How to saw laminated chipboard without chipping with a jigsaw

Using the jigsaw

An electric jigsaw can be used to accurately cut laminated chipboard. At the same time, it should be noted that this tool is preferably used for cutting small areas on the wood. Also when using the jigsaw, a saw blade with small toothing size should be selected.

When sawing laminate boards the electric jigsaw should be moved smoothly without exerting excessive pressure. When sawing laminated chipboard with the jigsaw, it is recommended to set the jigsaw speed slowly.

Sawing techniques for different materials

Let’s consider in more detail, the main types of work performed by hand electric jigsaws, depending on the type of material to be sawn. Also in each item will be given its own nuances and peculiarities of working with a particular material.

How to cut a countertop under the sink at home with an electric jigsaw

Saw blades and cutting speeds are selected according to the material of the table top (Laminated chipboard, hardboard, wood, etc.) and the cutting speed is adjusted accordingly.д). For round shells, the cut is made with a compass, which may be included in the kit or made in-house. As an example,

There are jigsaws with slots for the parallel stop at the front of the platform. For these, you can make a circular saw from a metal strip, such as a skewer.

Working with a compound compass

For square basins with rounded corners, a projection of the basin is marked on the material and a cut is made according to it.

Working with plywood

Do not use a pendulum stroke (saw swing) when cutting plywood. In the swing mode, the edges of the kerf are more torn, splinters are formed. Start sawing at maximum rpm. If the material begins to burn (blacken) from the strong friction, the speed is reduced to the optimum by testing.

How to cut plywood without chipping

There are many ways to avoid chipping along the kerf, the most popular are: gluing the kerf with painter’s tape, using an anti-slip sole, lining a second layer of plywood, etc.д. All of them have disadvantages. they require consumables, protect only one side, are time consuming.

Finding the right saw is the most effective way.

Almost does not tear plywood the most fine-toothed metal saws, marking Metal, T118G, (tooth pitch 0.7 mm). Their disadvantage is that they saw slowly, still they are not designed for plywood.

Wood and plywood saws labeled T101AO have a good balance between speed and clean cut. HCS steel. Much coarser tooth than a metal saw and therefore faster to cut. Plywood does not tear at the bottom or at the top, due to the straight arrangement of the teeth, not angled up or down, but strictly perpendicular to the blade (straight-toothed saw).

What can be sawn from plywood

From plywood you can cut elements of any complexity. ornaments, platbands, patterns, parts for machines, models, furniture, etc.

As an example, a photo of a shaped piece

Curved legs for the table, the simpler curvilinear parts are even easier to cut.

How to cut boards

You can also use the jigsaw for this kind of work if the kerf is small. But it is convenient to make a short rectangular notches in the board for the groove/slash joint, in the quarter, “half a tree”. Also, jigsaws are indispensable when you need to make a curved cut of the board, cut an oval or a large hole, etc.д.

The jigsaw is not well suited to making long cuts along the board. To saw the board into a bar, to cut off a review is better on stationary, at most, hand circular saws.

The board is sawn in the usual ways. It is necessary to choose a saw for soft (Wood ) or hard (Hard Wood ) wood of suitable length.

The most popular soft woods: linden, alder, aspen, all conifers.

Hardwoods: oak, beech, dry birch, ash, maple, pear.

How to saw Particleboard and Laminated Particleboard without splintering

Sheet material tears out the most from underneath. There, the saw goes over the hollow, and the particles of material have no support and backing as at the top. To reduce chipping at the bottom, sometimes use a saw with a reverse slope of the teeth, with the tips upwards. This saw takes the sawdust upwards and tears out the underside less.

For your information! Straight-toothed saws are also used for clean cutting. For example marked T101AOF in bimetal (BIM). It can also be used for hard wood, which is why it is marked Hard Wood. If chips remain, select a blade with a finer tooth.

In the photo below, an example of cutting through laminated chipboard.

In addition to the proper selection of saws, other techniques are used:

• Laminate on Laminated particle board is pre-cut along the mowing line of the kerf with a mounting knife, one or two strips according to the thickness of the kerf;
• over the mowing line of the kerf is glued with painter’s tape;
• On the platform of the jigsaw, an anti-slip platform of thin plastic is attached.

It completely covers the work space, leaving only a narrow strip under the saw. When cutting, the platform presses on the material and does not allow particles to break out of the array. Protects only from splintering from above. effective with the use of a saw with a reverse slant of the tooth (upward tip).

We also recommend reading an interesting article on how to saw with an electric jigsaw laminate and other laminated materials.

