FAQs
“How long will the laser last?”
The laser is rated at 5000hrs. For the average craftsman using their shop 8 hours a week that would equal 12 years.
“How good is the adhesive tape and what will it bond to? ”
The adhesive is a solid acrylic, which is considered permanent after 72hrs. It will bond to almost all hard clean surfaces. It should not be used with self oiling plastics such as polypropylene.
“How should I clean the laser when it gets dirty? ”
The cover of the laser is glass and should be cleaned with standard glass cleaner as necessary. A compressor should not be used to blow off dust, as that could blow dust into the unit.
“Is there danger in inadvertently looking into the laser ?”
The laser is a class IIIA device transmitting less than 5mw. This is considered to be safe for normal use.
“Can the width of the laser be adjusted for different blades?”
No. The laser cannot be adjusted but you can still adjust its position for accurate use. We suggest that you use a Model 125. When you are using a 1/8 kerf blade you would use the Laserkerf normally. When you change to a thin kerf blade adjust the beam to align with the left side of the blade. Align your cut mark on the left side normally. On the right side instead of placing your cut mark on the outside edge of the laser place the mark just inside the laser. The width of the mark is approximately .025", which is the difference in the two blades.
“Will the laser work outside?”
The laser is not strong enough to compete with the brightness and spectrum of light produced by the sun, even on a cloudy day.
“Can the Laserkerf be transferred to another saw if I change saws at some point?”
The short answer is yes.
The adhesive is very good but you could pry it off or cut through the adhesive. You would then need a new adhesive strip. The adhesive is not just double back tape, it holds much stronger. We will send you another strip upon request.
“My only criticism is that because of the position of the laser unit, you can’t see the laser line when cutting crown molding.”
I sent you a page from Dewalt about cutting crown molding. The second section discusses cutting the material flat on the saw table. There are a lot of problems cutting crown molding using the backstop to hold the molding at the same angle as the wall and ceiling angle. Usually the angle in the house is not 90 degrees. If you are cutting 5.5" molding and the angle is off 3 degrees there will be a 3/8 split in the bottom of the molding. The compound miter saw was designed to lay the material flat, be clamped in place is desired, and then the table and blade rotated to the necessary angles for a proper miter. Holding the material at 45 degrees when making the cut is less accurate and most saws do not have a clamp to hold the wood to keep it from slipping. I hope this is helpful.
“I was about to buy one of your devices for a crown moldings project with my Delta compound miter saw, when I noted in your Q/A section that the device does not work for the “bottoms-up” approach (non-compound angle). I commend you for your honesty in pointing that out, but I think your answer to that question is a bit disingenuous...saying that the bottoms-up approach is difficult and prone to be inaccurate.
The 12” Delta saw I have has a tall fence perfect for even large moldings and it has stops on the platform so that once you set them up for a molding size, they stay that way. Before I had this saw, I used a 10” Craftsman and had to make a jig that accomplished the same thing. Bench Dog makes an inexpensive crown molding jig, too, that you can use with pretty much any “chop” saw.
Further, if you look at the DeWalt web site you point to in your answer, you will find that the first technique for cutting crown moldings they suggest is the bottom-up approach. The flat-cut approach is only the third they suggest. I think that speaks volumes.
Once you have your jig set up, the bottoms-up approach is very accurate and fast. I think it’s safer, too, than the compound angle approach. I understand how it would be hard to make your device work for cutting moldings with the bottoms-up method, but you should not disparage that method. In fact, it works great.”
Thank you for your comments. In the original question the customer wanted the laser to mark the front of the molding, which it will not. In almost all cases the laser will mark the exact cutting position needed in the bottoms up approach, which is the edge of the molding. I have used this method many times and it is typically accurate enough. In many older homes it is not accurate enough. The answer on the site is about the greatest degree of accuracy because as stated 90 degree corners are not in abundance.
Dewalt is also the only saw, as far as I know, that has stops, at extra cost of course, made to cut molding against the back stop. I to have typically set my own track to hold the material in position when cutting bottoms up. If a track is not used, and some novices may think it is not necessary, the accuracy will be hit or miss at best. The laser will mark the bottom edge of the molding using the bottoms up, originally called the "up side down and backwards method", with great accuracy. I appreciate your comments and time to discuss the subject.
“I have noticed some saw dust inside the laser. What should I do to get it out?”
If it affects the laser beam remove the black rubber band and then blow through the slot with low pressure air. The dust will blow out the bottom. Replace the band and everything should be fine.
“I finally got the time to install my Laserkerf this past weekend. I had no problems getting it mounted and aligned. I do have a question. My laser line is very sharp and crisp at the end near the fence. The farther from the fence you look the more the line gets very hazy (blurred). Can this be adjusted?”
“OK—-that answers the mystery. Obviously as the beam stretches out from under the shadow of radial arm saw motor it is being affected by the bright fluorescent lighting in the shop and breaks up a bit. Not a problem, I really love the tool !!! I can actually split a pencil mark on a piece of wood stock by simply lining it up with the edge of the beam. It only takes a second to line things up and get that kind of accuracy with the Laserkerf. Very nice product. By the way, my Dad likes the Laserkerf I bought him as much as I do. Thanks for the quick reply.”
There is no adjustment for the crispness of the beam. If you have a high level of light it will start to break up the beam.