How to saw plywood evenly with an electric jigsaw. Conclusion

How to saw with a jigsaw smoothly

An electric jigsaw is a tool that can be used for making curved and straight cuts in all sorts of materials, trimming interior doors, boards, and so on. Before you start work, you need to figure out how to saw with the jigsaw smoothly.

The tool is sawn with little effort. Simply press it against the surface of the material to be worked and set the direction. Then the cut is smoother. Excellent results can be seen when cutting slowly. While sawing one should make sure that the file is sharp.

Another important condition. do not allow the cutting surface to overheat. Otherwise the teeth of the saw blade will quickly wear out. Each type of material is sawn with a specific type of saw. The functionality of an electric jigsaw depends on its power.

How to saw straight with an electric jigsaw? To get the smoothest cutting line possible, use:

How to use it correctly. tips for beginners

The jigsaw does not require special skills that can be learned over the years. During the first cuts the jigsaw master learns its capabilities in terms of cutting speed, sawing behavior, weight, power, etc.д. Then all you need to do is hold the tool and guide the saw precisely along the kerf.

There is no need to rush or press the jigsaw before it has made a cut in the current section. Saw must have enough time to cut through the current section, throw sawdust out of the kerf completely, and only then move on. So the jigsaw should be moved smoothly and calmly, without reducing the speed of the electric motor.

Most models have a “pendulum stroke” or swing mode to make it easier to cut in a straight line. When it is enabled, the saw not only goes up and down, but also back and forth, which facilitates and accelerates the cut.

Pendulum mode only for straight cuts where speed is essential and where material tearing and chipping on the edges of the kerf are not an issue.

We also recommend to read useful article-guide about how to saw with the jigsaw, it describes all possible and necessary situations when working with this tool, and in detail disassembles safety technique.

Sawing techniques for different materials

Let’s consider in more detail, the main types of work performed by the hand jigsaw, depending on the type of material to be sawn. Each point will also have its own nuances and peculiarities of working with specific material.

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

Saw blade and sawing speed are selected according to the table top material (Laminated chipboard, chipboard, wood, etc.) and the material to be sawn.д). For round sinks, the circular saw is made with a compass, which can either be included in the set or made in-house. As an example,

There are jigsaws with slots for a parallel stop at the front of the platform. For these, you can make a compass out of a metal strip, like a skewer.

Work with a compass

For square shells with rounded corners, a marking projection of the shell is put on the material, and a cut is made according to it.

Working with plywood

Pendulum motion (saw swing) is not used when cutting plywood. In the swinging mode, the edges of the kerf tear more, splintering occurs. Start sawing at maximum rpm. If the material begins to burn (blacken) from the strong friction, the speed is reduced to the optimal by testing.

How to cut plywood without chipping

There are many ways to avoid chips in the kerf line, the most popular are: gluing the kerf line with masking 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 labor intensive.

The most effective way is to choose the right saw blade.

The most fine-toothed metal saws marked Metal, T118G, (tooth pitch 0,7 mm) do not tear plywood practically. Their disadvantage is that they saw slowly, but they are not designed for plywood.

Wood and plywood saws labeled T101AO combine well in terms of speed and clean cut. HCS steel. The tooth is much coarser than a metal saw, so it cuts faster. Does not tear plywood neither at the bottom nor at the top, due to the straight arrangement of the teeth, not inclined up or down, but strictly perpendicular to the blade (straight-toothed saw).

What can be sawn out of plywood

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

As an example, a photo of a shaped element

Curved table legs, simpler curved details are even easier to cut.

How to cut boards

It is possible to do such work with an electric jigsaw, if the area of a kerf is small. But it is convenient to make short rectangular notches in a board for groove/slash, quarter, half-tree joints. Also, jigsaws are indispensable when you need to make a curved cut in a board, cut an oval or a large hole, etc.д.

Jigsaws are not well suited to making long cuts along the board. To dissolve the board on a bar, trim an overview is better on stationary, in extreme cases, hand circular saws.

Board is sawn by the usual methods. Saw blades for soft (Wood ) or hard (Hard Wood ) of suitable length are chosen.

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

Hard woods: oak, beech, dry birch, ash, maple, pear.

How to saw Particleboard and Laminated Particleboard without chipping

Sheet material tears out the most from underneath. There the saw passes over the hollow, and the particles of material have no support and support, as above. To reduce chipping from below, sometimes a saw blade with reverse tilt of teeth, pointing upwards, is used. Such file carries sawdust upwards and tears the bottom side less.

For your information! Straight-toothed saws are also used for clean cuts. For example, marked T101AOF of 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 sawn laminated chipboard.

