Sawing with a jigsaw: preparation, basic secrets of work

General information

A jigsaw is a tool specially designed for cutting contours of varying complexity from a plywood sheet. This becomes possible due to the presence of small teeth on the working part of the tool. If the master has enough experience, they will help to achieve a perfectly even cut without burrs.

This tool can be manual or electric. Previously, sawing with a hand jigsaw was the only way to make carved plywood products, but now power tools open up even more possibilities. There are even jigsaws with laser stripes.

Sawing is done on plywood. This material was not chosen in vain, because it is moisture-resistant, resistant to sudden temperature changes, inexpensive, and easy to use. In addition, the weight of shaped plywood products is small.

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Tool for making decorative and openwork crafts

Sawing with a jigsaw is a type of creative activity that most people are familiar with from childhood, from school. At least it wasn't that long ago. When labor lessons began at school and girls learned sewing and needlework, boys were introduced to a tool such as a jigsaw .

It is not difficult to use, and crafts made with a jigsaw from plywood carry not only artistic value, but also practical application. Manufactured products can act as souvenirs: various boxes and toys, and also have practical applications in everyday life. Decorated elements of the porch of a house, windows, stylish benches with carved legs, beautiful kitchen furniture and many other useful wood products can be made using this wonderful tool.

Ideal hobby tool

A hand jigsaw is a tool for cutting shapes out of plywood or some other material, for example, plastic. Its manual version is budget-friendly - its cost does not exceed several hundred rubles, and its scope is very wide. Figure cutting with a hand jigsaw is a very interesting activity. This is not only a pleasant pastime, but also practical benefits, not only financial, but also moral.

The design of this tool is very simple:

1. U-shaped frame. It can be either tubular or lamellar.
2. Saw handle.
3. Two fastenings for a file. These mounts can rotate, thereby creating different planes, allowing you to perform cutting of varying complexity.
4. Jigsaw blade. Sets of such files of 50 pieces are available for sale. The blades are distinguished by the thickness and size of the teeth. Thick blades are used for cutting out contours, and thin blades are used for openwork work with small elements of the workpiece.

Electromechanical jigsaws

The electric hand jigsaw has become an indispensable tool in the household. It can be used to cut various materials: plywood, wood, plastic, metal, ceramics, etc.

This tool operates from a 220 W electrical network and is a plastic case with working elements, equipped with a control handle. Its main component is the saw blade , which is mounted on a rod located in the front of the device.

The rod is driven by an electric motor. The movement of the cutting blade is reciprocating. To speed up the sawing process, some samples of this tool use the pendulum principle, that is, the file moves not only up and down, but also back and forth.

Cutting blades are consumables and need to be replaced from time to time. They are functionally different from each other - there are attachments for wood, metal, and ceramics. There are thicker blades, with more or less rigidity, with larger or finer teeth. An important characteristic of files is their shank. The most common saws today are those with U-shaped and T-shaped shanks. It is with such files that you need to purchase a jigsaw - then there will be no shortage of consumables.

Electric tools differ in many respects, but in this article we will pay attention to only one important factor - the backlash of the saw . This characteristic affects the movement of the cutting blade towards the side during figure cutting. Many brands of jigsaws cannot cope with the task of perpendicular cutting, this is especially sensitive when cutting thick wood - the error can be up to 5 mm.

Experiments on cutting wood to shape showed that the best jigsaw was a tool from Festool . The popular company Makita did not show its best side in this competition - the error of the perpendicular-shaped cut turned out to be quite large (up to 5 mm), and the jigsaw of this brand entered the tree with large chips.

An electric stationary jigsaw is already professional equipment for cutting. Its design is more complex than the equipment discussed above. The principle of its operation can be compared to a sewing machine, which has a jigsaw blade instead of a needle. The quality of the products obtained using this unit is incomparably better. The error of a perpendicular cut with a large workpiece thickness is zero.

The only disadvantage of this electromechanical device is its high price. But this is compensated by the comfort of working on it and high productivity with the highest quality of the resulting products.

Preparatory work

Before you start cutting with a jigsaw, you need to decide what kind of design or pattern you want to create on the plywood. To visualize the image, it is most convenient to transfer it to plain paper. If the item is large (for example, a voluminous box or a figured shelf), an ordinary A4 sheet of paper will not be enough. In this case, you should take whatman paper in A1 or A0 format.

Preparing for cutting Source obi.ru

Once the edges of the future work of art are drawn with a pen or a thin marker on paper, you can apply it to plywood. To do this, just cut out the drawn figure, attach it to the plywood and trace it with a pencil. To be able to correct an unevenly applied contour, it is better to use a simple pencil and have an eraser ready, just in case.

