D50 with attachment on Kapex

[ericbuggeln]

I already have a D50 hose for my table saw and router table and was wondering when i buy a Kapex will i be able to use it with some form of adapter or will the 36 work better? thanks Eric

 

[ccarrolladams]

Please try to remember that a Kapex is not a fixed table saw.

The thing is for a Kapex to do its thing it needs a very flexible connection to dust extraction. Obviously during design research Festool found that a 36mm AS hose connecting a Kapex to their CT extractors provided all the suction needed. If they felt the need for a 50mm hose, they would have built the Kapex with the appropriate connector.

My own experience is that the Kapex works best with a CT when the 36mm AS hose is as short as possible. This is why I buy the 36mm x 7m AS hose with additional connectors, so from that I can cut off a 2.2m piece and still have enough 36mm hose to be useful with a cleaning set.

I also have found that the hose drags less on the Kapex when it is supported from above, as with a boom arm, or with a shock cord from above and behind the Kapex. This way while making the cut there is no drag on the Kapex.

 

[Brice Burrell]

I wouldn't buy a D50 specifically for the Kapex.  If you don't already have D36 that would be the way to go.  That said this adapter will work, however, it is non-antistatic.  An (much) more affordable alternative to the D50 is use this adapter and a regular shopvac hose.   

 

[ericbuggeln]

Brice, thanks for the intel. I have two 27s and two 50s but no 36s. I will probably do that, but if anyone has any thoughts on that set up or something similar i would love to hear it. Also if anyone thinks i must get a 36 im open to that too, thanks Eric

 

[richard.selwyn]

I put a D50 hose on the Kapex - cut as short as possible - and I have convinced myself that it is an improvement over the D36.

 

[Umbro]

I connect the D50 that comes with the boom arm to the Kapex using the Festool 452897 50-36mm adapter.
Without any doubt it improves the extraction.
It's not a 100% cure all as the way the shroud is IMO on the kapex you'll never get 100% no matter how much suction you've got.
What does improve dc is the way you cut.
If you drop the blade straight down onto the stock it will throw dust below the shroud at the beginning. It improves as you cut deeper because the dust comes off at an angle that it's aiming at the shroud.
However if you pull the saw out, drop the blade into the groove then come back into the stock, the angle that the dust comes off of the blade shoot it towards the shroud from the get go. It's almost like a rolling action and becomes second nature after a while plus the blade doesn't snatch like it can when dropping straight down.
I've had a few labourers nearly going home with less fingers than they came to site with because they chunk the blade down  [scared]
Give it go you'll see what I mean.

 

[ccarrolladams]

I already have a D50 hose for my table saw and router table and was wondering when i buy a Kapex will i be able to use it with some form of adapter or will the 36 work better? thanks Eric

As I did previously in this thread, I recommend the 36mm AS hose for its flexibility. Festool designed the Kapex to only need the extraction capacity of 36mm AS hose and a CT extractor.

The 50mm hose causes drag on the Kapex.

Both of my Kapex bolted to installed benches have conventional miter saw dust collection shrouds installed behind them connected to the over-head plant DC ducts with 100mm hose and metal duct. Those two Kapex have their normal extraction ports connected to 36mm AS hose, which on the other end is directly attached to a device we are perfecting which we call an "accelerator" which mimics the velocity and volume of a Festool CT on the tool side and discharges into a standard low velocity high volume plant DC system.

Needless to say developing and building those prototypes cost way more than a few CT36. My goal developing the accelerators is to eliminate the need to change disposable bags in CTs. Per local regulations my plant dust collection towers are external to my building and filter discharged air to industrial standards, which is not as refined as using HEPA filters.

I still use CT22 for the Festool sanders, Dominoes and TS55s in my plant because compared to Kapex going 8 hours a day those other tools generate little dust. Also the sanders need to be close to their respective CT so you can adjust the suction control. Honestly so long as you meet the minimum velocity and volume of extraction with a Domino or TSxx, you cannot extract too much. So when our cost of the accelerators comes down I intend to install those over the TS55 cutting table and the part of the door frame department where we mostly use the Dominoes.