Kapex in Action

[chippy31]

Thought I would go play with my Kapex today,winding down for Xmas at the moment.

Eli is right about the cutting sizes, but I spaced out 40mm from the fence and managed to cut right through 99mm square timber. That was mahogany, cut especially for you Lou sized on one of my other toys my CS 70 Precisio. It went through it no problem at all.

I also looked again at the angle settings. I noticed when I took my time I was getting it to lock where I wanted it. I think it was just stiffness and unfamiliarity was causing the problem. I would still prefer it without the indents but you cannot have everything. Derek 

 

[Ned]

I don't think it's fair to look at that video and criticize the joinery, because to me it seems plain that the guy doing the work is not a German that's been through the apprenticeship of olde.  You guys are judging a saw by the capability of someone who is probably an engineer working for Festo, not a skilled and capable craftsman like you all are....

They're trying to sell us the saw.  Why shouldn't we expect that the video show the product at its best (or maybe even better than that )?

Ned

 

[Lou Miller]

They're trying to sell us the saw.  Why shouldn't we expect that the video show the product at its best (or maybe even better than that )?

Ned

Thank you!!!

Jerry did a very nice job of clearing up a bunch of the questions I have about the saw. Put a lot of my misconceptions to rest (along with Chippy and Eli too), and has me intrigued about a couple of small things I never gave much thought to as well. Like I said before, I do expect to be proven wrong on most, if not all, of the points I brought up. Its starting to look more and more like that will be the case too. Not only from what Jerry has had to say, but also the video I saw with Gary Katz too.

However, having said the above, those videos still really really suck. I know Festool's reputation and usual build quality are what really sell their products, but come on, they could have done a much much better job on the videos. A lot of negative things have been said here over the last couple of days (which are all probably wrong too) and they all stem from those lousy videos.

After reading and viewing what I did today, I'm back to price being the only concern I really have at this point. We'll see... I plan to flop back and forth like a flounder out of water for quite some time before making up my mind. You guys will probably be extremely sick of me by the time (if not already) the darn thing becomes available here.

 

[mastercabman]

the question is.who made those videos?was it festool or someone just trying to show how to work the angle finder?
i'm sorry,but some of you are really crying over nothing.it' just 1 guy in a lousy video.i didn't see any name tag or a festool logo on him.or is there? where do those videos come from?

 

[Lou Miller]

the question is.who made those videos?was it festool or someone just trying to show how to work the angle finder?
i'm sorry,but some of you are really crying over nothing.it' just 1 guy in a lousy video.i didn't see any name tag or a festool logo on him.or is there? where do those videos come from?

ROTFL... Yeah okay, they are just trying to plug the angle finder... Sure that's it. I mean there are only 18,000 close up shots of the saw in action from every conceivable viewpoint, I'm sure they are just plugging the angle finder...  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

I don't know for sure who made the videos, but I'd be willing to lay some serious money that Festool sponsored them and approved them.

 

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Well if they sponsor me with a Kapex I will make some mighty fine videos for them and posty them here for you all to see. That I think must be the onlyh solution to this dilema.

 

[Eli]

You guys will probably be extremely sick of me by the time (if not already) the darn thing becomes available here.

I may in fact just give up on reading forums until you guys all have a Kapex and settle down again. Glad I wasn't around for the Domino's release, but I heard everybody was like, "I ain't paying no money for no glorified angle grinder!" and look at how brilliant it is. A year from now it's going to be some other crazy thing you can't buy yet but you're not sure if you will, but it's a lot of money and, jeeez! settle down already or I'll tease you some more.  ;D

 

[Anthony]

where do those videos come from?

Hi guys,

The videos in question on our web site are from the Festool IPT (Interactive Product Tour) DVD.

Despite what people think about the quality of workmanship of the guy doing the demonstrations, maybe you can still appreciate that it seems Festool show you the results pretty much as they are. My interpretation of the videos (emphasize that it is my interpretation only) is that they don't appear to do a zillion takes and show you the one perfect result. You will notice this on many Festool produced video material, including the ROTEX and DOMINO videos. But we love those two tools don't we?

Personally I think the KAPEX produces fantastic results. I think it will be great when NA gets them and I expect the vast majority will appreciate the KAPEX as well. For those who think they can produce better results than the guy in the video because you already can with your current saw, then you probably will. For the rest of us, some of the features like the crown moulding stops, the lasers, and that oh so smooth cut from the standard blade, should help us get better results than before.

 

[lynnsr]

Personally, I think that all the videos of the Kapex have been done in a secret desert site and do not really exist.

Just like the moon landing.

One giant step for the sawdust Kings.

Lou, you can tease you want from your desert site, but I have a beer.

Cheers from Coor's country.

Lynn

 

[bopperontbay]

just a quick question do you all cut the crown mouldings in the same orientation as in the video and prefer to do so and if so why as i was taught to cut them upside down and hence thats how i do them; and does anyone know advantages and dissandvantages cutting them in the two different orientations cheers bopper.

 

[ccmviking]

bopperontbay the molding in the video is being cut upside down and backwards.  It's pretty tricky and weird with no good reason to cut them right side up.  If you do though you'd use the fence as the cabinet face frame and have the top of the molding sticking out toward you (yes we've all done it that way.  The problems with cutting right side up are numerous, safety, stability, many saws capacity won't cut it, etc., etc.  Crown stops can be helpful as long as they are rigid.  When I start a large job I put blue tape over my entire saw table.  Set my moldings in it accurately at my most common angles (90, 45.5 Left and Right) and scribe lines on the tape along the molding.  The biggest error you can make cutting crown (IMO) is not having it set in the fence the same each and every time.  I just align the molding to my pencil marks on the table and know that they will be the same.  It's easy and works well for me.  I switch back and forth cutting too many molding types to hassle with setting up crown stops, removing them to cut something else, and setting them back up again.  I try not to batch process everything but to complete things as I go.  By the way Lou I do use the Dewalt 716 and definitely think Dewalt could up the quality and precision of the saw but I think it's probably the best "designed" saw out there.  For general carpentry to finish work it doesn't have many faults.  I use Forrest MiterMaster and ChopMaster blades which I think are the best available (I also use the WoodWorker II on my cabinet and Portable Table Saw).  I do trim work every day and it sure comes out nice...

Chris...   

 

[bopperontbay]

i am not really following you as i do cut it upside down but just not back to front thats all, i was just meaning why back to front ; i am a kitchen fitter and mostley use it for cornice and light pelmet which are often painted mdf moulds and vinynl wraps so i have to cut with the blade going into the face not out or else it make a right mess i use a draper cms with my own added fence that helps a lot (ill post a pic if i can work it out), but i am probbaly going to buy the kapex its just the heafty price tag for what at the end of the day is still just a cms, the only real features that for me that attract me is the quick brake action the superier dust collection and the dual line laser and maybe the extra cutting capacity might come in from time to time. knowing festool there will probably be many other advantages i like once bought but still the price is a bit steep with all the moulding stops accesories an extra cost. like most people on this site i am a big fan of the festool gear with the back of my van looking like a festool showroom, i currenlty have ro 150, ctl midi cd12, ts 55, the trion jigsaw (which i personally dont like, there is much better out there for the money) and a 18 years old of2000 router along with rails sortainers extra systainers and god knows how many extras; so i am sold on the festool system and really you would think i would be the first to but the kapex but still trying to justify it.

 

[bopperontbay]

pic1

 

[bopperontbay]

pic2

 

[bopperontbay]

pic 3 sorry there a bit blury i took them on my phone