The outline should be applied to the back side of the plywood from which you plan to cut the figure. To prevent the design from moving away during transfer, you can attach it with tape or glue (provided that the glue can be easily removed from the surface). For convenience, you can shade the entire inside of the future product so as not to accidentally cut off more than necessary.

By the way, another way to transfer a design to plywood is to use carbon paper or carbon paper. It needs to be placed between the base and the paper model (template for cutting with a jigsaw). After this, all that remains is to circle all the lines again.

Secret! To cut a shape as accurately as possible using a jigsaw, it is better to position the cutting lines so that they run across the fibers of the material.

Example template Source pinimg.com

Safety precautions

Basic safety precautions are required for all types of physical work.

• The workplace must be properly prepared. It should not be cluttered with unnecessary objects or tools.
• The work table or workbench must be well secured and set to the individually required height.
• The workplace should be well lit.
• When working, you should use personal protective equipment, such as gloves, safety glasses, etc.
• When using a power tool, make sure it is in good working order. For beginners, study the technical documentation of the tool they use.

The cutting process itself

Before you start carving wood with a jigsaw, you should check whether there is enough light falling on the work area. The light source should be located in front. The lamp should be placed at a slight angle to the plane on which the work will be done. For a sawing master, there are two options for working posture: sitting or standing. Having positioned yourself so that it is convenient to work, you should monitor the position of the plywood. It should be located at a distance of approximately 30-40 centimeters from the eyes.

If you are using a manual jigsaw, you must first fix the file correctly: it should be positioned vertically so that the teeth “look” down, and be taut. To apply tension, you need to rest the jigsaw on the table and press it with your hand. After this, you should twist the “ears” so that the tension is sufficient. If you need to tighten them more, use pliers. After calibration is complete, carefully release the jigsaw: once it straightens, it will ensure the correct tension.

Jigsaw and cutting out a “cloud” for a children’s room Source toolsreview.uk

Rules for cutting out plywood with a jigsaw:

• before starting work, it is better to go over the workpiece with glass paper, after which you can transfer the drawings onto plywood;
• During the entire cutting process, the master’s hand should be positioned vertically, making forward and downward movements;
• it is best to choose plywood of the first or second grade, since it does not have knots, cracks and other irregularities (birch plywood with a thickness of three to ten millimeters is considered ideal for cutting);
• to make a hole for the purpose of subsequent cutting, use a drill or awl;
• Do not exert lateral pressure on the workpiece;
• movement when cutting should be without jerking, with the maximum possible amplitude;
• if you need to make curly cuts inside the pattern being cut, you should drill a hole, remove one of the sides of the jigsaw file, insert it into this hole, fasten it again on the jigsaw and continue sawing;
• the second (free) hand of the master is needed in order to carefully advance the part and scroll it;
• to prevent the file from overheating, you need to take short breaks in work;

Which jigsaw to choose

In order for the hobby to bring joy and not to have to adjust and tighten something every five minutes, you should approach the choice of tool with all the attention and responsibility.

Despite the apparent simplicity of the design, a manual jigsaw has many nuances that must be taken into account when purchasing.

• Frame material. It is better to put aside the strip metal jigsaws. They are prone to twisting and distort the blade during cutting. A frame made of a metal tube does not have this drawback; it holds its shape perfectly and is also noticeably lighter.
• Lever. Be sure to check how firmly the handle is attached to the frame. If she constantly jumps off, the process will turn from pleasure into torture. Over time, sawing masters replace the cylindrical handle, turned on a lathe, with an individual one, carved from soft wood, taking into account the anatomical features of their hand.
• Clamps. Holding the saw securely during the cutting process is not only a matter of convenience, but also of safety. Good clamping areas are equipped with notch systems perpendicular to each other to ensure secure retention of the blade shanks.
• The wings of the clamps should have wide, high and comfortable ears. Avoid wing nuts stamped from sheet metal or replace them with tall wing nuts with the same threads.

Video description

This video clearly shows the process of cutting with a jigsaw:

• After finishing work, you should slightly loosen one of the clamps: this way the frame will not lose its elasticity over time.

Important! Patterned, combined or openwork cutting with a jigsaw is carried out only when moving from top to bottom, so the reverse movement from bottom to top should be performed without any pressure at all.

After work, you need to go over all the cuts with sandpaper, after which you can coat the finished product with varnish.

Briefly about the main thing

A manual or electric jigsaw is a device for cutting out parts and patterns that may have practical use or artistic value.

Using a jigsaw, you can cut out almost any pattern; for this, you can use trim templates for carving with a jigsaw, as well as other suitable patterns and designs.

Preparation for cutting consists of finding good plywood, a template, and installing a lighting fixture.

The higher the skill of a jigsaw cutting specialist, the more complex, more delicate elements he can create.

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