Cutting is one of the main activities of the home craftsman. And that is why shops are full of all kinds of tools. A central place among them is given to jigsaws. Imagine a saw that moves back and forth on its own. It is enough to hold it in your hand and press lightly - it does everything else. Gone are the monotonous and tiring movements, painfully familiar from manual work.
A jigsaw has a place in every home workshop with its valuable purpose. It is an electric tool for straight and contour cutting of flat and profile materials such as wood, plastic, aluminum and steel.
IMPORTANT TECHNICAL PARAMETERS WHEN CHOOSING A JIGSAW (JIGSAW)
If you have decided to "arm yourself" with a jigsaw, you should consider its main technical parameters:
- Nominal power [W] – starts from 300 W
- Cutting depth in wood [mm] – most often from 50 to 90 mm
- Cutting depth in steel [mm] – from 3 to 8 mm
- Number of reciprocating strokes – within the range from 400 to 3200 rpm
- Machine weight [ kg] – from 1.5 to 2.5 kg
When choosing a jigsaw, we need to be aware of what materials and thicknesses we will use it for. Power is the main parameter of the device and the other four characteristics depend on it. The higher the power, the thicker the material we can cut, but the greater the weight and, of course, the price of the device. The number of strokes determines the productivity of the machine.
As a leader in the production of tools, BOSCH is also present on the market with authority in the offer of jigsaws. We have mainly relied on this proven brand in our nomenclature. Therefore, we will focus in more detail on the models of the German company.
ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS OF JIGSAWS (JIGSAWS)
Now that we have become familiar with the basic technical parameters, when choosing a BOSCH jigsaw for our home workshop, we should also pay attention to the additional functions or features of the machine.
They can be:
- SDS – quick-release saw clamping system without the need for a screwdriver or wrench
- Low Vibration – reduced vibrations for comfortable work
- Pendulum movement – ensures better removal of chips from the cut
- Cutting control – allows for precise guidance along the cutting line
- Speed preselection – allows cutting of various materials
- Blowing air adjustment – blows the cutting area free of shavings or chips and improves visibility
- Handle with soft anti-slip coating - comfort of work
- Dust extraction nozzle – when connected to a vacuum cleaner, ensures minimal dust
- Massive base plate – serves for stable and precise guidance
With jigsaws you can cut wooden floors, paneling, boards, laminate or parquet. You can make decorative details and toys according to your taste and design. It also finds a very wide application when working on walls, ceilings, cladding, plastic pipes, aluminum profiles. With them you will correct or fit materials when assembling furniture, working in the garage or in the garden.
BOSCH jigsaws are designed for perfectionist home craftsmen who have the highest demands for productivity, precision and comfort during work.
One of the models offered by the German company is the so-called sabre saw, which is gaining more and more popularity. We will dwell on it in more detail, especially since most of its functions apply in principle to jigsaws in general.
In appearance, reciprocating saws resemble an electric drill, only the saw blade is placed in place of the drill. Their operation, in simple terms, is no different from that of other power tools. They have an electric motor, the rotation of which, through an appropriate mechanical gear, is converted into the desired movement of the saw blade. And in order for the cutting to be as fast and efficient as possible, with little effort on the part of the worker, the movement is not only back and forth (experts call it reciprocating), but also slightly in a perpendicular direction. This was not invented specifically for reciprocating saws, but simply resembles natural cutting with a hand saw or hacksaw as much as possible.
The main criterion when choosing a reciprocating saw is its technical characteristics.
The main one is the power of the electric motor, which is usually between 300 and 900 W. Higher power generally allows for cutting thicker materials. The maximum thickness of the material being cut is essential – for wood it is between 50 and 250 mm, and for metal – between 8 and 20 mm. A particular convenience in work is the possibility of smooth adjustment of the frequency of movement of the saw blade, which almost all sabre saws have. The frequency is the number of movements per minute (similar to the revolutions of a drill or circular saw) and is usually given when working at idle, when the saw blade is not in contact with the material. It logically decreases with greater pressure on the saw blade and with harder material. The adjustment itself is electronic, which is a prerequisite for a long service life of the saw. The minimum frequency can be between 0 and 800 movements per minute (0 means the possibility of very slow movement of the saw blade). The maximum frequency is between 2400 and 2800 movements per minute. Experienced craftsmen know that in order to start cutting in a precisely defined place, slow and careful movements with the cutting tool are first necessary. The same is done with sabre saws, by setting a low frequency through the regulator. Another characteristic is the stroke of the saw blade - usually between 19 and 30 millimeters. A larger stroke is a prerequisite for fast cutting, while a small stroke is finer. Among the important characteristics is the weight of the saw, which, as a rule, is greater with a more powerful electric motor. The weight is between 2 and 5 kilograms.