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

• Laminate on Laminated chipboard is pre-cut along the kerf line with a mounting knife, one or two strips according to the thickness of the kerf;
• A masking tape is glued along the kerf line;
• An anti-slip platform made of thin plastic is attached to the jigsaw’s platform.

It completely covers the working space, only a narrow strip is left under the saw. The platform presses on the material when cutting and prevents particles from tearing out of the mass. It only protects against chips from above. effective with the use of a saw with a reverse slant of the tooth (upward point).

Also recommend reading this interesting article on how to saw laminate and other laminate materials with a jigsaw.

Can a hand jigsaw cut tiles, porcelain tiles

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

Plexiglas

These materials are sawn using the same methods and techniques as any other sheet material. The most important thing is proper selection of blade.

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

They all have different ductility, flexibility, strength, density and can be sawn in different ways.

For your information! As a base, it is possible to recommend a saw MPS3108. Although it is labeled Wood (wood), the black color means versatility, use for different materials. Blades in wood only or in wood and metal in other colors. Has a medium pitch and backward slant of the tooth, pointing upwards, so it tears less material from below.

of the best jigsaws according to customer reviews

Makita 4329X1 450W

Sawing frequency 500-3100 strokes/min;

The saw’s stroke is 18 mm;

pendulum stroke. 3 steps;

the tilt of the soleplate. 45°;

noise level. 85 dB;

weight. 1.9 kg.

Bosch PST 700 E 500 W

frequency of saw movement. 500-3100 strokes/min;

saw blade stroke. 20 mm;

soleplate inclination. 45°;

the noise level is 88 dB;

weight. 1.7 kg.

DeWALT DWE349 650 W

saw blade frequency. 800-3200 strokes/min;

Stroke of the saw. 20 mm;

pendulum stroke. 3 steps;

inclination of the soleplate. 45°;

weight. 2.5 kg.

Zubr L-400 400 W

frequency of movement of the saw. 3000 strokes/min;

saw blade travel. 18 mm;

soleplate inclination. 45°;

weight. 1.4 kg.

The information provided will help you understand how to saw with the jigsaw without chipping at home. Compliance with these nuances of work will significantly improve the quality of finished products.

What’s next

Starting with the first clamp. It is clamped after checking the strength of the installation.

The jigsaw is then switched on. And they do it so that the speed was maximal. The pendulum stroke controller is set at the first digit.

The saw blade should be set to the cut line. The guide rail is squeezed with the platform side. After that you start the sawing process.

Move the tool forward smoothly and control the platform carefully. The platform and the guide must be close to each other so that nothing moves. Hold the sawn-off part carefully with just a few centimeters left to the end. That way the piece will not break off.

To sum up

In today’s article we looked at 4 ways a jigsaw can cut plywood or particle board with a minimum of splintering and scoring. Choose the way that suits you best, and then try it!

You can also combine several different methods to get the best and highest quality result.

How fast to saw Particleboard, Laminated Particleboard with a jigsaw

To evenly cut the chipboard with the jigsaw, it is necessary to work with an electric or hand-held tool at low speed, pressing the blade firmly against the workpiece. Faster sawing makes the cut too accurately, with a higher risk of splintering.

Users say that when cutting with the jigsaw head in a straight line and at low speed, the jigsaw moves about 50 cm per minute. If you increase the motion intensity and set the maximum angle, you can cut up to 2 m in the same amount of time. But the cut will be rough, with large chips.

Tip! If you have to saw the material carefully it is worth to switch off the pendulum motion in the tool.

How smoothly the jigsaw will cut chipboard also depends on the sharpness of the blade. The new blades let you cut in a straight line and at a constant cutting speed. But after about 3 m of work the jigsaw blunts and slows down, and the cut gets coarser.

What tools help to make a smooth cut

To form a straight cut, you can use additional devices. The main ones are:

• trailing compasses. Serves for contouring the circumference and the contouring curve on the surface of the workpiece;
• parallel stop. Used to form a kerf parallel to one of the side faces of the workpiece;
• guide bar. Represents a metal ruler with a side stop for the jigsaw foot. With its help, it is possible to make a precise straight cut of desired length;
• laser pointer. The light pointer shows the position of the saw blade. This attachment can be installed by yourself or you can buy a model with an existing attachment;
• anti-slip insert. Made of transparent plastic or Plexiglas insert for additional stabilization of the saw blade and prevention of material breakage and burr;
• guiding platform. Reduces the coefficient of friction, thereby allowing the jigsaw to glide effortlessly over the surface of the workpiece.

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

How to saw off plywood without scuffing

Sawing plywood often leaves scoring on the surface. But there is a simple way to avoid this.

All you need to do for this is glue a Plexiglas plate to a double-sided adhesive tape.

With such a pad on the sole, no scuffs will remain after the cut. You can see for yourself if you look at the photo below.