Using a Jigsaw

The jigsaw generally gets a bad rap as a rough tool that’s best suited for kitchen installations and odd-ball carpentry jobs.

And while I do use my jigsaw for coarse operations – I also consider it one of my essential tools for building fine furniture.

With the right blade, a little confidence and – most important – the right body position, you can do almost anything with a jigsaw that you can do with a band saw. Plus you can do a lot of things that are impossible to do on the band saw.

Here’s a taste: Recently we were installing a kitchen and had to remove 1" of the depth from a finished cabinet against one wall. The only tool I needed was a jigsaw, and it took just a few minutes to do the job.

Here’s another: Early in my cabinetmaking career I made historical reproductions for another shop down the road. A lot of these pieces had fancy bracket bases, but we didn’t know what the profile would be until the customers placed their order. So we had to cut the scrollwork on the base after the entire cabinet was assembled. This technique worked so well that it’s how I do many of my cabinets today.

These cuts on the bracket base, when done well, require little or no sanding. I can usually just hit the edge with some sandpaper and am done with it.
And, of course, I’ve used my jigsaw for rough carpentry: cutting vent holes in roofs, framing stud walls, cutting drywall, PVC pipe and sheet metal.

A lot of woodworkers lack the confidence to make finish cuts with a jigsaw, but I contend that it’s easier than you think. Read this article, then take some strips of plywood and practice some cutting in the shop. It doesn’t take much practice to get good at it.
Choosing a Saw
This isn’t a tool review, but there are some general guidelines I would follow when buying a jigsaw. First, if you cannot afford a good saw, I’d wait until you can.
What’s a good saw? When I buy a jigsaw I’ll first turn it on. If it’s relatively quiet and doesn’t shake too much, that’s a good sign – low vibrations contribute to a smoother finished cut.

I also don’t like it when a jigsaw heats up in use. Again, this is something that you can only check by turning on the saw and putting some time in on it.
I also prefer the barrel-grip designs to the traditional top-handle designs – although a Metabo top-handle design is used for this article because top-handle models are more common. The top-handle tools are good, too, but the barrel grips allow me to get my hand closer to the work, which improves my accuracy.

Preparing the Tool
Jigsaws tend to get handled a little roughly and are frequently knocked around or dropped. This rough treatment is hardest on the base of the tool.
Why should you care? If you’re having trouble tracking a line then chances are your base is ou...

The Best Woodworking Plans Are Found Here