Fine lateral adjustment of CARVEX blade guide

[ach_78]

Hi all,

I have read a lot about how one can improve cut precision by adjusting the carbide guides, close grabing the blade yet allowing free blade movement. That's fine.

But nowhere I can find how to adjust the side to side guide adjustment. By unscrewing one mounting screw the guide can be shifted lateraly.
I thought this, in theory, is the main adjustment one should make to cut square. In theory only because IMO jigsaw is in essence very sensitive to operator handling and squareness is much less determined by the guide setting than lateral strain the operator may put on the saw while cutting.

On my Carvex I have tried shifting the guide to each sides but I found it made limited difference in terms of squareness. That's using FSG blades.

My saw sometimes cuts square, sometimes not, it really is VERY dependant on operator handling.
It is set to what seemed like the neutral position (meaning the blade is centered naturally between the guide jaws).

That setting is not easy to achieve because the blade can easily be shifted to one or the other side, just by touching it by hand, so the "neutral position", the one that is aligned with the saw mechanism, isn't obvious to tell.
Also there is some side play in the mechanism, so what I did is center the blade guide with what seems like the center of the side travel when trying to wiggle it sideways with the mechanism fully down. This is my setting now and it is the setting that I suppose puts the least stress on the saw mechanism (= the guide does not fight the natural path of the blade).

Now the only problem is that with this setting, it does not cut really square when used with the rail.
If I want it to cut square with the rail, I can only achieve that with a setting that seems like it's not really aligned with the natural mechanism position (=strain on the mechanism ?).

Any info on this ?

 

[promark747]

Now the only problem is that with this setting, it does not cut really square when used with the rail.
If I want it to cut square with the rail, I can only achieve that with a setting that seems like it's not really aligned with the natural mechanism position (=strain on the mechanism ?).

Any info on this ?

From what I have read, it is not recommended to use a jigsaw on a guide rail, because if the blade wanders even a little, it cannot easily correct back to the line and will bind.  Having the jigsaw ride alongside the rail might work better as you can make slight corrections.

 

[Holmz]

Now the only problem is that with this setting, it does not cut really square when used with the rail.
If I want it to cut square with the rail, I can only achieve that with a setting that seems like it's not really aligned with the natural mechanism position (=strain on the mechanism ?).

Any info on this ?

From what I have read, it is not recommended to use a jigsaw on a guide rail, because if the blade wanders even a little, it cannot easily correct back to the line and will bind.  Having the jigsaw ride alongside the rail might work better as you can make slight corrections.

So what is the point of a system that has a guide rail capable guide then?
It boggles my mind as to why they would sell parts and why people would buy them if there is advertisement that they should be avoided.

and...
Do the Bosch jig saws work better in the case where someone want to make a straight cut using a rail?

 

[bobfog]

Now the only problem is that with this setting, it does not cut really square when used with the rail.
If I want it to cut square with the rail, I can only achieve that with a setting that seems like it's not really aligned with the natural mechanism position (=strain on the mechanism ?).

Any info on this ?

From what I have read, it is not recommended to use a jigsaw on a guide rail, because if the blade wanders even a little, it cannot easily correct back to the line and will bind.  Having the jigsaw ride alongside the rail might work better as you can make slight corrections.

So what is the point of a system that has a guide rail capable guide then?
It boggles my mind as to why they would sell parts and why people would buy them if there is advertisement that they should be avoided.

and...
Do the Bosch jig saws work better in the case where someone want to make a straight cut using a rail?

I have the GST 160 BCE and use it on my Bosch rails with the KS3000 adapter. Works great.

But then when I tried it and the Carvex side-by-side cutting an S curve in a piece of 3" Larch, the Bosch produced a perfectly square cut whilst the Carvex was a little off, so I'm not surprised that on the rail the Bosch also would perform better.

I think the Carvex was rushed out as the 400 series with no blade guide to compete/keep up with Mafell, but it was poorly designed and the subsequent guides of the 420 made a really bad situation better, but wasn't a total resolution to the problem.

As with the Kapex the Carvex is another tool Festool need to take back to the drawing board.

 

[Arvid]

get the holy grail of jigsaws. the mafell jigsaw is by far the greatest jigsaw ever made and blows away and makes the carvex look like a kids toy.

 

[Bohdan]

I found that using the lateral adjustment you can have the blade cut to the left or right. Getting it square is very difficult because there is no fine adjustment, you have to loosen the screw, tap the foot over, tighten the screw and hope that you tapped it the right amount - and it moves as you tighten it.

