Kapex 120 Dust collection issues

[adrian130980]

Hi

This is my first post on here

I have a kapex 120 mitre saw and the festool midi dust extractor hooked upto it

I find that it does not collect much dust, i have changed the bag, checked the line hose and all seems well

but when i cut dust is everywhere

there does not seem to be any visible damage etc

it works fine with my ts55 & 1400router

thanks

adrian

 

[peter halle]

First, welcome to the FOG.  Dust collection can vary based on the types of cuts and definitely improves with the use of the 36 mm hose.  If you are making quick cuts try to trigger the saw and let the CT come up to suction first before cutting.  A little experimentation should bring better results.

Peter

 

[chrisrosenb]

Dust collection is very poor when making regular chop saw type cuts. That is if you make the cut by having the saw head in the rear position & just lowering the blade into the wood & then pulling the saw head out.

Dust collection is excellent if you pull the saw head out, lower it & then push the saw head back to make the cut.

Also using a 36mm dust hose greatly improves dust collection.

 

[dicktill]

Dust collection is very poor when making regular chop saw type cuts. That is if you make the cut by having the saw head in the rear position & just lowering the blade into the wood & then pulling the saw head out.

Dust collection is excellent if you pull the saw head out, lower it & then push the saw head back to make the cut.

Also using a 36mm dust hose greatly improves dust collection.

Thanks JD, that is good information to have! Did I also read somewhere that dust collection is worse with a zero clearance insert?

Regards, Dick

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Can you confirm that the black runner dust shroud is attached near the back of the blade?

 

[joiner1970]

I just got a kapex and have found dust collection improves depending on your technique. I bought a shorter 36mm hose which helps but certain cuts still spray dust all over the place. If you pull out plunge and then push forward steadily then extraction is good. This is my usual technique anyway I've always used but I find I have to go a little slower to get most of the dust

 

[adrian130980]

hi

thanks for all the replies,

yes i have the dust collection rubber collector on

I will look into a shorter larger diameter hose, to be honest a little disappointed at the thought of having to buy another hose making this one redundant

thanks

I report back after the changes made

adrian

 

[joiner1970]

Do what I did get the universal cleaning set. Comes with 3.5m 36mm hose which you cut down shorter and a cleaning set all in a sys 5. Around £95 festool code 497702

 

[GarryMartin]

Before you go off and buy a new hose, post a photo of your current setup, cleaned of dust, then cut something using the method noted above (i.e. not a chop cut) and post a photo of what dust gets left behind and the material that you cut. That might give us some idea of what the problem could be and we might be able to point you in the right direction.

 

[adrian130980]

Hi

I will over the weekend do a photo/video of the cuts

i have bought the 36mm hose so when thats here i will see if it makes a large difference

Thanks for the input

adrian

 

[Stone Message]

Thanks JD, that is good information to have! Did I also read somewhere that dust collection is worse with a zero clearance insert?

Regards, Dick

I have two Zero Clearance inserts on the Kapex 120 - one under the stock being cut and one (technically two) at the back attached to the sliding rear fences.

The one underneath has no effect on dust collection.

The one at the back does have an effect when the dust shroud is distorted by it as the saw is moved to the rear during a cut. Despite this I find that dust collection with the Kapex is amazing. I do have a short length of 36 mm hose between the Kapex and extractor - 27 mm hose is nowhere near as good.

I hope the picture below (of a trenching cut at an angle) is sufficient to show my setup.

Peter

 

[dicktill]

Thanks JD, that is good information to have! Did I also read somewhere that dust collection is worse with a zero clearance insert?

Regards, Dick

I have two Zero Clearance inserts on the Kapex 120 - one under the stock being cut and one (technically two) at the back attached to the sliding rear fences.

The one underneath has no effect on dust collection.

The one at the back does have an effect when the dust shroud is distorted by it as the saw is moved to the rear during a cut. Despite this I find that dust collection with the Kapex is amazing. I do have a short length of 36 mm hose between the Kapex and extractor - 27 mm hose is nowhere near as good.

I hope the picture below (of a trenching cut at an angle) is sufficient to show my setup.

Peter

Thanks Peter. I understand the zero clearance insert on the bottom, and the ones on the fences. I don't quite understand what you're cutting in the photo, the small rectangular piece in the foreground, or the larger flat piece with all the marks below/behind it. Are they attached to each other?

Regards, Dick

 

[joiner1970]

Dick, looks to me like Peter is trenching/cutting tenons. To do that you need a spacer to space the work peice off the fence.

 

[Stone Message]

Yes Dick, Joiner is right - spacer at the back for a trenching cut otherwise it does not have a flat bottom.

Peter

 

[dicktill]

Dick, looks to me like Peter is trenching/cutting tenons. To do that you need a spacer to space the work peice off the fence.

Yes Dick, Joiner is right - spacer at the back for a trenching cut otherwise it does not have a flat bottom.

Peter

Thanks Joiner & Peter. Took me awhile (quite awhile actually, duh) to figure out what you were talking about, but I finally get it. And so my education continues.  : )

Meanwhile, back to the dust collection discussion ...

Regards, Dick

 

[adrian130980]

Hi Peter,

thanks for the picture and the idea of the zero clearance...will defiantly be copying that idea, funnily enough i just bought a new set where your zero clearance goes and now have to shelve them for your idea!

but what i think i have just noticed is that i think i am missing a part....!

I am missing i think a part called the Dust extraction attachment which goes before the rubber dust collector

it seems to have been snapped off.! I now recall when restoring my house the builder borrowing my saw for an hour and noticing some plastic bits later! grr

I think it shows in the picture

I will call axminster to source replacements!

thanks

adrian

[attachthumb=#]

 

[adrian130980]

Hi again

I received the new 36mm festool hose today and thought i'd share the results

I did the following cuts,

after using original hose 27mm,

with new 36mm hose but full length

and then finally 36mm hose but a metre shortened.

I am really impressed with the results and very surprised also what a difference a larger but shorter hose has on the dust collection

[attachimg=#]

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[GarryMartin]

I did the following cuts,

after using original hose 27mm,

with new 36mm hose but full length

and then finally 36mm hose but a metre shortened.

The first and second photos are identical...  [blink]

 

[Acrobat]

Yeah I don't see too much difference there either?

I'm interest to figure in the previous post what "plastic" bits missing in front of the boot you're talking about? Or am I misunderstanding you? ???

 

[Stone Message]

Adrian's two photographs are not identical (unless he changed them after the two comments that followed). Just look at the amount of dust on the Kapex and its bench in the first one compared to the second.

Peter