other stand) over the cart unless I had to set it up and take it down on a regular basis.

Seth

 

[ear3]

I would only recommend the UG stand to someone who is going to be doing a lot of site work.  The cart makes setup and transportation easy and quick, but you sacrifice stability and capacity in the process.  Now, theoretically the wobbliness of the cart should not affect cuts, since the motion of the cart is transferred to the saw, and I have never experienced a cut being compromised by this wobble.  Where the extensions come up short though is when you are cutting wide boards (8"+).  Boards this wide will sometimes rock on the table because so much of the material is unsupported by the narrow extensions -- you can control this to a certain degree with the Kapex clamps, but I would personally be wary of attempting a precision cut on a wide board using just the extensions (especially one that incorporates mitres or bevels).

Besides the Kapex MFT, another option you might consider if you want mobility around the shop is to make your own mobile station along the lines of what [member=11196]Peter Parfitt[/member] did:  There's another set of videos showing how he incorporated the Incra flip fence allowing precision stopped cuts.  The only downside to the mobile cart is that there are limits to the length at which you can do stopped cuts.

I built one of my own for shop use of my Kapex based on his designs:http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-jigs-tool-enhancements/kapex-cart

 

[Doubled33]

A lot of helpful insight. Thanks. I don't really have a 100% dedicated work space so a built in is not in the cards. I really like the mobile cart but do not really want to build one but it is damn nice so with that said it looks like I have some more suggestions to digest.

I do think the UG cart is out and a wider wing seems to fit the bill for me.

 

[travisbrown]

$748 CAD cheaper than the UG stand.

Knocks down to a four piece flat pack about 30 lbs. 788mm to meet the 112mm Kapex height to get to the target 900mm table height.

Can be used as stand for other tools or as small workbench too I guess. Just made it yesterday after picking up the wings on Craigslist.

[attachimg=1][attachimg=2]

 

[ChuckM]

Bolted down to the top?

Do you have a shorter hose?...it would greatly improve dust collection if used indoors.

 

[threesixright]

Not sure if you can get your hands on, what about BOSCH GTA 2600 ?

Retails in EU for ~ 100 USD.

 

[travisbrown]

Not bolted down in the picture because it was just a quick setup for a couple cuts, but the top has M6 threaded inserts to lug down the Kapex should I need.

Yes, have some 6' and 10' hoses too. This long hose is because I was swapping it between a TS55 and sander for this job too and means I didn't have to swap hoses or kick the shopvac around. Dust collection is fine enough for outside. And usually I'd have the shopvac as far away from me as possible because it's an annoying pitch. Just put it there to show it fit under.

This is just meant as a mobile setup. I have a permanent crosscut bench in my shop for the Kapex that hooks up to dust extraction.

Bolted down to the top?

Do you have a shorter hose?...it would greatly improve dust collection if used indoors.

 

[yetihunter]

The ug stand is a major back injury waiting to happen and the extension wings are wobbly, move about and are a relative pain to setup.  Look at Fastcap or newer options from other mfrs for extensions and something like the Bosch Rise Stand for
rolling about.  The MFT for the Kapex is fine, however.  The Kapex, itself, is awesome and still ahead of the pack as far as I’m concerned. 

 

[travisbrown]

The ug stand is a major back injury waiting to happen and the extension wings are wobbly, move about and are a relative pain to setup.  Look at Fastcap or newer options from other mfrs for extensions and something like the Bosch Rise Stand for
rolling about.  The MFT for the Kapex is fine, however.  The Kapex, itself, is awesome and still ahead of the pack as far as I’m concerned.

Huh, I don't find the wings wobbly at all if they are attached to the Kapex properly. I was surprised how stable they are. I was cutting 8' 4x6 timbers on them  today without concern.

The first time I tried to attach them I didn't slide the clamping flange forward enough  to grab the underside of the Kapex and didn't make sense. Then once I clamped them on properly, it was all good.

I actually like the single leg support for the wings rather than a spread setup. I don't have to worry about levelling or shimming multiple points or torquing the beds. Single knob adjusts the plane of each side. Smart.

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

When I bought my Kapex, I knew it would spend more time stationary in the workshop, than on site. So I was thinking of modifying my saw station for the Kapex.
That wouldn’t help for the times I would be mobile with it though.
So I opted for the UG base and extension wings.

For me, this proved a great decision. My old saw station has now been converted into bench space, and the Kapex is used on the UG base, with either one or two extension wings. This is to my surprise very sturdy, and quick to set up and put away.
Calibration is easy too.
I have used the extensions on jobs with very limited space, often knocking into the extensions, no problem at all. If you just take a minute or so to set up everything properly, it’s a great system that I’d recommend.

 

[Roachmill]

I am space challenged to the point where even the UG stand takes up too much room. But I did like the wings as they pack away and offer great precision, so there was a bit of a quandary there. I have both the normal and the longer Dewalt stands which get used for various bits of kit so I worked with it thanks to someone on here posting pics of them having used the same as a stand for the Kapex + wings. Only took removing a small section from each leg and you're left with something very portable that packs down and can be used for many other tasks and tools.

Can't say I've ever noticed them being wobbly, they're quick and easy to set up and you can leave sliding stops on them as well as the new crown stops which work to support wider stock into the... "bargain". Another thing I like about the wings is that you can put the Kapex onto a bench and fix one or both wings onto it which is great when space is tight.

 

[ear3]

The occasional wobbliness of the stand has never been a problem for me, as the motion is consistent for both cart and saw, meaning there is no change in the cut quality.

Where the UG stand does come up short in my opinion is on wider boards, since the relatively narrow extension wings don't provide much depth of support.  If the boards are perfectly straight and jointed, it's not as much of an issue on the wider timber.  But working on site -- which is the only place I use the UG stand setup, as I built a more robust cart/cabinet for shop use of my Kapex -- you don't always have that luxury.  In the end, however, the mobile functionality of the UG cart, with its easy transport and consistent setup, still makes it worth it for me.

 

[JLMS2010]

The ug stand is a major back injury waiting to happen and the extension wings are wobbly, move about and are a relative pain to setup.  Look at Fastcap or newer options from other mfrs for extensions and something like the Bosch Rise Stand for
rolling about.  The MFT for the Kapex is fine, however.  The Kapex, itself, is awesome and still ahead of the pack as far as I’m concerned.

I just bought the UG Cart & wings and mine aren't wobbly at all.  It actually works very well and is very simple to setup and take down quickly.

I agree with [member=71215]travisbrown[/member]

 

[kevinculle]

The UG stand is the easiest way to move a Kapex up and down steps or over long distances and the comment about back injury can only have come from someone who has never used it.  In my experience the UG stand and wings is one of three or four features that set the Kapex apart and unless your work is exclusively limited to your workshop I consider them integral to the value of a Kapex.

 

[tjbnwi]

The wing to Kapex connection is very solid.

I do leave the "fence" of the wing back from the Kapex fence abput 1/4", always done this no matter what stand I was using.

I shot a video a few years ago showing how solid the connection is.

Width is simple to solve. I believe Festool now has supports if you don't want to fabricate your own.


Tom