kapex - the new weapon

[L2theP]

i have had my kapex for a few months and yesterday noticed something very annoying about it;
i was cutting 7" walnut base moulding flat on the table, when saw was set to 45degrees on the bevel adjustment and while cutting off the end of the base to get a 45 degree cut the cut-off would get pushed under the blade by the clear plastic guard which would result in the piece flying like a bullet, the worst part was that i had the saw set up in front of a window and the piece nearly shattered it. 
that has resulted in the little plastic strips attached to the miter table to shatter  and the only way i could avoid bullets flying was to leave at least 3" of a cut-off so that it would rest on the other side of the fence.
Another thing that bothers me is the guard not always closing properly and the saw not returning up at times.
Other then that the saw in it's self is amazing!!!!!

Quick question, is there a specific side for crown stops? because i got two of them and it almost looks like i have 2 left or 2 right stops. and would that affect the extension mounting if i ever decide to get them

 

[PaulMarcel]

Hmm, small chunks will fly regardless the saw, I'd imagine (I have a Makita and unless I start doing this for a living, can't justify the upgrade to a Kapex).

When I did a lot of molding in my house last year, there was always the threat of a projectile so I took a scrap board a hair thicker than my molding and glued a scrap on top that stuck out 2-3 inches.  When cutting a potential projectile, I'd put the board such that the shelf that sticks out is overtop the off-cut and would simply drop the vice clamp on it.  That was more than enough to capture the piece.  Couple scraps and some cyano- glue and you can make them up as you chew them up with different cuts (I ended up with 3: 90?, left 45? and right 45?; the angled ones work on several other angles).  I used glue since I didn't want to risk hitting a screw and create a worse scenario!

 

[L2theP]

i do agree that you will have projectiles, it's inevitable but this was happening every single time i made that specific cut, and while you can make a zero clearance fence and do so many other things i have had two dewalt saws, a bosch, a ridgid and a hitachi and the kapex is so far been the only one with such  persistent results.  The kapex is a great saw without a doubt but it seems like a lot of people are having issues with the guard malfunctioning. and to be clear while watching the cut carefully i saw the guard push the cut-off right into the blades path and BAM!!!!  it snapped both of my plastic guards on the miter table, festool should come out with a zero clearance insert for the Kapex and maybe re-construct the guard slightly as a lot of people are having problems with it not coming back down completely and the head of the saw not going all the way back up at times , a stronger spring and little extending tabs on the plastic guard that will hold the guard in place once cut is complete. I'm just stating my problem to see if anyone else has experienced this issue.

 

[woodshopdemos]

Are you letting the saw come to a complete stop before rasing it?  You can also put a piece of wood on the fence so you will have a zero clearance fence ... and no kickback or projectile functioning

 

[PaulMarcel]

Oh sorry I didn't catch the part that the guard itself was doing the pushing.  I just assumed it was the usual small cutoff projectile problem.  Yeah, that would suck.  My Makita doesn't do that; the guard is moved away from the material when lowering the blade and the material can push it up further if it is thick.  But you knew that.

 

[peter halle]

For those of you who haven't looked at the Gary Katz article that was mentioned in an earlier recent thread, you might want to click on this link Watch Gary Katz use the Kapex.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the you tube movie.  Gary is not performing the same cut mentioned previously, but maybe you can garner some ideas from his movie.

Gary shows his saw with an auxilary fence.  About 5:30 into the movie you will see him cutting small pieces of crown that could become projectiles.  If you watch and listen closely you will notice that on some cuts the blade is already slowing down at the end of the cut because he has released the trigger.  He has pulled that trigger thousand or tens of thousands of times and has learned what works best for him with that saw.  Also look at the design of his fence and see how he made that to accommidate his saw and the way that he cuts.  Making an auxilary fence or a couple of different types is not unusual.  Woodworkers and carpenters build jigs all the time to adapt their method of work and their tools on hand to the task on hand, just as John and others mentioned previously.  Look at all the great ones posted here.  [thumbs up]

That being said, any time you you are making a bevel cut there is a greater risk of the blade catching one side of the cut and moving the piece.  Especially if the piece on one side is small.  I don't have the Kapex.  I have had Makitas and Hitachis since I began.  Projectiles happen.  Cutting returns for trim is a perfect example.

The kapex is a great saw without a doubt but it seems like a lot of people are having issues with the guard malfunctioning

festool should come out with a zero clearance insert for the Kapex and maybe re-construct the guard slightly as a lot of people are having problems with it not coming back down completely and the head of the saw not going all the way back up at times , a stronger spring and little extending tabs on the plastic guard that will hold the guard in place once cut is complete.

Blade guards have to be a pain in the rump to design.  When works great for one size or type of wood moulding or stock may not work well for another. There have been some posts here about issues that people have had with a rivet or a spring, but I can't remembers seeing even a dozen.  Even if there were to have been 50, would that be an accurate measure based on the total number of tools produced?  The active posters here are just a tiny piece of the Festool user population.  Every cutting situation is different, just everyone's skill level is different, the materials being used are different, the condition of the blades are different, etc.  That is why manufacturers have to make their openings larger.  Why their guards have to be designed to work with a variety of situations.  They need to build in such a manner as to allow for flexibility so that they can sell their tools.  Sometimes to get a job done with the tools you got you have to go to the tool box and get the magic tool - creativity.  But creativity is not meant to mean disabling the safety functions and systems built into the tool.

