Kapex: how to adjust platform height

[endgrain]

There's a 0.015" height different between the rotating platform and the two sides where the clamp goes down on my kapex. How can I adjust the platform height so it's level with the two other sides? The uneven height is a problem when I clamp down and the wood is not perfectly in line with the cutting platform.

[attachimg=1]

 

[edwarmr]

I have the same problem with my Kapex. It’s a common issue with miter saws in general. At the price point of the Kapex we shouldn’t have to deal with this but unfortunately we do. Mine is not out quite as much as yours. One thing I would check before trying anything. Keep the table at 90°. Measure the gap on both the left and right extension wings back by the fence. Then bring your straightedge away from the fence toward the front of the extension wings and make the same measurement on both sides. This will tell you if the turn table is tilted on it’s axis of rotation. In my case there is a bigger gap on both the left and right extension wings the further away from the fence I get. The turn table is tilted up on the end furthest from my fence. Interestingly enough if I place a straightedge on my Kapex bed and apply strong downward pressure to the handle for the miter lock I notice that the gap on the left and right extension wings disappears almost completely. I think this shows there is a small amount of warp in the magnesium castings and by applying downward pressure you can straighten out the warp. Of course once you release pressure the warp returns. To truly straighten this you may have to bolt down the warped part of the casting. I’m still debating what to do on mine. On my first Kapex I actually removed the turn table to see if the extension wings were coplaner which they were. They were within 0.001” to 0.003” if I remember right which is pretty good. The tilt of the turn table axis is the problem on mine.

 

[usernumber1]

i'd ask festool service -

Sedge says 'it is always level' when showing where wings and arms connect, and his straight edge shows (briefly) everything flat from the wing, across the center, to the other wing
=2163

 

[edwarmr]

i'd ask festool service -

Sedge says 'it is always level' when showing where wings and arms connect, and his straight edge shows (briefly) everything flat from the wing, across the center, to the other wing
=2163

He does that so quick I can’t even tell lol
All I can say is my first one was not level across. I returned that one and got another... The new one I have is also not level. I also checked the display at Rockler... It was not level either. I know there are many people who say it doesn’t make a difference and they may be right. I still want to get mine closer to level or flat though.

 

[ChuckS]

0.015" is just shy from 0.5mm, not a small amount by my book.

But in use, how off and bad were the cut results? That should be the litmus test.

 

[edwarmr]

0.015" is just shy from 0.5mm, not a small amount by my book.

But in use, how off and bad were the cut results? That should be the litmus test.

Man, yours is flat to 0.0015”?! That’s awesome! Wanna trade?
Do you get that same gap if you pull the straightedge back to the end of the extensions away from the fence?

 

[ChuckS]

i'd ask festool service -

Sedge says 'it is always level' when showing where wings and arms connect, and his straight edge shows (briefly) everything flat from the wing, across the center, to the other wing
=2163

Didn't watch that video -- too long. But Festool machines are known to have variances of all kinds in their products including the Kapex. It's not just Festool; all other brands I've had experiences with have variances between different batches of their identical products/models.

 

[ChuckS]

0.015" is just shy from 0.5mm, not a small amount by my book.

But in use, how off and bad were the cut results? That should be the litmus test.

Man, yours is flat to 0.0015”?! That’s awesome! Wanna trade?
Do you get that same gap if you pull the straightedge back to the end of the extensions away from the fence?

My Kapex was (is? I hope) flat/straight across on the bed as well as on the fence (those pictures were shared on another thread). I can't remember if I took any measurements that far from the fence. I'll do that when I have a chance.

 

[pettyconstruction]

Mine was also a tad proud,
What I did was use a 1800 grit stone, and “sand” it flat.
Didn’t take to much effort.

I agree, at the price point , it should be better,but it’s a casting/ manufacturer issue.
Send it back,or fix it yourself , but don’t do nothing , make it better.
Cheers,Charlie

Btw I think it took less than 20 minutes to fix mine,including the constant checking.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[edwarmr]

Mine was also a tad proud,
What I did was use a 1800 grit stone, and “sand” it flat.
Didn’t take to much effort.

I agree, at the price point , it should be better,but it’s a casting/ manufacturer issue.
Send it back,or fix it yourself , but don’t do nothing , make it better.
Cheers,Charlie

Btw I think it took less than 20 minutes to fix mine,including the constant checking.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Sanding is definitely an option but only if the axis of rotation is completely level. If the bed is angled on it’s axis of rotation sanding won’t remove the issue.

 

[ChuckS]

Ok, here are some measurements taken of my 6 years old Kapex (with the ZCI tape removed):

Left (far from the fence) : 0.001"
Center (on both sides of the insert): 0.001"
Right: 0.0015" (same as last time when measured right by the fence)

I also took a few other numbers including laying a flat edge on the bed as if it were a board.

All figures were between 0.0010" and 0.0015", except two: left to center - 0.005" and the center of the left wing under the flat edge was 0.007". There's a hollow there even though on the edge, the reading was 0.0015".

Regardless of what these numbers may tell, the saw delivers great results in terms of squareness, accuracy and consistency.

