Kapex Miter Lock Needs Rethinking

[HandyKevin]

Hi, I have been buying Festool for several years and have not regretted any of my purchases to date, only that I didn't invest sooner!  I have a serious pick with the Kapex miter detent/locking system though.  I seem to have bought the Rolls Royce of saws with a Nash miter locking system.  I do lots of stair work and find it very frustrating that it is nearly impossible to efficiently set a 1/2 to 3/4 degree miter off 0 degrees.  If I have the lock off, the detent grabs at about 3/4 degree and sucks it back to 0.  I have resorted to keeping the lock on and pushing the detent override while whacking with my hand to get the setting I want.  Is this just me or has anyone else experienced this?  My cheap Ridgid has an override for these situations!  And how about copying  the rack and pinion technology off the back and putting it on the miter system?  Festool, are you listening?  When I mentioned it to the rep at last year's JLC in Providence he said I could put a small squeeze clamp on the detent button!!???  Also, he said that the saw is so good otherwise that I could overlook that one point.  This saw is all about repeatability, which a pencil or wood scrap inserted behind the work piece is not.  I want to set and repeat off square cuts for my stair treads, out of square doors, etc.  Let me know when you implement my ideas.

 

[bkharman]

Don't knock Nash man. Don't knock Nash...

 

[unityroad]

Hi, what stair parts need a 1/2 of a degree?  If the stairs are housed, or skirt board scribed these treads can be cut square.  Or are you nailing in the skirts first  [eek] then trying to fit treads in-between them?

 

[tjbnwi]

I have no issues with the detent, set the angle where you want it and push the lock down. I don't see what the problem is. Maybe I'm missing something???

Tom

 

[HandyKevin]

On the stair treads, I am fitting them between skirts and scribing them.  I set the laser to the scribe line which sometimes happens to be slightly off square.  The same problem happens when I need a 44.5 degree or a 45.5 degree cut.  Seriously, this never happened to you??  Is this my saw?

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Some days I feel like a broken record.  [crying]

Real men don't need manuals, after all.  [scared]

But I put these little itty bitty details in the manuals for those that may need them (or read them).  [big grin]

(Tongue firmly planted in cheek)

[attachimg=1]

 

[jbair]

I think this is where Kevin (in his Gilda Radner voice) says, "Never Mind".

 

[HandyKevin]

OK, great, I have to take my hand off the workpiece while I hold the lock with one hand and finetune the angle with the other.  So I guess I'm a little stupid, (I had figured out what the manual helpfully supplies) I just thought there could be a better solution for a common situation.  Consider me sufficiently flogged. [embarassed]

 

[wow]

HandyKevin:

In case we haven't said it, [welcome] to the FOG! Hopefully you'll stay and share pictures of some of your projects with us?

 

[Rick Christopherson]

Kevin, if I am reading your message correctly, you may be intertwining 2 unrelated issues as one. Just to cover the basics, locking the miter angle while holding the detent override doesn't require any extra hands or motions. But I think you already figured that out.

As for making a 1/2 degree adjustment to a miter angle, it more or less doesn't matter which saw you own, this typically takes 2 hands to accurately make tweaks by rapping on the side of the handle. I use the same method regardless whether it is my Kapex, DeWalt 708, or even my Delta Unifence on the tablesaw--I tap on the side to make minor bumps in position to set them accurately.

That being said, you may also be referring to the stiffness of the Kapex miter turntable. Many people, including myself, feel that the turntable is too stiff. Nevertheless, and whether you/we agree with it or not, it is a deliberate design feature of the Kapex. If you search the forum, I believe there may be some discussions about loosening it up.

 

[bkharman]

OK, great, I have to take my hand off the workpiece while I hold the lock with one hand and finetune the angle with the other.  So I guess I'm a little stupid, (I had figured out what the manual helpfully supplies) I just thought there could be a better solution for a common situation.  Consider me sufficiently flogged. [embarassed]

On this site you aren't "flogged"... you are FOGged 

Welcome and enjoy.

cheers.  Bryan.

 

[tjbnwi]

OK, great, I have to take my hand off the workpiece while I hold the lock with one hand and finetune the angle with the other.  So I guess I'm a little stupid, (I had figured out what the manual helpfully supplies) I just thought there could be a better solution for a common situation.  Consider me sufficiently flogged. [embarassed]

I've never need to use two hands to set the miter table to 1/4 or 1/2 degrees. Set the table and use the palm of your hand to set the lock while your thumb is holding the stop down. Was second nature the first time I had to do it on my Bosch miter saw 30 years ago.

Tom

 

[hopper]

OK, great, I have to take my hand off the workpiece while I hold the lock with one hand and finetune the angle with the other.  So I guess I'm a little stupid, (I had figured out what the manual helpfully supplies) I just thought there could be a better solution for a common situation.  Consider me sufficiently flogged. [embarassed]

HandyKevin,
I just got my Kapex the other day and have been playing with it.  You can easily lock the saw to within 1/2 degree or less of the preset miter stops using one hand on the miter lock lever( with your thumb pressing the miter stop release) and one hand holding your stock.  The vernier scale makes it very easy to see an accuracy of 1/2 degree without guessing as I had to do on my DeWalt.