Can a hand jigsaw cut tile, porcelain tile

For cutting these materials other effective tools are most often used: tile cutters, cut-off machines, angle grinders with special discs. But, sometimes you need to cut a tile on the curve of the mowing line, cut a semicircle, etc.д. For this purpose, a medium and high power electric jigsaw with a special saw (marking Special) is well suited. This saw has a diamond coating and can cut ceramic and porcelain tiles.

Plexiglas

These materials are sawn in the same manner and methods as any other sheet material. The most important thing is to choose the correct saw blade.

The difficulty is that under the common name “plexiglass” can be a variety of materials. transparent acrylic, polycarbonate monolithic, various types of plastics and rigid polyethylene, and even a sheet of mica for fireplace screens, etc.д.

They all have different formability, flexibility, toughness, density and can be sawn in different ways.

For your information! As a basic saw blade, we can recommend the MPS3108. Although marked as wood, black is an all-purpose color and can be used on many different materials. Blade in wood only or in wood and metal in other colors. Has a medium pitch and backward slant of the tooth, pointing upward, so it rips out less material from below.

An example of cutting polycarbonate in the photo below.

If the material is badly sawn with this saw, continue the selection according to the following principle:

• Saws cleanly, but very slowly. pick up a blade with a larger tooth;
• The material tears along the kerf, cracks. use a finer tooth.

In this case, too fine tooth can heat the material to plasticity, clogging the saw.

In any case the blades for Plexiglas cutting are selected by real test cutting, starting from the recommended basic saw MPS3108 or analogue.

How to saw at an angle of 45 degrees

Almost all jigsaws have the possibility to adjust the position of the support platform.

• Release the platform by turning the locking lever or screw clamp (depending on the model).
• Turning the platform relative to the saw at the desired angle.
• Fix the platform.

Further sawing is carried out in the usual way. Please note that when sawing at an angle, the maximum thickness of material that can be sawn through is reduced. But the kerf itself is longer because the saw cuts diagonally. That’s why the same 30 mm thick board is harder to saw diagonally than at a right angle.

Cement-bonded particleboard (cement-bonded particleboard) consists of materials that mutually exclude the use of a saw. Chips require a wood saw or particle board, OSB, which will instantly chip away at the cement. For cement. a diamond saw blade that can’t cut shavings. That’s why cement-bonded particleboard is sawn with other tools with special discs.

We recommend using a jigsaw to cut Chipboard only as a last resort, such as cutting an oval with a short circumference. The strongest metal saw blades with a fine tooth are used for this. One saw blade may be enough for 5-10 cm kerf, sometimes more on thin boards.

Slate

Slate is sawed with cut-off machines and angle grinder with diamond discs. But they can’t make a circular cut. That is why you can sometimes use a jigsaw with a diamond saw for ceramics. For example, when you want to make a round cut for a chimney.

Wood

The wood is sawn with more powerful tools, with chainsaws and circular saws. You can cut “firewood” with a jigsaw. That means to cut and remove e.g. thin scraps of wood so that they don’t get underfoot.

How to make a shallow cut

The jigsaw can make a shallow diagonal cut from the end of the workpiece. It is not possible to make a long cut along the length, as the saw must always exit with the end down from the workpiece. Otherwise it will hit the bottom of the kerf and get clogged with sawdust.

Fretwork

Felling boards are sawn in the same way as any other wood, cut or un-cut.

Sometimes, because of the groove/bearing connection, as in wood paneling, fiberboard siding is called “laminated wood”. It is sawn like fiberboard or laminate.

Working with metals

Metals are sawn using special fine-toothed saws marked “Metal”. The tool moves very slowly and smoothly. Sometimes grease is used. The jigsaw for metal is ineffective, there are other tools, but indispensable when you need to cut a small length of curved wire.

We also recommend reading the detailed guide on working with metal with a jigsaw. The article contains everything you need, from the choice of saw and jigsaw, to the techniques of work, depending on the metal.

Can a hand jigsaw cut drywall?

Gypsum plasterboard is cut with a knife (straight line), a special hacksaw and an electric jigsaw in any shape of mowing line. Gypsum board is a loose material.

For cutting, it is convenient to use the lightest electric jigsaws with a power of about 0.5 kW and a weight of 1.5-2 kg. Gypsum is an abrasive material. Despite its low density, it rubs off. That is why high-strength steel saws with fine tooth, special for laminate or metal are used.

