Miter Saw Safety (Featuring the Kapex)

[thewoodwhisperer]

Hey folks.  I did a quick miter saw safety video to finish off our Woodworker's Safety Week.  The point was not to show off the Kapex, but to give a few simple Miter Saw tips.  Nonetheless, you just can't miss the Kapex, lol.  If anyone has any questions about my experiences with the Kapex so far, I would be more than happy to answer them.
Enjoy!



For anyone interesting in watching the higher quality versions on my site (a commercial site, but the videos are free), here is the link:http://thewoodwhisperer.com/episode-53-miter-saw-safety/

 

[Mirko]

Hi Mark,
The video won't play ???

Mirko

 

[monte]

hmmm, me too.
??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???

 

[Brice Burrell]

Click on the link, it will take you to the video on his (commercial) site. Nice video Marc, thanks for posting.

 

[ryansmythe]

Hey

compared to the makita that you had before is there a big difference in quality? From the video it looked like the dust collection work well for the straight cuts that you made. Does it do just as well for cutting mitres and beveled cuts?

 

[thewoodwhisperer]

Do you guys normally have problems viewing the embedded videos here?  I only ask because its working for me.  But that doesn't mean that I didn't do something wrong.  If you haven't updated your Flash in a while guys, you may want to download the latest: http://www.adobe.com/support/flashplayer/downloads.html

As for the comparison to the Makita, I would have to say that the cut quality is roughly equivalent to my pedestrian eye.  For those who don't know, I had a Tenryu Gold Medal blade in a 12" Makita slider prior to the Kapex.  As far as the angles and bevels go, I find the Kapex much easier to nail those odd angles.  Would I be confident that I could accurately hit .5 degree increments on the Makita?  Heck no, lol.  But on the Kapex I would be able to knock out half degree accuracy all day.  Keep in mind though, I am not a "power user" when it comes to miter saws.  As a builder of all things square, most of my angled cuts are very predictable.  So both the Makita and the Kapex excel in my shop.  But if I were working job sites still, I would speculate that the Kapex would offer me a significant advantage over the Makita in terms of accuracy.  I might be helping a buddy of mine do a big job in Scottsdale next month and I absolutely plan on bringing the Kapex to the party.  Lots of interior work (crown, base, etc.) and it will be inside a country club.  How much dust do you think I will be able to make there?  lol.  And for me, that's one of the areas that the Kapex really shines.  I have been struggling for a while with a good solution for miter saw dust collection.  Thankfully, I don't have to worry about that anymore.  And yes, the dust collection seems to be equally effective in just about any position (haven't tried them all though).

   

 

[dltflt]

Thanks Marc, great job.

 

[Dan Clermont]

Thanks Marc! Nice video. You've answered some questions I had on miter saw safety

Dan Clermont

 

[rkon]

Hey Marc nice video and you have me Festdrooling over the Kapex. I noticed that when you put the backer board on the fence the clamp got in the way. Does clamp slide or adjust so it will hold down a board if you are using a backer board? Or would it work if you had a thinner piece of wood for the backerboard?

Rich

 

[Forrest Anderson]

Hey Marc nice video and you have me Festdrooling over the Kapex. I noticed that when you put the backer board on the fence the clamp got in the way. Does clamp slide or adjust so it will hold down a board if you are using a backer board? Or would it work if you had a thinner piece of wood for the backerboard?

Speaking of backer boards, I also noticed that it magically got narrower, so that the top of it was lower! Presumably the first version caught on the dust-collecting chute?

Marc - thanks very much for producing the video. I regularly check your website to see if any new videos have been posted. Incidentally, I watched the version embedded in your FOG post when you first announced it, but now I get message "We're sorry, but this video is no longer available".

Forrest

 

[PeterK]

Thank you Marc. The video has sure got my attention. Starting to think that just maybe $1300 isn't that much money! What else can I sell?
Pete

 

[thewoodwhisperer]

You know, the YouTube thing is driving me crazy.  Sometimes it shows up and sometimes it shows an error.  The weirdest part is that I don't even see the video in my account on YouTube.  ugh. 

And yes, the board did get magically shorter.  lol. I was too lazy to go back and re-shoot the scene.  The dust chute was indeed the culprit.

As for the clamp, it does become an issue when using 3/4" material, like I did in the video.  But you should be able to use 1/2 ply as a backer without trouble.  Actually the space between the fence and the clamp looks to be almost exactly 1/2".  So maybe 1/4" ply would be the safest choice.  And not that I am one to "modify" my tools very often, but this is one case where I might.  The back of the clamp head is "V"-shaped and can easily be filed or cut down to accommodate larger backer boards.  If there is any area that was overlooked on this saw, that would probably be it.

 

[steverunner]

Hi Marc,
how do you like the Kapex, I have a dewalt 12" but I always found it pretty dangerous ,
I followed your recommendation to keep the blade down and stop before bringing it back up

it works !!. that's so great

the downside of it , miter saw is a very useful tool, but I found my dewalt not very precise, lack laser, ...
what do you think about the Kapex, do you think it would be a good upgrade?
how easy is it to use ( note on the dewalt you cant really cut 45degree  vertically), what other benefits did you see

thanks for your thoughts

 

[thewoodwhisperer]

Hey Steve.  The Kapex is incredibly easy to use and would be a great upgrade for just about any saw.  But for some woodworkers, there is a point of diminishing returns.  The Kapex may be more saw than you really need.  I can't really make that call for you.  I think I may have mentioned before that if you make money from your saw, the Kapex is a no-brainer.  If you really just WANT it, then that's also a no-brainer.  But if you are just looking for a dependable saw that cuts accurately, you have a decision to make.  It all depends on the type of woodworking you do, your future plans, and your budget.