But with a bit of effort it is possible to get a square cut.

 

[Arvid]

I found that using the lateral adjustment you can have the blade cut to the left or right. Getting it square is very difficult because there is no fine adjustment, you have to loosen the screw, tap the foot over, tighten the screw and hope that you tapped it the right amount - and it moves as you tighten it.

But with a bit of effort it is possible to get a square cut.

that is a ridiculous hoop to jump through for the price they charge for that saw.

 

[ScotF]

I had a Trion and Carvex and while both were nice saws, I found the adjustments to be a bit finicky and hard to get repeatable results without messing around. It was frustrating at times. For freehand work or overhead work, then I think that they are capable saws. But they never delivered the level of precision I need for the types of cuts I often make with a jigsaw. That was my experience. I think that the issue was the base not being parallel to the blade and it caused some cuts that did not follow the line when using a straight edge or guide rail.

The Mafell can be used on the guide rail in thick or thin stock and you get perfect cuts - no straying, no wander, no burning...just a perfect cut. It is the only saw that I have been able to use on a guide rail with success. It is because the shoe is machined perfectly to fit the saw and it lines up perfectly parallel to the blade. It should for the price of the saw, but it is the best jigsaw I have ever used in terms of cut quality. I like the Bosch 572 series as well, but it is not as accurate as the Mafell. When the cuts really matter, the Mafell comes out. If it is more general, then the Bosch.

 

[ach_78]

I found that using the lateral adjustment you can have the blade cut to the left or right. Getting it square is very difficult because there is no fine adjustment, you have to loosen the screw, tap the foot over, tighten the screw and hope that you tapped it the right amount - and it moves as you tighten it.

But with a bit of effort it is possible to get a square cut.

I'm with you with the lack of fine adjustment. But surprised it seems in your experience that the adjustment is very sensitive.

In my experience it is not. It seems it takes quite a good amount of shift to actually show in the cuts. Not you ?

When you have set your guide to get a square cut, is your blade assembly in a "natural" position ? If you lower the blade, and  try to wiggle the assy sideways, is the guide centered with the lateral wiggle ?

I think that the issue was the base not being parallel to the blade and it caused some cuts that did not follow the line when using a straight edge or guide rail.

The blade not being parallel to the rail should not make much difference when using a FSG blade, because the kerf is wider than the blade body. It should be tolerant to some sort of misalignment there. I don't know if there is any way to rotate the blade assembly to make it parallel to the rail. Any info on that ?

Other than that, I think the rail base is crap. Mine has huge play with the rail and there doesn't seem to be any kind of adjustment like to make it tight. Pretty lame IMO. I'm never going to use this to make a straignt cut. I'll go to the TS instead.

 

[Holmz]

I had a Trion and Carvex and while both were nice saws
... to be a bit finicky
... hard to get repeatable results
... was frustrating at times.
... they never delivered the level of precision I need for the types of cuts I often make with a jigsaw.
...That was my experience...
...

^That^ is an apology.
People often say say they are nice or good and then apologise that they are not the best.

It's one job is to cut and it does it poorly. It's job is not to have a strobe, but I suppose that would be nice.

Of course I have not used a Carvex personally, but read enough to know that getting something that worked was a priority for me, and I was avoidant of a complicated saw.

Now the main question on this thread is how to adjust the guides to make the work.

 

[Arvid]

I had a Trion and Carvex and while both were nice saws
... to be a bit finicky
... hard to get repeatable results
... was frustrating at times.
... they never delivered the level of precision I need for the types of cuts I often make with a jigsaw.
...That was my experience...
...

^That^ is an apology.
People often say say they are nice or good and then apologise that they are not the best.

It's one job is to cut and it does it poorly. It's job is not to have a strobe, but I suppose that would be nice.

Of course I have not used a Carvex personally, but read enough to know that getting something that worked was a priority for me, and I was avoidant of a complicated saw.

Now the main question on this thread is how to adjust the guides to make the work.

you make it work by selling it on eBay and buying a mafell.

 

[Bohdan]

I'm with you with the lack of fine adjustment. But surprised it seems in your experience that the adjustment is very sensitive.

In my experience it is not. It seems it takes quite a good amount of shift to actually show in the cuts. Not you ?

When you have set your guide to get a square cut, is your blade assembly in a "natural" position ? If you lower the blade, and  try to wiggle the assy sideways, is the guide centered with the lateral wiggle ?

I only looked at the cut squareness and ignored the actual position and feel of the blade.

BTW my saw is a 300 if that makes any difference.