Use a versatile jigsaw tool to cut lumber, plywood, metal and tile.
Time An hour or less
ComplexityBeginner
Cost$51–100
Introduction
A jigsaw tool is the grand master of cutting shapes in a variety of materials. All you need is the right blade. We'll show you how to use this versatile power tool for cutting intricate shapes and for making compound and bevel cuts in boards and other materials.
My jigsaw often sits for months, just gathering dust. But then I’ll need to cut out an intricate pattern for a hobby project, saw into a countertop to install a kitchen sink or cut material like thin tile or metal that my other saws can’t handle. That’s when I remember why I love this jigsaw tool. It’s a versatile tool a novice can safely operate and control and—with minimal instruction—enjoy good results within minutes of picking it up. We’ll show you how to get superior results cutting wood, plastic laminate, ceramic tile and metal.
What is a jigsaw?
A jigsaw (also called a saber saw) is a small, portable saw that uses a reciprocating blade that cuts in a rapid up-and-down motion. It’s made for cutting curves, circles or other irregular shapes in wood and other materials.
Jigsaw blades
The key to excellent results with a jigsaw is to match a specific blade to the type of material you’ll cut: wood, metal, plastic, tile, etc. The blade package will indicate what material the blade cuts best.
Most blades are carbon steel, 2 to 3-1/2 inches long and either 1/4 inch wide for making tight radius cuts or 3/8 inch wide for general-purpose cutting. Six-teeth-per-inch blades cut fast but rough; finer blades with 10 or more teeth per inch deliver smoother cuts. Special toothless blades cut everything from leather to tile. When buying blades, consider investing in bimetal blades. They can last 10 times longer and are less likely to break.
Choosing a jigsaw
When purchasing a saw, check for the type of blades it uses. Most jigsaws accept blades with a 1/4-inch universal tang that locks into the blade clamp with a set screw. Some saws accept only specially designed blades (like bayonet-mount) from their own manufacturer. Once you discover the blades you use the most, stock up to avoid running out in the middle of a job.
If you’ll only use a jigsaw once in a while, you may want to buy just a basic model. When you’re ready to move up, you can spend more for a heavy-duty saw that performs better and has more features, such as:
- Orbital cutting action. If you’ve ever rocked a handsaw up and down while cutting a board or firewood, you’ve noticed how this speeds the cutting action. Jigsaws with this feature have dialed settings that change the blade’s pitch from straight up and down for metal cutting to angled forward for aggressively cutting wood.
- Longer blade stroke. A jigsaw with a 1-inch-long blade stroke will get you through a job faster than a saw with a 1/2-inch long stroke.
- Blade guides. Saws so equipped have a pair of rollers or other guides below the blade clamping assembly (Photo 4) to steady the blade for less bending and greater accuracy.
- Variable speeds. A jigsaw with preset speed settings or a variable speed trigger allows you to customize each cut and to slow down when you’re at a tricky point in a pattern. This helps you work with various materials and densities, too.
Tools Required
- Clamps
- Extension cord
- Hearing protection
- Jigsaw
- Safety glasses
- Sawhorses
Watch How to Use a Jigsaw
Project step-by-step (6)
Step 1
How To Cut Wood with a Jigsaw
Jigsaws are ideal for cutting curves and complex shapes in wood. They also work well for making short crosscuts on a board and finishing inside corner cuts that you start with a circular saw. Jigsaws are not good for making fast, long, straight cuts. Use a circular saw instead. When cutting wood, follow these guidelines:
- Jigsaws work best for cutting softwood that’s no more than 1-1/2 inches thick and hardwood up to 3/4 inch thick. Jigsaw blades tend to bend when cutting curves in thicker boards, leaving a beveled edge rather than a square one. Use a sharp blade to keep the cut square and avoid forcing the saw through the cut.
- To “plunge cut,” or make an entry saw cut into the middle of your wood, tip the jigsaw so that the blade is parallel to the workpiece, and the saw’s weight rests on the shoe’s front lip. Start the saw at maximum speed, tilt the shoe and steadily lower the stabbing blade into the wood. I usually reserve plunge-cutting for rough work so that an errant blade doesn’t slash and mar expensive wood. In fragile material, drill a 1/2-in. starter hole to safely position the blade for a cut.
