Kapex Oops

[Birdhunter]

I've been using my Kapex for several months and I've been more than impressed with the machine's accuracy and dust collection.

I read all the posts about the machine and knew to let the blade stop before lifting the handle.

Got in a hurry this PM while cutting some 45 degree cuts for a small box. On the 3rd cut, I lifted the handle before the blade stopped.

BANG!!!!!!!!!

No blood fortunately, but lots of adrenaline and a jolt to the hand holding the piece of wood. I have no idea what happened and I have not yet found the cutoff piece.

Lesson learned. Always let the blade stop before lifting the handle.

 

[builderbob]

You're not the only person guilty of lifting the blade before its done spinning!  I've gotten pretty good at it, but I'll get the occasional "fling"...

 

[skids]

Yeah my Kapex has made me soil my trousers a few times with a fling or two..I will say that since I replaced the stock blade with a higher tooth blade it happens alot less..Almost never actually.

 

[tbellemare]

since I replaced the stock blade

I trust you replaced the trousers also???

Tom

 

[Kev]

since I replaced the stock blade

I trust you replaced the trousers also???

Tom

The new trousers also have more teeth  [eek]

 

[skids]

since I replaced the stock blade

I trust you replaced the trousers also???

Tom

Absolutley!  [wink]

 

[Jalvis]

I'll keep that in mind.....new blade and pair of Blakladers.

 

[festooltim]

Been there done that except my hand came away bloody. Blade shoved wood into finger and ripped it open. Trip to med check and they super glued it shut, lessened learned. Then I changed blade to higher teeth seems less grabby on the small pieces and I make sure I hold it tight till the blade stops.

 

[erock]

The first time this happened to me, I was like  "what the H-E-double hockey sticks  did I do?"

I realized quickly that I lifted the blade while it was still spinning.  SO I installed a zero clearance auxiliary fence.

This helped me out a lot.  It leaves no void behind the cut off, so that piece can not fly off to cause harm.

Now don't get me wrong, I still wait for that blade to stop.  But for the times that I may forget, it's nice to have that auxiliary fence.

Eric

 

[Birdhunter]

I recently changed from the standard blade to the Festool 80 tooth blade so the tooth count wasn't the issue. I feel like I got a "free lesson".

 

[festooltim]

Count yourself lucky then count your fingers just to make sure.

 

[Jaybolishes]

I wonder what the cause of this is.  I've been doing all the baseboard, door and window trim in a house with my Bosch axial.  Not to mention lots of other projects since i bought it.  I've made thousands  of cuts, typically cutting little pieces off a board and I have never had a piece thrown.  Worst thing that happens is the little cutoff will spin off to side and toward the back of the saw, but it stays on the saws table. I am now totally comfortable holding very small pieces with my fingers close to the blade, never with my dewalt.  It just really doesn't throw wood ever.  Really liking this saw.  My dewalt slider would throw wood a lot!  I wonder what the heck is going on, because I never let the saw stop, I lift immediately after the cut. Do some folks notice their kapex doesn't throw chunks when they lift while the saw is spinning?

 

[TomGadwa1]

I know that most folks have a dislike for reading the operating manuals for their tools, but if you look at any mitre saw manual whether it is a slider or not the instructions will state to let the blade come to a complete stop before raising the head after the cut has been made! I had a Hitachi sawdust machine and one time I raised the blade while it was still spinning. The offcut became a potentially lethal projectile. It bounced off of two walls and actually left a dent in the first wall that it hit! If it dented a wall just imagine what it could do to someones eye? Moral of the story: WAIT FOR THE BLADE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP BEFORE RAISING THE HEAD OF THE SAW...!!!!

 

[Jaybolishes]

I guess I'll live dangerously. [scared] But that is good advice.  My dewalt forced me to wait for the blade to stop when my hands were close.  This current saw is totally different animal.  I feel safer than in mummy's arms.

 

[Guilliaume woodworks]

I don't have the kapex, but many miter saws have this behavior. Usually it's when cutting smaller hard material, (like oak base shoe or similar ) . Material is thrown (or explodes) because as the blade is lifted the teeth in rear of blade are on an upward travel where material is seated in fence. Generally padding out fence to pull material away from where blade begins its upward rotation solves this problem. It's also a good habit to let blade stop completely before lifting it from material. Be safe everyone. I added pic of my saw and you can clearly see how the blade goes below table and then travels upward exposed before clearing the fence. IMHO , this is where the problem is.

 

[Birdhunter]

I was cutting Rosewood (triangular piece about 1" on a side) and I had a back-up piece of particle board to prevent tear-out. The blade was set to a right side 45 degree angle.

The jolt was to my left hand, the hand holding the piece to be cut. The cut-off would have been about 1/2 inch long if I ever find it.

 

[skids]

I recently changed from the standard blade to the Festool 80 tooth blade so the tooth count wasn't the issue. I feel like I got a "free lesson".

I changed out to a different 80t blade, non ATB blade. Maybe it's in my head but I feel it helped a bit. Also, as erock mentioned ZCI helps too.