Kapex - Cutting Dados & half laps

[ForumMFG]

I was creating half lap joints the other day and I was cutting them on my Kapex.  I noticed that as I made each pass, the cutting depth was noticeabley higher or lower than the previous cut.  Now I made sure my workpiece was nice and flat and each time I lowered the blade I made sure that it went down as far down as it would go and I would continue this throughout each cut.  Still, I had different cutting depths.  I just know that if it was done on a table saw, it would be a lot cleaner.  I would expect the kapex to do the same thing though.

Anyone know what might be the problem here?

 

[tbellemare]

Did you have the cutting depth limiter fully engaged (all the way toward the front of the saw)? It has a positive detent sort of feel when it's in place.

Tom

 

[ForumMFG]

Yes I did, I made sure of that.

 

[tbellemare]

Did you remove the black plastic filler? Didn't I read a post where you said it had warped?

I have used this feature for trenching and half-laps and had good success. I would think a good test of the saw would be to pick it up and down several times and see if it is returning to the same place by using some sort of spacer to test how far down it goes each time.

Tom

 

[ForumMFG]

Tom,

You brought up a good point about the kerf plate.  I called festool today and they are sending me a new one.  While I was making the half lap cuts, I would press the the cutting piece pretty hard so that there would be no deflection on the kerf plate.  But maybe it still was a problem.  I'll try taking it off and trying it again.  That should tell me if it was the kurf plate.