Sorry for the long post.

Peter

Peter

 

[johnsonri]

Zero clearance inserts and fence faces really made a difference for me. I have made them of MDF and I consider them consumables that get replaced every so often.

[attachthumb=1]

[attachthumb=2]

Regards
Rey

 

[peter halle]

Rey,

Every time I see photos of your setup I drool with envy.  If you keep showing them I'll have to start using a  waterproof keyboard  [big grin] [big grin]

Peter

 

[spikfot]

Nice Incra collection on the wall there.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Nicely done Rey! The auxiliary fence will take care of most of the problem with small offcuts.

Another thing you can do is place a vacuum hose (vacuum running of course) close to the end
of the stick getting cut and the vacuum will pull the piece away from the blade as it is severed.

 

[johnsonri]

Thanks Peter and Michael.

One thing with the closed fence though. The dust collection of the Kapex is somewhat reduced when the fence faces are closed...but no shooting projectiles.

Nice Incra collection on the wall there.

I absolutely love the Incra measuring tools. That is also Incra's lexan scale on the Kapex fence.

Rey

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

All saws like flinging small bits.
I cut a lot of crown, base and casing returns.
The best method I have found for greatly reducing flying bits of wood is:
Let the saw blade come to a stop before lifting the head up.

I get maybe one of ten that will go squirting out.

 

[L2theP]

thanx Peter, and Rey your set up is sweet, i will duplicate your fence and insert as soon as i get a free moment.

Here is the unit i was trimming out, and the base that kept wanting to fly.

 

[jonny round boy]

Inspired by Rey's post above, I was 'pottering' in my workshop earlier & decided to make a new insert & zero clearance fence for my Kapex. The insert is just a piece of 6mm MDF. I added packers (pieces of 0.7mm laminate) to the pads to bring the insert up to the correct height. Here it is before I cut into it:

[attachthumb=1]

I was about to start on the fence, when I discovered to my horror that on the left-hand side of the fence, the top section had welded itself to the main casting [mad]. I know this was a problem on some early models, but thought I'd escaped it - obviously not. TBH it's probably over 12 months since I last moved that fence section. Luckily I've had the saw about 2 1/2 years, so at least it's still in warranty...

 

[johnsonri]

jonny round boy, nice! This small thing made such an improvement for me.

I was about to start on the fence, when I discovered to my horror that on the left-hand side of the fence, the top section had welded itself to the main casting [mad].

Is this something that some WD40 might help with?

L2theP, I believe that the setup will help your setup alot.

 

[jonny round boy]

I e-mailed Festool UK about the fence on Saturday. I explained  that I didn't want to send the whole saw back, but that I was happy to fit a new fence myself if they were happy to send one.

Got an e-mail back first thing this morning, saying that a new fence will be delivered here tomorrow.

Another plus for Festool UK's customer service!

 

[woodguy7]

Hmm, my Rotex is still away. must be about 2 weeks now  [sad]  I miss that sander.

Woodguy

 

[Gary Katz]

Hey! I've had that same problem with small pieces flying out the back of the saw. It's really bad when you're cutting at a show and there are people walking behind the saw, or as one of you mentioned, setting your saw up in front of a window!  I've learned over the years to ALWAYS let the saw come to a COMPLETE stop before allowing it to move even a fraction of an inch. Yes, sometimes the 'wind' from the blade will draw the small piece in at the back of the blade and fire it off, but if you keep the blade down in the throat guard, and you don't let it move, the piece should stay right where it is. Unless of course it's such a small piece that the slightest breeze blows it toward the blade. I have that problem with some saws when I cut bead molding for classical head casing--you know, the stuff a lot of folks call 'parting bead' (though I learned a few years ago it's really an architrave bead!). That material is so small that when you cut off the little self return caps, they fly all over the place. I use a zero-clearance fixture for cutting that material. But for anything larger than 3 in., the self-returns and small cutoffs are usually safely cut as long as you don't let that blade move at ALL.

I hope that helps!
Gary

 

[RossM]

With respect to the blade guard retracting problem, this does NOT seem to be taken seriously enough by Festool.

See this http://www.woodworkforums.com/f58/dangerous-kapex-112311/  for some more information. Note also the censorship of the post that was attempted in this forum to alert people of the issues.

What is worrying is that FOG seems to be becoming what many were concerned about when the "coup" by Fetool USA lawyers took place. While still a valuable resource, there is less independence than I would like; & a definite push toward marketing spin. Shame. It was great when it was a site with out "fear or favour". Great companies embrace robust discussion & are adult about criticism. Over-eager marketing wanks trying to "control the message" just angers customers. Hope Festool is not becoming another Toyota.

 

[Brice Burrell]

Ross, I think you are misinformed. The post wasn't remove to cover up the problem the member had with his blade guard but because the post mentioned a modification to the guard. Any modification to safety device can to potentially dangerous and that is why the post was temporally removed. The thread was reposted with the parts about modifying the guard removed.

The blade guard issue has been address on this site several times so there is no cover up going on here. In fact you'll notice I posted links to this site in the Woodwork forum thread you linked in your post, see the first reply in that thread. While I respect your position you're way off base with your assumptions.