 

[fshanno]

I wonder if they make the table be a tad higher than the wings on purpose.  Wouldn't this prevent or limit binding and burning?  The workpiece would tend to fall away from the blade instead of binding.

When I cut a board that's not completely flat I want the ends of the board higher than the middle.  That way the ends of the cut board will "fall" away from the blade preventing binding.

 

[ChuckS]

If the center is higher and I'm clamping down a shorter piece to trim its end, won't the end come out non-square?

 

[newellj]

There's a 0.015" height different between the rotating platform and the two sides where the clamp goes down on my kapex. How can I adjust the platform height so it's level with the two other sides? The uneven height is a problem when I clamp down and the wood is not perfectly in line with the cutting platform.

Registered to say that I have encountered this with two recently (both 2/2021 production).  The first one, which I took home, had a difference of ~.030", or almost 1/32", between the center table and the side tables.  If you use a clamp on the stock you're cutting, you get a cut that's significantly off 90 degrees.  This was the measured difference between the side tables and center table, and not the short extensions on each side.  Those were a good bit further lower than the side tables.  For a saw with the reputation and price of the Kapex, that's just unacceptable.

I returned it and we tried the other one the store had in stock.  I didn't measure that one, but it was off more or less the same amount on one side.  Very strangely, the other side was dead level with the center table.  That's almost more disconcerting than having the center table proud relative to -both- side tables.  Either the side tables weren't in the same plane or the center table was canted.

I currently have a pair of Milwaukee cordless SDBCM saws, 10" and 7.25", and they are dead flat.  I've corresponded with Kapex owners and their saws are all dead flat, although if you use Google you can find isolated reports of this problem over the last decade - but they appear to be extraordinarily uncommon.  At the end of the day, all I care about is my saw, and running across two that I would say are clearly defective is unacceptable, especially at the price of the Kapex.

I'm not sure how I'll proceed.  It's a want item rather than a need item, so I'll probably keep checking local vendors rather than ordering one online, which means this could take a long time.  I'm not going to buy one and ship it immediately to Festool - retail customers shouldn't be drafted into service as the manufacturer's final QC check.

If it helps establish bona fides here, I'm not trolling and I'm not a Festool hater.  I currently own three sanders, three saws, two drill/drivers, an impact driver, a planer and a router, plus a couple of DEs. 

 

[ChuckS]

You in the EU, or did you mean 2/2020? If they were made in 2/2021 in Germany, how could they get here in N.A. so fast?

 

[newellj]

You in the EU, or did you mean 2/2020? If they were made in 2/2021 in Germany, how could they get here in N.A. so fast?

2/2021.  See pic.

[attachimg=1]

 

[Dr. P. Venkman]

I received my Kapex (in the US) on 2/2/2021, and it was manufactured in 12/2020.

 

[ChuckS]

Snip.
I'm not sure how I'll proceed.  It's a want item rather than a need item, so I'll probably keep checking local vendors rather than ordering one online, which means this could take a long time.  I'm not going to buy one and ship it immediately to Festool - retail customers shouldn't be drafted into service as the manufacturer's final QC check.

People buying a Kapex online is taking a risk, because if it's off here or there, as in your case, returning the machine is a hassle. I got and will get all my Festool machines from a local store only. Touch wood, if I need to return anything, I just drive over there, without worrying about packaging, paper work, etc.

Festool, as I said before, should send someone or a team to SawStop and learn how to improve their QC/QA process. Customers should definitely not be expected to be their volunteer QC partners when they pay top dollars for some toy.

 

[squall_line]

People buying a Kapex online is taking a risk, because if it's off here or there, as in your case, returning the machine is a hassle. I got and will get all my Festool machines from a local store only. Touch wood, if I need to return anything, I just drive over there, without worrying about packaging, paper work, etc.

Festool, as I said before, should send someone or a team to SawStop and learn how to improve their QC/QA process. Customers should definitely not be expected to be their volunteer QC partners when they pay top dollars for some toy.

I'd love to have a local store that cared one whit about their Festool offerings; they seem to be a burden to the employees, and even though they have the TID-18 announcement stickers on the front doors of the building, they still have almost a half dozen of them collecting dust in the back of the store.  Also, most local stores are out of stock on just about everything here in the states.

That said, some online stores have better return options than others, so YMMV (or YKMV).

 

[ChuckS]

I'd love to have a local store that cared one whit about their Festool offerings; they seem to be a burden to the employees, and even though they have the TID-18 announcement stickers on the front doors of the building, they still have almost a half dozen of them collecting dust in the back of the store.  Also, most local stores are out of stock on just about everything here in the states.

That said, some online stores have better return options than others, so YMMV (or YKMV).

Not all local stores are created the same, either. I stick with a few which are consistent in their service when it comes to big-ticket items. I shop a lot online, but mostly for items that are small or light-weight for which returns are simple and easy.  The pandemic has changed how many businesses do their business here. For example, I hardly shop at one merchant because of its location, and its shipping charges are hard to swallow. Since it rolled out free shipping (for orders over $50), I've spent several hundred dollars on it.

Also, interestingly, many online merchants have opted to refund me or send me a replacement instead of processing a return (courier fees aren't cheap, I guess). I am usually told to keep it or discard it as trash (after sending them photo proof of the problem reported).