Kapex Deck NOT Flat on Left Side

[glass1]

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I am just finishing building this house. The mahogny stai I build pushed me over the edge to get the kapex. The makita ls1211 did the job but I felt like I coated my lungs with red dust. The stair was a bit of a compromise but was fun to do.

 

[glass1]

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[glass1]

And, yes Shane helped me get my trion up to speed to make the scribe cuts on the glue up treads and risers.

 

[erock]

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I am just finishing building this house. The mahogny stai I build pushed me over the edge to get the kapex. The makita ls1211 did the job but I felt like I coated my lungs with red dust. The stair was a bit of a compromise but was fun to do.

Glass......the 7th raiser is off buddy!!!  [tongue]    [poke]

Just busting your chops man....  GREAT WORK!    [thumbs up]  [not worthy]

The deck on my Kapex is off a little.  I built some kitchen cabinets.....I have a video or 20 showing my work..... [tongue]
The deck on the Kapex did not effect my work.

But, I can see how some guys will expect absolute perfection from this saw.  It is a very expensive saw.  And when after all, it's just a miter saw, their is cheaper saws on the market.  So when someone buys a Kapex they expect perfection.

It's great that Festool offers the 30 day return policy for such customers.    It's also great that they can return the Kapex and the next guy can save money during the recon sales.    [tongue]

Eric

 

[jbasen]

I haven't checked my new Kapex this closely (and I will) but if I have an issue then my thought is to retun it to Festool for repair.  First, Festool will pay for the shipping; both ways.  Second,rather than risking getting another saw with the same,or possibly another issue, Festool is going to be addresing the specific issue you have.

Yes the saw is expensive and it sucks to have a problem.  Personally I'm thankful Festool tools have such a great warranty and Festool stands behind their tools the way they do.

 

[clutzer]

I haven't checked my new Kapex this closely (and I will) but if I have an issue then my thought is to retun it to Festool for repair.  First, Festool will pay for the shipping; both ways.  Second,rather than risking getting another saw with the same,or possibly another issue, Festool is going to be addresing the specific issue you have.

Yes the saw is expensive and it sucks to have a problem.  Personally I'm thankful Festool tools have such a great warranty and Festool stands behind their tools the way they do.

Festool told me specifically to deal with my dealer and there was nothing they could do.  I didn't press them that hard about it tho.

 

[shaneymack]

Just checked mine. .016 lower on the left and .005 lower on the right.  Haven't done alot with it as i only got it this month but it seemed to cut very precisely.

 

[clutzer]

Just checked mine. .016 lower on the left and .005 lower on the right.  Haven't done alot with it as i only got it this month but it seemed to cut very precisely.

Did you use feeler gauges to determine that?

 

[shaneymack]

Ya, my eye is not that precise [emoji6]

 

[shaneymack]

My ug extension is lower than the kapex on the left and was higher on the right.  I had to grind down the v bracket under the ug to drop it down cause my wood was getting hooked up.

 

[weekendwarrior]

Poll: is this amount of unevenness normal?  Are there kapexes out there that are *perfectly* flush?

Or maybe this is the reason for the 10% bad inventory reduction sale...    :

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Pizza Steve!

 

[weekendwarrior]

Had the exact same problem- received my Kapex and the left side was lower than the center so the material sat at a slight angle on that side. I contacted Festool and they asked if I had tried making cuts on it to see if they were off. I didn’t see how they couldn’t be but they explained the saw is designed with a “floating” turntable and it “self levels” as it cuts. I had a hard time understanding this but tried several cuts on each side. All of them were off when cut from the left side and square when cut from the right. I was then told if I’m not happy with the way the saw cuts I should return it or send it in for service. I just received the saw so I returned it and ordered another one- I’m hoping this one is okay because it seems like a great saw otherwise. I have many Festool products and I’m impressed with all of them but this was a bit disappointing.

[welcome] to the FOG, vin!  18 months is a lot of reading!

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Ok ok. But if it doesn't effect your work........

It will affect my work, I'm doing intricate crown work and baseboards.  I don't need a wedge-gap showing up when I join two pieces together.  What I'm curious about is if the UG extensions would sit flush with the turret or the sides.  If they sit flush then I could probably live with this gap.

Lesson learned: DON'T buy this type of thing online.  I was excited to save the tax buying from Toolnut in NY, but that savings has been completely canceled out and then some with lost time and hassle shipping this one back.  Not to mention, trying to ensure that I get a flush one next time...

I have put up miles of crown, base, casing, chair rails, etc. With my kapex that I have never checked the base, fence, or anything else.  It never occurred to me to do so. 

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Poll: is this amount of unevenness normal?  Are there kapexes out there that are *perfectly* flush?

Or maybe this is the reason for the 10% bad inventory reduction sale...    :

Uh... no. We are not the type of company to "dump" inventory like you're implying. So, let me stomp out that theory real quick.

 

[Rob Z]

Even though units were not listed, I think the measurements given earlier in the thread must have been in thousandths of an inch, and definitely not in micrometers (microns). 

Height differences measured in micrometers...and we're talking about sending it back?

Words fail me.

 

[WPeters]

My biggest issues with FOG are the drooling fan boys and the posters that expect their woodworking machinery to be more precise than some medical instruments.  Sometimes i just shake my head in wonderment [unsure]  These are for cutting wood etc., not eye surgery.  Ok rant over [big grin]

Out of curiosity I checked my Kapex.  Left deck is two copy paper thickness less than base.  I'm a professional woodworker and that is well within my personal expectations for a tool like the Kapex.  It is not a defect of any kind in my mind.  Even if it was that much higher than the base I don't see that affecting miter quality, etc.  Just my 2cents.

 

[weekendwarrior]

In my opinion, it should be expected that people complain about imprecise conditions because Festool wants customers to expect precision from their tools.  This is caused by differences in marketing and engineering... and all mitigated of course by the varying skills of the user.  My miters suck so I need all the help I can get.  (I know, it's me, not the tool!)

Case in point: (see attached photo) Festool mentions precision three times in a few bullets about the Kapex, and they sure price the tool as a precision instrument.  I think it's fair to expect a flat and level surface on a precision metal deck.  It sounds like there is variability in the manufacturing process which may warrant a review.

If my Incra LS didn't provide precision I'd complain about that, too, because its touted as precision and it costs comparably more money.  Is precision needed?  Question the Festool advertisements first!  [/response to rant] 

 

[Cheese]

My biggest issues with FOG are the drooling fan boys and the posters that expect their woodworking machinery to be more precise than some medical instruments.  Sometimes i just shake my head in wonderment [unsure]  These are for cutting wood etc., not eye surgery.  Ok rant over [big grin]

Out of curiosity I checked my Kapex.  Left deck is two copy paper thickness less than base.  I'm a professional woodworker and that is well within my personal expectations for a tool like the Kapex.  It is not a defect of any kind in my mind.  Even if it was that much higher than the base I don't see that affecting miter quality, etc.  Just my 2cents.

So just to put that into perspective, we're talking about .005" to .008" depending upon actual paper thickness.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

This is my personal opinion and not necessarily that of Festool.

Some folks are too quick to run feeler gauges and calipers all over their tools before they turn them on. Make some cuts. Check the angles on the cuts and see if they meet your expectations. As was already mentioned, these are woodworking tools, not surgical instruments.

The definition of "precision" is in the eye of the beholder and it varies greatly. In the end, make sure the tool lives up to your expectations, which will vary from person to person.