- For quick cutting, use a coarser blade. However, note that the coarser the blade, the more sanding later.
- Most wood-cutting blades for jigsaws are designed so the teeth cut on the upstroke. For fine work demanding less chipping—in wood veneers, for example—choose a “downstroke-cutting” blade (Photo 4). An alternative is to place painter’s or masking tape on the cutting line path before drawing on the pattern line.
Keep the saw shoe on the workpiece
Cut smooth curves in wood. Begin by pressing the saw shoe firmly on the workpiece with the blade away from the edge. Start the motor, guide the blade along the outside of the cutting line (for finer sanding later) and move from curves to inside corners. Always move the saw forward at a pace that allows the blade to cut without deflecting and doesn’t make the motor labor. Prevent the saw blade from binding on tight curves by using relief cuts to remove waste.
Step 2
Use a fence for perfectly straight cuts.
A jigsaw is versatile enough to make straight, compound and beveled cuts through boards. Hold the workpiece firmly and guide the saw steadily against a saw fence. Avoid driving blades into the bench top (bending and breaking them) by using rails to raise the workpiece.
Step 3
Finish cuts made with a circular saw
A jigsaw can precisely complete cuts begun with a circular saw in stair stringers, wood flooring and sheet materials. To avoid bumps in your final stair stringer, hold the jigsaw blade tight to the inside of the stringer cutting line.
Step 4
How To Cut Countertops With a Jigsaw
A jigsaw is perfectly suited for making the curved (or short diagonal) cuts at the corners of countertops and for the final long cut parallel to the backsplash. When installing a sink, make the front and two side cuts in the countertop with a circular saw. It’s faster and there’s no blade deflection to deal with.
The narrow space between the sink cutting line and the backsplash won’t accommodate the wider circular saw shoe, but it lets the narrower shoe of most narrow-body jigsaws sneak in perfectly.
If you’re uncomfortable making countertop cuts with a circular saw, use a jigsaw for the whole job. Cutting through a countertop with a jigsaw is slow-going. Choose a special down-cutting laminate blade. Its 5/16-in. wide blade, with eight teeth per inch, minimizes laminate chip-out. Use short relief cuts inside curves to ease the blade through the turn. Drill a 1/2-in. starter hole in the countertop for the blade.
Step 5
How To Cut Ceramic Tile With a Jigsaw
Cutting curves and shapes into tile with tile nippers and ceramic rod saws is slow and results in much tile breakage. If you’re cutting wall tile no more than 1/4 in. thick, try your jigsaw for this task.
Use special toothless, carbide-grit blades to cut tiles up to 1/4 in. thick. For thin tile, apply water frequently to lubricate the saw cut. Thicker tile requires lubricating the saw cut with cutting oil.
To minimize tile breakage, it’s imperative that you clamp your tile down tightly and hold the saw firmly on the tile to control saw and blade vibration. Avoid marring the tile by applying masking tape to the saw shoe. Go slow, using short relief cuts to remove waste and ease the blade through the turn.
Step 6
How To Cut Metal With a Jigsaw
With the proper blade, jigsaws can cut through wood with embedded nails, 1/8-in. mild steel, no-iron pipe and sheet metal up to 10 gauge thick.
For cutting sheet metal, choose a finer blade with 21 to 24 teeth per inch. To avoid shredding sheet metal or raising a lot of edge burrs, tightly sandwich the metal between two layers of thin plywood with clamps. Cut metal plate and pipe at low speed. For pattern cutting, drill blade starter holes instead of making plunge cuts. Expect it to take a while to cut through the sandwich. When cutting over a workbench or sawhorse, prop the sandwich on rails for adequate blade clearance below.
Features such as higher saw power, long blade stroke, variable speeds and orbital cutting action are all pluses for cutting metals and are found on more costly jigsaws. Saws equipped with vacuum hose connections to keep the pattern-cut sightlines free of dust are also a plus. Cutting pipe and mild steel plates wear out blades fast. Keep plenty of blades on hand, select a coarser blade (like 14 teeth per inch) and lubricate the saw cut with cutting oil.
Originally Published: August 27, 2019
