Kapex 120 Trenching/Limited Depth Cut

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi all,

First post, so please be gentle.  [smile]

I am interested in a Kapex 120 and I know that you have to put some "packing" behind the piece that you are trenching, so that you get a flat bottom.  I would like to know whether anybody has any information about the maximum depth of trench versus the width of stock?

I hope that I'm using a language that you understand.

Thanks,
Neil

 

[adubeau]

Try downloading the Manual from Festool...

Thats what I do when I have questions regarding a tool I am intrested in....

 

[narrowboatboy]

I know it's a bit late but the Kapex will trench to zero i.e. cut through, the max height in trench mode on mine is around 40mm

 

[jmbfestool]

What size timber will you be doing alot of trenching with?  Because the kapex has got one of the worst height limits.                      Its one of the main things I hate about my kapex is the depth limiter!  So often I find that the timber is to thick and I can only do a trench 4mm deep because it's at it's limit.

The kapex is NOT the chop saw to buy for doing trenching due to the height restrictions.

Jmb

 

[narrowboatboy]

As i have found out  :'( ,  I had a 83mm pillar I wanted a 10mm deep trench, not even close!! 

basically took all back gubbins off of the back of the saw bec I thought something must have jammed mechanism, it wasn't

All it needs is the threaded screw thingy with more thread on it, project for a later date maybe

thanx JMB

 

[Stone Message]

I agree with JMB. Further more, I do not find the trenching to be consistent. If I set it to a particular depth and start a run of trenching the depth of cut varies from cut to cut. If I am really careful I can keep things as they should be but I am quite arthritic and repeating cuts with exactly the same pressure is almost impossible.

Having said all of that, the Kapex is still the best mitre saw on the market and I would not swap mine for all the tea in China (unless Festool produce a better one of course).

Peter

 

[JPF Woodworking]

I am not sure if I am repeating what has already been posted but my complaint about the Kapex's capacity to "trench" is not that it it limited in depth but that it is limited to how shallow it will cut. I recently wanted to cut knotch some 4 X 4's to receive 2X stock and couldn't make the Kapex's capacity work......but I echo Peter's sentiments about this saw, it is simply the best!

 

[narrowboatboy]

I am not sure if I am repeating what has already been posted but my complaint about the Kapex's capacity to "trench" is not that it it limited in depth but that it is limited to how shallow it will cut.

I had this exact same problem with mine, and since I was passing close to festools workshop, i pooped in on the off chance they might give me a clue as to why it was not trenching to full depth,

"bring it in we'll have a look" the engineer said. b4 you could say "planed all round" they had it striped down to nuts and bolts replaced bits machined up some bits, bit of oil here it of oil there, blink,  and it was all back together, cost £45, culprit clogged up trenching adjuster,

now a K120 should trench down to zero i.e. cut through piece, max height about 40mm, not sure but will test this tomorrow if i remember

 

[jmbfestool]

As i have found out  :'( ,  I had a 83mm pillar I wanted a 10mm deep trench, not even close!! 

basically took all back gubbins off of the back of the saw bec I thought something must have jammed mechanism, it wasn't

All it needs is the threaded screw thingy with more thread on it, project for a later date maybe

thanx JMB

I had a look at that my self if I could extend the threaded bar about a year ago or more and cant remember why but I dont think it will work I think it will catch something before you can set it or something!  Ill have to have a look 2moro but I know theirs something which stopped me from extending the treaded bar to achieve a higher depth stop. 

Also I have the same problem with mine I think that I cant get my kapex limit down far enough. So like you said basically so that the depth stop can be set so I can pretty much cut through the wood. 

JMB

 

[narrowboatboy]

i just use the tsp for trenching large stock