Kapex 120 blade is jammed

[makpacman]

I'm posting for a colleague. He's a top-tier finish carpenter here in California and he's had this saw for over 9 years. It's already been back to the factory once, but shipping is expensive, so he wants to fix this himself if at all possible.

The issue, as explained to me, is that while cutting some thin stock that was laying flat on his deck, an offcut shot back and pushed the rubber dust boot up into the bladeguard, jamming the blade inside and hence the saw.

According to him, it appears the only way to fix this is to remove the blade, but that's not working. He believes he may have been able move the bolt one full turn(reversed) but it doesn't seem to be loosening anything. At this point, he's considering cutting/destroying the plastic blade guard in order to get in and unlock the blade, but he's obviously hesitant to do that. His thinking is that a new bladeguard may cost less than the repair plus shipping back and forth.

Has anyone seen this before? And if so, do you have any ideas he can try?

 

[ChuckM]

What is really jamming the blade?

The rubber boot or the offcut?

If the rubber boot, why is it hard to remove it?

 

[makpacman]

I haven't seen the saw yet, but my understanding is that the rubber boot and a piece of the offcut are jammed up inside the saw at or near the vacuum port.

Tomorrow, I'll be going over to check it out and hopefully help him get it running. I think we can disassemble things until we get to the obstruction or to a point where we can at least remove the blade, and with that, unblock the obstuction.

 

[waho6o9]

View attachment 1

After fixing it maybe use a ZCI ( zero clearance insert ). I bent a Kapex blade after a similar incident, hence the ZCI.

All the Best

 

[makpacman]

ZCI is a good idea but in this case, my friend usually makes an aux table/fence at the beginning of each job.

Howeber, on this job, we were there for 2 weeks+ and I had made the fence which was on my saw and his saw was left stock and used for odd cuts that require lots of angles, or long crosscuts etc. When I left, i took the aux fence with me because it was screwed to my saw. My buddy came back for 1 day of pickup work, and sure enough... bang! Kapex caput.

Anyway, this morning, we did get it going, but it was , as the Ausies would say, "well stuck!"

So ya, DEFINITELY be gifting him a late Xmas present in the form of a nice walnet ZCI.

 

[waho6o9]

Glad you got it sorted out, very nice ZCI. 

 

[kevinculle]

If all that needs replacing is the boot this is a happy ending.

 

[makpacman]

Ya, you know, we were both pretty sure the blade was going to be damaged. Either bent or a broken tooth or two, but nope. Inspected it, put it back on, ran some tests, and it's cutting just as clean and beautifully as ever.

Surprising after seeing it cocked sideways inside the blade howling. That's also the reason the bolt didn't feel like it was loosening. Lots of spring due to the jammed blade.

Now he has a new religion:
AUX FENCE and ZCI!

 

[ChuckM]

Fast cap ZCI tapes for miter saws could come handy, too.