CUTTING BLADES – KNIVES FOR SABRE SAWS AND JIGSAWS
When buying any tool, the main question is “Is it worth the money?” And if we can just wave our hand and buy a regular hacksaw or woodworking saw “just to have it”, that is not the case with significantly more expensive power tools. Even if the price does not bother us, we cannot fill our home workshop with dozens of such “helpers”. Manufacturers are well aware of this and strive to offer tools that do as many different jobs as possible. Reciprocating saws are no exception, and this is due to the wide range of blades, or also called cutting blades. They can often be used in saws of different models and brands. Blades for wood are made of high-carbon steel, and those for metal and plastics are made of two-component metal alloys. Their thickness is between 0.9 and 1.5 millimeters, and the cutting part is 10 to 30 centimeters long. There is a wide variety of blades depending on the material that can be cut. As with ordinary hacksaws and saws, the softer the material, the larger the tooth pitch (the distance between two adjacent teeth). In addition, the smallest and largest thickness of each material that can be cut is often marked on the blade packaging. Thinner materials can be cut, but the cut is not smooth enough. With thicker materials, there is a risk of the blade warping and even damage to the saw.
Metal cutting blades turn a saber saw into a hacksaw and can be used to cut lead and iron pipes, profiles and sheet metal. There are special types with a small width that allow cutting along a curved line. Another type is wood cutting blades, some of which can also be used to cut branches and firewood, others are also intended for particle board, and still others for plastics. Combined blades are particularly useful, with which you can easily cut boards and planks with nails driven in. There are also blades for aluminum, copper and other non-ferrous metals. The next type is blades for cutting building materials - for foam concrete, bricks and plastics with fiberglass threads. There are for polystyrene, plasterboard and the like, as well as for abrasive materials. For the long-term use of cutting blades, the material from which they are made is of great importance - the most durable are those made of tungsten carbide.
TYPES OF CUTTING WITH A JIGSAW (JIGSAW)
To be as helpful as possible, we will also give you specific instructions for working with a jigsaw, which can be straight or curved.
Straight cutting:
When cutting with a saw, precise straight cuts are often required – for example when laying laminate or parquet. These cuts can also be made successfully with a jigsaw if you observe the following points:
1. Choose a straight blade suitable for the material and project. For straight cuts, blades with a wide tooth back are used, as they have better longitudinal guidance.
2. Use a stationary jig for jigsaws. Simply clamp the workpiece, place the jigsaw in the guide rail and guide it securely through the workpiece. It will effortlessly cut straight cross-sections as well as angles between –45° and +45°.
3. Pay attention to your safety. Wear safety glasses and remove the blade from the machine after the work is done.
Curved cutting:
If you are making wooden toys and need to make an oval, you need to cut along a curve with a jigsaw. Here's how to do it:
1. Insert a curved cutting blade into your jigsaw. When choosing a blade, also pay attention to the properties of the workpiece – for example, whether it is hardwood or plywood, board or board.
2. Draw the exact cutting line on the workpiece with a pencil, compass and ruler. If you are cutting a hole, drill a hole that is adjacent to the drawn line and large enough to insert the blade for your jigsaw and to be able to turn it.
3. For curves with a very small radius, it is best to pre-drill with a drill bit of the appropriate diameter. Cut with the jigsaw to the end of the hole and from there always continue along the previously drawn line.
4. Pay attention to the correct guidance of the saw. The more your hand is above the saw blade, the more accurately and easily you can cut curves and straight lines.
WHAT DO WE OFFER?
In addition to BOSCH models, you can also find jigsaws from the brands RAIDER, MAKITA, RTRMAX, SKIL, BLACK & DECKER and others. The tools are of three classes according to their characteristics: non-professional, semi-professional and professional. This, of course, also affects their price.
The wide range of power ratings of the devices offered allows you to choose exactly the one you need for the specific job.
You can get more information about the models in the personal technical descriptions.