The following tools will be needed for sawing Laminated Chipboard:

You will also need additional tools for sawing:

The cutting of Laminated chipboard is done in the following order:

• Marking the material. A ruler and pencil will be needed to mark the workpieces with a ruler and pencil to mark dots on the sheet of material from the end. Then the dots need to be joined evenly into a single scaffolding and tape the top with painter’s tape. A good way of sawing laminated chipboard without splitting is with masking tape, i.e. к. It helps reduce the number of cracks in the sheet material that can occur due to excessive heat and pressure. Sawing Laminated Particleboard.
• Then sawing Laminated chipboard. We choose what to saw the chipboard, and put the tool at the required angle to saw the edges of the sheet was flat. Sawing Laminated chipboard and hardboard should be done as gently and as smoothly as possible.
• Finishing the board. If the sawn particleboard at home is uneven from the ends where the cutting was done, they are machined with a belt sander. In some cases it is best to call in companies that provide services for the production of furniture parts to order according to customer dimensions and for cutting laminated chipboard on special equipment. To veneer the edges of the parts, a special veneer end edge is used for processing.

When sawing from bottom to top, the saw teeth snag and break the material. When wood is sawn off, neighboring fibers get caught. Sawing Laminated chipboard produces splinters and the material breaks down. If you saw two layers of board at once, the lower one can be cut well because the upper one prevents splintering. Machining precision can be increased. with the “Soft start” function. With this option, the electric jigsaw picks up speed gradually. It moves silently. The craftsman needs to control the position of the cut point relative to the intended mowing line.

This tool is suitable for working with different materials:

To understand how to saw with a jigsaw without chipping, it is worth listening to the advice of professionals. You have to adjust the tool to each material, choose a specific frequency, pressure, smoothness of movement.

Cutting of chipboard panels and other materials

Panels should be cut with a sharp fine-toothed saw at maximum rpm. The material is placed on a flat surface. This is a must, because if there is no good adhesion between the plate and the surface, the plate will vibrate when the tool is working, and it will not cut evenly. At the same time it has to be pressed down. Move the jigsaw smoothly, without jerks, exactly along the intended mowing line. If these conditions are met, chipboard will be burrfree and the edges will remain clean.

How to cut ceramic, porcelain stoneware

It is possible to cut these materials with the jigsaw, but only with special jigsaws and nozzles. They are much easier to work with. Porcelain stoneware and ceramics break easily, producing tiny splinters. When sawing them, protective goggles and gloves must be worn. Ceramic tile is scratchable, so before the work, a plastic overlay is installed on the soleplate of an electric jigsaw. Experts advise to hold the tile in water before sawing, it will become more pliable and there will be less dust in the process of cutting. The material must be securely fastened. Clamps with rubber pads are used for this.

Any kind of ceramic tile is sawn without a pendulum motion. You can make a straight cut by setting the switch to the lowest position.

When making a closed cut, the tile must be drilled with a ceramic drill, with a diameter slightly larger than the width of the saw used for the cut.

How to cut Plexiglas, plastic

If you need to saw plexiglass, then do it on low speed, because too rapid movement of the saw blade it melts and turns to smoke. The edges are uneven, and after they are difficult to handle. In the process of work, a lot of small chips fly off from plexiglass, so you must wear glasses and goggles. If it is necessary to use a tool with high revolutions, so that the material does not melt, it is necessary to constantly cool it and the jigsaw. Cool it down with plain water. It is fed to the place of cutting through a tube. To avoid overheating it is recommended to have a break in work.

A fine-toothed saw blade is used for cutting plastic. The tool is adjusted to the type of plastic. If the jigsaw is crooked, how to fix it? Sawing work with pendulum swing turned off. This is the only way to obtain a clean, even cut.

How to cut metal

Jigsaws are used for sawing different metals:

The medium power household jigsaw can cut sheets up to 0.5 mm. For cutting metal materials up to 10 mm thick you should use a professional model.

Metal pieces are cut with fine-toothed, 0/0 pitch metal files.1-0.2 mm. set stroke frequency to the lowest mark, turn off pendulum motion. The workpiece is securely clamped. Feed rate should not be more than 30-35% of the maximum.

Machine should be moved smoothly, without pushing or jerking. The saw blade is positioned as close to the support as possible. To improve the operating mode and extend the service life of the cutter, it is recommended to add cooling and lubricating emulsion into the cutting zone, if the metal thickness is 3-6 mm, length of cut is 10-20 mm. If you have a lot of work to do, always take a break. so the jigsaw has time to cool down. Sawing laminated metal requires a lot of time and patience, this process is quite time consuming.

