Has anybody mounted the Kapex with the Bosch Gravity Rise saw stand?

[jacko9]

I'm looking at purchasing the Kapex during the current sale and I was wondering if anybody has the Kapex mounted on the Bosch Gravity Rise saw stand?

I have one of these stands for my current saw a 12" DeWalt slider and the stand is easy to move around which I find handy in my small shop and it's quite sturdy in use.

I just want to hear from anybody with this setup to find out if their are any mounting issues.

Jack

 

[hopper]

I would be curious to know as well. I'm thinking of this for a apex that I'm about to buy

 

[jacko9]

hopper,

One response I received in another thread was that the 5/16" bolts on the Bosch Gravity rise stand would fit if a tab in the hole of the Kapex base was drilled out.  The responder indicated that the hole size didn't need to be changed.  I think that I need to go to a local Festool dealer and verify that before I purchase a new saw.

Jack

 

[hopper]

Jack09,
thanks for the reply.  I am out of town now. I found out that a retailer near my home has a gravity rise stand in stock. I'll check it out when I get home on Thursday .
Paul

 

[jacko9]

Paul,

Before you buy a Gravity Rise stand, check out the price on Amazon (It was about half of what I paid for it last year).  I do love the Gravity Rise and highly recommend it.

Jack

 

[tazcubed]

[attachimg=1]

Jack,

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner. I've attached some pictures which I hope clear up your concerns. As you can see, it does work. The amount to drill out is minimal - there's still paint on most of the inside of the hole, just a bit of metal shaved off at the bottom where there was a lip. I believe it was a 5/16" bit that was used. Just don't ask for any more pictures as taking them outside in -20c temperatures isn't my cup of tea  [unsure] [blink] [Inline mode=1]

 

[tazcubed]

Some pictures didn't get uploaded. Here's more (I hope)...[attachthumb=1][attachthumb=2][attachthumb=3][attachthumb=4]

 

[jacko9]

Taz,

Thanks for the pictures, so you just took four of the eight mounting holes and drilled them with a 5/16" drill.  Looks like it worked for you but, since I left Upstate NY I'm not too excited about that "white stuff" you seem to be having.  Hope it warms up for you soon.

I think that the only reservation I have about drilling out even a minimal amount on the Kapex is "If" anything goes wrong with another part of the saw that modification might void the warranty.

Thanks for the input and I really do love the Bosch Gravity Rise stand and intend on keeping it.

Jack

 

[rljatl]

This may be a dumb question as I don't own either the Kapex or the Bosch stand, but why wouldn't you just drill new holes in the left right mounts for the Bosch stand instead of drilling the Kapex base?

 

[jacko9]

The Gravity Rise stand has cross brackets with captured 5/16" nuts that allow you to bolt any saw with at least 5/16" mounting features to it.

 

[tazcubed]

Taz,

Thanks for the pictures, so you just took four of the eight mounting holes and drilled them with a 5/16" drill.  Looks like it worked for you but, since I left Upstate NY I'm not too excited about that "white stuff" you seem to be having.  Hope it warms up for you soon.

I think that the only reservation I have about drilling out even a minimal amount on the Kapex is "If" anything goes wrong with another part of the saw that modification might void the warranty.

Thanks for the input and I really do love the Bosch Gravity Rise stand and intend on keeping it.

Jack

I understand what you're saying, but I think one can argue that the minimal changes actually have zero effect on the electrical or mechanical function. Perhaps if you ask the moderator who's a Festool representative, he may be able to provide some clarity.

So far as the white stuff goes, there's at least a couple of groundhogs that should be scared of their shadows.

 

[jacko9]

Taz,

I spoke with a Festool repair representative today and mentioned the manual about not torquing the attachment bolts too much and he recommended that I don't modify the existing bolt holes. 

That saw is way too expensive to void a warranty because of mounting modifications.

If I had not read a lot of posts about Kapex issues, I wouldn't worry because I never had any issues with a lot of Festool products but I don't want to be stuck with a high cost product with a "rare issue" and lose my warrenty because I modified the product.  Sad but true with low profit margins and high customer demands - I'm stuck in indecision.

