Use a Jigsaw

A jigsaw is a versatile power tool useful in cutting shapes in a variety of materials. This article should help you choose the jigsaw and blade best suited for your project, and help you use it more safely and efficiently.

Steps

1. Select a jigsaw suitable for your project. There are several different features you should be aware of, since not all jigsaws are created equally.
   • Power source. Battery operated jigsaws are more portable than saws with power cords, but they are also heavier, and likely will not have the motor torque heavy cutting requires.
   • Scrolling saws have a knob on top that allows the blade to be rotated without having to rotate the whole saw assembly, making it useful in tight working areas.
   • Orbital action saws can actually provide thrust to the blade while it moves in its normal up and down motion, greatly increasing its cutting speed.
   • Speed control may be important in your work, and jigsaws may come with multiple speeds, variable speeds, and single speed functions. Variable speed saws are best for cutting different materials, particularly metal, where a lower blade speed will increase blade life, and plastics, where very low cutting speeds will prevent the material from melting, rather than cutting.
   • Blade locking mechanisms can either use a quick change, tool-less type, or an allen or machine screw clamping system. For obvious reasons, the quick-change blades are especially useful when performing different types of cuts frequently.
   • Built in lights and dust blowers are also helpful when trying to cut accurately where seeing your cut mark is difficult.
   • Amperage should be considered when you plan to cut thicker or harder to cut material, such as thick hardwood lumber. A saw with a low amperage rating (4 amps or less) will not perform like a heavy duty saw with a rating of 8 or 9 amps.
   • Pivot base jigsaws allow you to make cuts are various angles, up to about 45 degrees depending on the length of your blade and the thickness of the material you are cutting.
2. Select the correct blade for the material you are going to cut. A jigsaw can be used to cut almost any material from plywood to stainless steel sheet metal if the proper blade is used. Here a few blade characteristics to be familiar with:
   • Blade composition. Jigsaw blades are made from high speed steel, hardened steel, and bimetal composite metals for cutting metal.
   • Teeth per inch. The TPI of a blade should be matched to the thickness of the material you are cutting. Three to five teeth should engage the material you are cutting at all times. An example of this would be, when cutting {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} material, you will want a blade with 12 to 16 teeth per inch, where cutting {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} material will be easier and smoother using a blade with 24 teeth per inch.
   • Blade width is important, as well. For turning tight corners, a narrow scrolling blade is best, for cutting fairly straight lines, especially in thicker material, a wider blade will perform well.
   • Make sure you use the right blade for your saw, as the tool-less" saw blades will not fit a screw clamp saw, nor will the clamp-in blade fit the tool-less saw.
3. Prepare your workpiece for your cut. Once you have selected the blade/saw combination you will use for your project, you will want to prepare the material you are cutting for the cut.
4. Measure and mark the cut line you need for your project. For shapes like sink cut-outs in countertops, using the actual sink to scribe a cut line is your best option. For other shapes or special projects, creating a template for your cut out of paper or cardboard may make the process easier and more accurate.
5. Place the material you are cutting on saw horses or a workbench, or clamp it in a vice, depending on which is best suited for your purpose. In most cases, clamping or having the material you are cutting clamped or fastened in place makes using your jigsaw easier. Having both hands free to guide the saw is very valuable, especially for precision work.
6. Make sure you have sufficient light to see your cutting marks easily. You will be looking underneath the body of the jigsaw at the blade as it cuts, and that will mean you are probably working in a shadowy area.
7. Position the blade close to the edge of the material where you will begin your cut. For plunge cutting or inside cut-outs, skip down to those steps. Begin your cut by slowly squeezing the trigger of the saw, and when it is running at the desired speed, push it forward into the material you are cutting.
8. Guide your saw along its path by twisting the back of the saw in the opposite direction you want the blade to travel, keeping the blade aligned with the cut line. If the saw begins to load up, or sounds like it is straining, slow down your forward speed. Trying to cut too fast will overheat the blade, and even the saw's motor, and may result in splintering in the material you are cutting.
9. Stop the saw if sawdust or debris accumulates blocking your view of the cut line, or if this material interferes with the travel of the saw. For finished materials, sawdust accumulating underneath the saw may mar the surface, so blowing the debris ejected by the blade during cutting may be necessary. Restart the saw after you clear the cutting line by backing it up slightly, never turn the saw on while the blade is engaged in the material you are cutting.
10. Complete your cut by continuing through the material, being careful to support any piece that may drop when the cut is finished until the blade is free of it. Allowing the material to drop or bend before the cut is done will cause the blade to bind, and may result in a splintered cut towards the end.
11. Use a sander or plane to finish edges that become spalled or rough from the cutting process.

Tips

• Use a blade suitable for the material you are cutting. Jigsaw blades are sold in packages marked with the type material they are recommended to cut, such as Wood Cutting or Non-ferrous Metals, or Ferrous Metals. Special diamond grit edged blades can even cut ceramic tiles.
• When cutting a hole from a sheet of material, you will need to get the blade through the material where you will begin the cut. This can usually be done by drilling a hole through the material with a drill bit larger than the width of your blade. Simply guide the blade towards the cut line, intercepting it, and following it around the cut.
• For corners or curves that are too sharp to turn with the blade you are using, backing up and restarting your cut several times near where you will turn the corner creates a wider kerf for the blade to turn in.

Warnings

• Since jigsaws cut on the upward stroke, splintering is not unusual. If possible, where a smooth cut is required, use a downward cutting blade.
• A downward cutting blade should always be used on a laminate countertop.
• Jigsaw blades are somewhat exposed when operating, so keep fingers clear of the line of travel of the blade while cutting.

Things You'll Need

• Jigsaw with proper blades
• Power source, either corded or battery
• Material you are cutting
• Safety equipment, eye protection is suggested

Related Articles

• Use a Power Miter Saw
• Use a Portable Bandsaw
• Operate a Chainsaw

See also

• Install Wood Dowel Joints
• Use a Dremel Tool
• Use a Wood Lathe
• Use a Tap
• Use a Chisel
• Cut Wood Using Various Power Tools
• Use a Plunge Router
• Use an Angle Grinder
• File Metal
• Set Planer Blades

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