Kapex and trenching...... or not

[harry_]

One of this things that I seem to do often is applying cove moulding to the underside of stair treads. One of the hated tasks was chasing down or repeatedly cutting returns because the first one broke when it cut loose and exploded up inside the saw.

I knew there had to be a better way.

There is, and it is the trench feature of the Kapex (and most SCMSs have this feature).

Just set and adjust so it doesn't quite cut all the way through!

Then just break break them off and clean them up with a utility knife.

 

[Cheese]

Great idea... [big grin] 

Small pieces of trim have always been an issue on a miter saw. Even with my old Milwaukee slider some very small pieces got shot across the room and I'd have to try to find them. I'd have to cut 6 of them to get 3.

Although, I do think the Kapex is worse in this regard.  [sad]

 

[Gregor]

Great idea... [big grin] 

Small pieces of trim have always been an issue on a miter saw. Even with my old Milwaukee slider some very small pieces got shot across the room and I'd have to try to find them. I'd have to cut 6 of them to get 3.

Although, I do think the Kapex is worse in this regard.  [sad]

Build a zero-clearance back fence for it and it'll stop throwing the pieces (when you let the blade stop prior to lifting it).

 

[ChuckS]

Indeed a ZC approach is better. There is a video I linked in another thread about the ZC table, and that's the way to go if you have a lot of small pieces to trim. Harry's method works when such a jig is not available, but it is time-consuming compared to using a ZC table: set and test cut the trench setting, cut and knife vs cut all the way.

 

[harry_]

In the time it would take me to reinstall the fences, which spend most of their time off the saw, I can get the trench setup. Considering how little I actually use the trenching feature of the saw it is usually still set from the last set of stairs I did 2 weeks earlier.

95% of the time I don't need to trim anything with the knife as the 'break away' part gets installed in the blind anyhow. Additionally, I get to carry them around as a stick instead of a handful of loose parts.

As always, there are always more than one way to do something. I was just throwing this out there as a simple solution using a feature of the saw that is quite often overlooked.

 

[Cheese]

Build a zero-clearance back fence for it and it'll stop throwing the pieces (when you let the blade stop prior to lifting it).

Like this?  [smile]

[attachimg=1]

 

[ChuckS]

Snip.
I was just throwing this out there as a simple solution using a feature of the saw that is quite often overlooked.

That's indeed true and appreciated.

 

[ChuckS]

Like this:https://ibuildit.ca/wp-content/uploads/images/tips/tt49 (17).jpg

 

[rst]

I've been using 1/4" tempered hard board for 40 years as a base and backer for my chopsaws.  I use a piece just over the maximum width of the cut capacity of the saw for the base and 3" high pieces for the verticals.  The pieces I use are 8' on either side of the cut and are secured with spring clamps.  The verticals are mitered to about 3/4" high at the end cut so that dust collection is improved.  To tighten up the gap I can just move the sections closer and reclamp and cut.