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Festool KAPEX KS 120 REB#

The miter* saw is used for cutting longer material, such as 2x4 posts, at compound angles and tilts. This allows the creation of complex joints and geometry. The miter saw is capable of quickly cutting through thick material and leaves a clean cut, but the thick blade leaves a considerable kerf.

*Note: “Miter” is the American spelling of the British English “Mitre”. Both terms are referring to the same thing and can be used interchangeably. FesTool is a European company, so it is more common to see “Mitre” in their documentation.

Prerequisites for Use#

Safety Notices#

Note

PLEASE READ ALL SAFETY NOTICES BEFORE CONTINUING

Safety glasses mandatory.

Do not make any cuts smaller than 6".

Do not cut thin, splintering material.

Do not cut PVC or other frangible plastic.

Sharp blade moving quickly, stay clear!

Keep hands at least 12" from blade at all times

Use proper clamping to keep material from shifting

Wear short sleeves or roll up long sleeves

Secure loose clothing

Tie up and tuck in long hair

Remove lanyards, jewelry, gloves, etc.

Overview#

Machine Overview (Front)#

  1. Handle
  2. On/Off Switch
  3. Safety Lock
  4. Cutting Depth Limit Lever
  5. Rotary Knob for Clamping the Pulling Unit
  6. Transport Lock
  7. Scale for Mitre Angle (Vertical)
  8. Extendable Outfeed Table
  9. Rotary Knob for Extension Table
  10. Scale for Mitre Angle (Horizontal)
  11. Clamping Lever for Mitre Angle (Horizontal)
  12. Notch Lever for Preset Mitre Angle (Horizontal)
  13. Pendulum Guard
  14. Rotary Handle for Precision Adjustment of Mitre Angle (Vertical)

Machine Overview (Rear)#

  1. On/Off Switch for Laser
  2. Speed Adjusting Wheel
  3. FastFix Spindle Stop
  4. Clamping Lever for Stop Ruler
  5. Bevel Holder
  6. Release Lever for Special Cutting Position
  7. Lever for Special Cutting Position
  8. Power Cable
  9. Clamping Lever for Mitre Angle (Vertical)
  10. Selector Switch for Mitre Angle Range (Vertical)

Clamping & Supporting Material#

It is critical that the material is secured properly when cutting with the miter saw.

On either side of the machine, there are extendable infeed and outfeed supports. To extend these, simply pull them away from the body of the saw. Always use these or preferably a longer stable support when cutting longer material.

A clamping mechanism can be installed on either side of the saw. It should go on the larger/longer/heavier side of your cut. Remove the clamp (8.1) by rotating it 180 degrees and lifting it from the mounting hole (8.2) behind the fence. Re-install it by inserting into this hole and rotating 180 degrees.

To operate the clamp, first flip the green toggle upwards. Use the top green handle to press the arm down on your material. While applying downwards force, flip the green toggle to secure the position.

Material should be pressed firmly against the back fence to secure it while cutting. Optionally, material can be clamped to the fence for a more rigid setup.

When cutting very thin material (17.2) reinforce it by clamping it with a thicker piece of material (17.1) to prevent the material from wobbling or breaking.

In-Person Competency Check#

Once your angles are set and your workpiece is secured, you are ready to cut.

  1. Check your cut is in the right spot by turning on the laser with the Laser Switch
  2. Press the On/Off Trigger Switch down until you feel resistance to release the Pendulum Guard
  3. Press the Safety Lock button on the top of the Handle with your thumb
  4. Press the On/Off Trigger Switch all the way in to switch on the machine
  5. The connected vacuum system will automatically start
  6. Pull the saw forward and down slowly until it makes contact with your material
  7. Bring the blade down until it bottoms out
  8. Slide the miter saw backwards until fully through your material
  9. Lift the saw out of your material and release the On/Off Trigger Switch to turn off the blade

Techniques#

Different Cut Types#

The KAPEX machine is capable of straight, miter, bevel, or miter/bevel cuts.

Straight cuts are how a chop saw is used, making square cuts to split timbers and similar.

Miter cuts are at an angle, such that the part has an angle relative to the fence of the saw

Bevel cuts are at an angle relative to the edge of the material. Bevel cuts are also sometimes referred to as vertical miters.

Miter and bevel cuts can be combined to make very complex edges.

Adjusting for a Miter Cut#

To set a miter angle, first pull the clamping lever (12.3) upwards to unlock the mechanism. Then, press down on the notch lever (12.2). You can now swing the saw to the left or right to set a miter angle.

The miter angle can be seen on a readout marking (12.1) on the front of the machine.

Releasing the notch lever will make the machine stop at standard angles;

  • Left: 0°, 15°, 22.5°, 30°, 45°
  • Right: 0°, 15°, 22.5°, 30°, 45°, 60°

Once at the desired angle, press the clamping lever downwards.

Adjusting for a Bevel (Vertical Miter) Cut#

  1. Open the clamping lever (13.1).
  2. Turn the selector switch (13.2) to the adjustment range you would like (0°–45°, +/-45° or +/-47°).
  3. Swivel the saw until the indicator (13.3) points to the miter angle you would like. You can fine-tune the setting using the rotary handle (13.4).
  4. Close the clamping lever to secure this angle.

Setting Up Grooving or Facing Cuts#

The miter saw can do more than just through-cuts. By limiting the saw's depth, you can cut grooves or remove material from the top face of a part. This is accomplished with the cutting depth limiter.

  1. Swivel the lever for the cutting depth limiter (15.1) downwards until it clicks into place. The saw unit can now be swiveled down only as far as the preset cutting depth.
  2. Set the cutting depth you would like by turning the cutting depth limiting lever (the same one used to turn on this mode)
  3. To deactivate the depth limiter, swivel the limiter lever back up again.

Fixed Horizontal Position#

For certain grooving or facing cuts, it may be necessary to stop the sliding mechanism of the miter saw. To do this, move the saw to where you want along the guide rod (15.3), and turn the rotary knob (15.2) to secure it.