How to saw laminated chipboard without splitting at home

Chipboard. chipboard. Used in furniture manufacturing and decorating. Affordable price is the main feature. Laminated panels are used in modern wood manufacturing. They are made of coniferous and hardwood. Are distinguished by their durability and ease of processing. Incorrect cutting process can cause fractures and cracks. To avoid this, you need to know what to do when sawing Laminated chipboard without chipping at home.

Ways to minimize chipping

An additional cause of splintering may be the dilution of the file’s teeth. Therefore, the first thing you need to take care to buy a tool with a straight cut (often these are Bosh saws). However it should be taken into account that such saws overheat and can even bend in the cutting process when working for a long time. In view of that it is necessary to take breaks in work to cool down the cutting tool.

However, one saw blade replacement is not enough and in order to cut laminated woodchip board (laminate) with an electric jigsaw without chipping it is necessary to do a little modification of the power tool. Namely, to make sure that when the saw moves against the slope of the tooth, the material does not tear out. For which it is sufficient to make a thrust pad. You can come to such a conclusion after trying to cut two sheets of laminated chipboard at the same time. There will be almost no splintering on the lower element.

In order to make a landing pad for an electric jigsaw, it is enough from any dense material (for example, from laminate) to saw a rectangle with dimensions identical to those of the electric tool’s soleplate.

Then a notch should be made along the larger axis of the mowing line and the resulting tooling should be secured to the sole of the jigsaw with insulation tape or double-sided adhesive tape. All the refinishing is ready and you can perform the finishing work, following certain recommendations.

Using adhesive tapes

Duct tape (such as ordinary scotch tape) is to protect the back side of the material. It is necessary to glue a tape to the cutting line, which keeps the processed cloth from tearing off large elements. Painting tape is not a very effective option for protecting the material when it is cut with a jigsaw, since its degree of strength is extremely low.

The best is a fairly wide (each side of the material cut should be covered by at least fifteen centimeters) aluminum or reinforced fiberglass tape. In addition, the adhesive tape should be pressed with a dry cloth to eliminate the risk of wrinkles.

How to saw without chipping

If the test sawing created many large chips, a number of techniques can be used.

• Use a saw with a coarser tooth and a more frequent pitch.
• Set the RPM to the optimum with the test cut.
• Check that the pendulum stroke is not accidentally engaged.
• Using a ruler, cut through the laminate with a sharp installation knife in a single strip or in two parallel strips, according to the thickness of the kerf.
• Put masking tape or scotch tape on the saw’s fishing line.

In any case a test cut on an unnecessary or small workpiece is needed to show how the laminate really behaves when it is sawn.

When sawing laminate, move the jigsaw smoothly and calmly, checking the position of the mowing line on the marking or the guide side stop.

When You Only Have a Jigsaw to Make a Straight Cut

The jigsaw must have enough time to make the kerf and throw out the sawdust from the kerf, only after that the jigsaw can be moved further. Jerky motion causes the saw to hit the material, may stall, move sideways, or tear a piece of coating.

It is important to properly and securely clamp the workpiece. The craftsman must be able to reach the kerf freely. The wire must not get caught on anything while you are moving.

Sawing line should not be too far from the work table. Otherwise, the workpiece may bounce and vibrate over the hollow when sawing, especially thin. It is absolutely essential that the saw blade does not touch the table and before sawing you should look down and check where the edge of the table is and where the kerf will be.

How and what to file the material if it is already laid

Already installed laminate, you can not file it with the jigsaw, but it is possible to do it with a sharp office knife. This option is only suitable for laminates based on thin, bendable fiberboard.

What tools help to make a straight cut

To make the kerf cut evenly you can use additional tools. The main ones are:

• trailing compasses. Serves for tracing a circle and a french curve on the surface of the workpiece;
• parallel stop. Used to form a cut parallel to one of the side edges of the workpiece;
• guide bar. Metal ruler with a side stop for the jigsaw foot. The guiding rail makes it possible to precisely make straight cuts of the desired length;
• laser pointer. With the light pointer shows the position of the saw blade. You can install this fixture yourself, or purchase a model with an existing fixture;
• anti-slip insert. Made of transparent plastic or Plexiglas insert allows additional fixation of the blade and protects the workpiece from chips and burrs;
• guiding platform. Reduces the coefficient of friction and enables the jigsaw to glide effortlessly along the workpiece.

To improve visual control of the sawing process it is recommended to maximize the working area lighting.