 

[tbellemare]

Couldn't the KAPEX be mounted to an intermediate piece, which is mounted to the Bosch stand?

Tom

 

[jacko9]

Tom,

That would be the logical solution I did however want to make sure I explored any "easier" options first.  I still have a week to decide.

Jack

 

[tazcubed]

Taz,

I spoke with a Festool repair representative today and mentioned the manual about not torquing the attachment bolts too much and he recommended that I don't modify the existing bolt holes. 

That saw is way too expensive to void a warranty because of mounting modifications.

If I had not read a lot of posts about Kapex issues, I wouldn't worry because I never had any issues with a lot of Festool products but I don't want to be stuck with a high cost product with a "rare issue" and lose my warrenty because I modified the product.  Sad but true with low profit margins and high customer demands - I'm stuck in indecision.

I know exactly what you're saying, but I have to say that for the half millimeter or so of material was drilled out (it's actually got to be less when I look at it), they'd have to prove to me that a mechanical/electrical failure is due to this. Wear and tear could almost do as much damage after a short time. Using the logic that a minimal amount of material removed could void a warranty could be extended to if the unit got scratched or nicked - heck, if it got sawdust on it or someone put a sticker on it. The only thing I agree with is the over-torquing of the bolts, which could potentially warp the base (although in fairness, it's not something explained nor mentioned in any of the Kapex manuals - common sense should still apply). Anyway, the other option may be to look at another stand - the UG or Makita's (I looked at but wasn't happy with Makita's setup). The reason why I like the Bosch is that it's a simple setup and simple adjustments - no need to carry the wings separately, and for what I do it's fine for about a fifth the cost of UG without the fidgety setup. I wouldn't fault someone who bought the UG, especially if they're moving it from site to site often and, of course, there's a couple of features that can make it a justifiable purchase.

Stay warm!

 

[jacko9]

Taz,

Thanks for the reply.  I found the Supplemental manual for the Kapex online and on page 8 they warn about over torquing the mounting bolts.

They also show the four 1/4 - 20 mounting features and the two Optional bolt location (they sell a optional mounting kit).  I'm guessing that the holes you modified are the two holes nearer to the centerline of the saw?

I really like the Gravity Rise stand and it looks a lot sturdier and easier to use than the other options.

Here is the link to the Supplemental manual (and it was 75 degrees here today worked in the shop with the door open wearing shorts and tank top).

http://festoolusa.com/media/pdf/Kapex-KS120-Supplemental-Manual.pdf

Jack

 

[tazcubed]

Taz,

Thanks for the reply.  I found the Supplemental manual for the Kapex online and on page 8 they warn about over torquing the mounting bolts.

They also show the four 1/4 - 20 mounting features and the two Optional bolt location (they sell a optional mounting kit).  I'm guessing that the holes you modified are the two holes nearer to the centerline of the saw?

I really like the Gravity Rise stand and it looks a lot sturdier and easier to use than the other options.

Here is the link to the Supplemental manual (and it was 75 degrees here today worked in the shop with the door open wearing shorts and tank top).

http://festoolusa.com/media/pdf/Kapex-KS120-Supplemental-Manual.pdf

Jack

Aarrggg! My apologies - you are correct that the supplemental manual explains the torquing issue.

I only used the 4 mount holes - not the centerline holes for what I assume is specifically for mounting to the MFT (one would need longer bolts and it would not directly mount to the Bosch feet).

Oh, and yeah, thanks ever so much for rubbing in the warm temperatures - shorts and a tee shirt outside up here will mean a trip to the hospital for frostbite.  [blink] [big grin]

 

[jacko9]

Taz,

When I spoke to the people at the Festool repair center, they told me that the outward mounting holes on the Kapex were 6.25mm diameter (or .246")  The bolts on the Bosch Gravity Rise are at least 0.312" so you drilled them out with a 5/16" drill?

Hope it warms up for you soon.

Jack

 

[colorfull]

I purchased these, a reducing screw, no drilling required.
https://a.co/d/9vn0eUw

8mm goes perfectly into the Gravity Rise, 6mm goes through the Festool, gonna look for a knob for the 6mm on top to tighten it down.