Kapex Hold down for other Miter saws availability?

[krudawg]

Has anybody knocked off the festool Kapex work holder to use on other miter saws?

 

[Packard]

I thought all miter saws offered these.  This is the one I have for my 20 year old DeWalt.

 

[ChuckM]

Most miter saw clamps are screw type, not quick-release like the Kapex hold-down, and that's why most people don't use theirs. I came across one that has threaded shaft but also a button that, when pushed in, disengages and allows the shaft to move freely up or down. That one (Dewalt) was the closest to the Kapex's I've seen.

[attachimg=1]

DW9082 $90US on Amazon; maybe cheaper elsewhere vs Kapex $95US.

 

[Packard]

The one I have, you slide it down, and then tighten with a screw clamp.  You do have to loosen the screw clamp to release the hold down.

I have a very cheap and very light chop saw and the hold down works the same.

 

[ChuckM]

The school shop I once had access to was equipped with a Bosch like this one:

[attachimg=1]

Because it took forever to hold down a board, and most students were not patient enough to use it at all, the shop teacher came up with the spacer block idea. He placed several sandpaper backed blocks of various thicknesses by the miter station, and insisted that the  miter clamp be used. It did work in terms of encouraging his students to use the clamp. But most YouTube videos I've watched didn't have the miter clamp installed or used.

Edit: Just randomly searched the YouTube, and found this clip that has "beginner's guide" in its title:

At the beginning of the clip, the clamp was shown:

[attachimg=2]

But when one of the actual cuts was demonstrated (6 minutes into the clip?), bare hands were used, with the clamp removed:

[attachimg=3]

Not using or installing the clamp seems to be the norm in many of the YouTube videos.

 

[Chainring]

The Kapex hold down works in the Bosch Glide, but it's a pretty tight fit. If I gave it a bit of a sandpaper adjustment, it'd probably be a whole lot easier.

 

[Packard]

I could not find a video on the Kapex version, and I don’t understand why it is better than all the rest.

 

[ChuckM]

I could not find a video on the Kapex version, and I don’t understand why it is better than all the rest.

The key difference lies in the quick-release feature of the Kapex hold-down clamp, which means no screwing up or down. Fastforward and start from 18:10 to see some of its features --


Gary Katz has a better way of engaging the hold-down clamp than that shown in the Festool video, but I can't remember his video link.

The flat foot of the Kapex hold-down clamp has another important advantage: it allows me to hold down even a thin strip or stop block:

[attachimg=1]

 

[morts10n]

The early Bosch miter saw
clamp was the best one Ive used

 

[luvmytoolz]

Because the clamp for the Kapex has such a narrow clamping angle, I cut off the rear row off the clamp and can now swivel it further left and right which has made it so much more useful.

 

[Cheese]

Because the clamp for the Kapex has such a narrow clamping angle, I cut off the rear row off the clamp and can now swivel it further left and right which has made it so much more useful.

Like this?

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

 

[ChuckM]

I've seen modifications on the hold-down as shown in Cheese's photos, but don't quite know how they'd help.

When I need extra reach for the hold-down, I use one of the "bridge blocks" I made:

[attachimg=1]

 

[Lbob131]

View attachment 1
Thats  the felder clamp. [wink]

 

[luvmytoolz]

Because the clamp for the Kapex has such a narrow clamping angle, I cut off the rear row off the clamp and can now swivel it further left and right which has made it so much more useful.

Like this?

I just cut the whole back row off. The MDF waste board fitted at the moment is around 16mm thick which restricts it a bit, but it now swivels a good amount either direction with the normal thin waste board.

 

[wwb119]

I use a Bessey TWV16-20-15-2K worktable clamp.  It's not perfect, but it is much better than the Bosch OEM clamp.  The 16mm worktable stud matches the hole on the Bosch miter.  Note that the extension wing on the miter cannot fully close with the Bessey in place, but it hasn't been a big issue.      Cheers ...

 

[ChuckM]

That's certainly an improvement over the usual screw-type clamps found on many miter saws.

Based on my observations, most people don't use the clamps on their miter saws because no one has the time to screw and unscrew for every cut. As I pointed out elsewhere, miter saw injuries are not uncommon (if my memory is correct: the number of miter saw incidents is only after those of the table saw and circular saw.)

 

[Jimdude]

I came across (Dewalt) that has threaded shaft but also a button that, when pushed in, disengages and allows the shaft to move freely up or down.

[attachimg=1]

A question on this one: if a piece is clamped down, i.e. the screw is tightened, does pushing the button to "unclamp" it work, or can you only unclamp by unscrewing a bit (and then use the button to get the shaft completely out of the way)?

I ask because I can imagine that the free movement of the shaft only works when it is not under tension. If you can unclamp by a press of the button, then this is ingenious and I need to know if it'll fit the Makita LS1019  [big grin]. If I still have to turn the knob to unclamp, there is no added value over the Makita one.

(The Makita one is also of the screw type and it does have a free moving shaft while not under tension - but that doesnt work all that well every time, so I'm looking for alternatives. The festool one I'm afraid is too beefy)

 

[ChuckM]

Jimdude,

I haven't used that kind of holddown, but I suspect as you said that you need to unclamp a bit before the button can be pushed in. Anyone have experience with that clamp? The curious mind wants to know too.