Jig Saw

A jigsaw is an electrically powered hand-held saw, which uses a reciprocating blade to cut straight lines and irregular curves, such as stenciled designs, in wood, metal, or other materials.

Jigsaws with sole plates that have a beveling function can cut angles typically up to 45 degrees relative to the normal vertical stroke to make miter joints. The Jigsaws in the SOA have beveling sole plates.

Control is an issue with jigsaws; the blades are small and weak, with the lower end entirely unsupported. Good cut control requires the presence of blade rollers, which keep the blade aligned just above the sole plate. To guide a jigsaw on curved cut, it must be steered (turned) and not forced to move sideways. The use of sharp blades is important as well to get high quality cuts. In the SOA, we have several types of blades for various materials, and will replace them for students as needed.

Here is a Schematic drawing showing the parts of the jigsaw.

General Safety

Keep work area clean and well lit. Cluttered areas invite accidents.

Keep bystanders away while operating a power tool. Distractions can cause you to lose control.

Keep the power cord away from heat, oil, sharp edges or moving parts. Damaged or entangled cords increase the risk of electric shock.

Personal safety

Stay alert, watch what you are doing and use common sense when operating any power tool.

Do not use any power tool while you are tired or under the influence of drugs, alcohol or medication. A moment of inattention while operating power tools may result in serious personal injury.

Use personal protective equipment. Always wear eye protection. Protective equipment such as dust mask, non-skid closed shoes, or hearing protection used for appropriate conditions will reduce personal injuries.

Prevent unintentional starting. Ensure the switch is in the off-position before connecting to power source and picking up or carrying the tool. Carrying power tools with your finger on the switch or energizing power tools that have the switch on invites accidents.

Do not overreach. Keep proper footing and balance at all times. This enables better control of the power tool in unexpected situations.

Dress properly. Do not wear loose clothing or jewelry. Keep your hair, clothing and gloves away from moving parts. Loose clothes, jewelry or long hair can be caught in moving parts.

Power tool use and care

Do not force the Jigsaw to cut faster than the blade will allow. Too much forward pressure causes blade deflection, and resulting cuts will not be perpendicular to the surface of the material.

Do not lift the Jigsaw off of the material you are cutting until the blade comes to a complete stop.

Do not use the Jigsaw if the switch does not turn it on and off. Any power tool that cannot be controlled with the switch is dangerous and must be repaired.

Disconnect the plug from the power source before making any adjustments, changing accessories, or storing power tools. Such preventive safety measures reduce the risk of starting the power tool accidentally.

Hold power tools by insulated gripping surfaces when performing an operation where the cutting tool may contact hidden wiring or its own cord. Contact with a "live" wire will make exposed metal parts of the tool "live" and shock the operator.

Use clamps or another practical way to secure and support the workpiece to a stable platform. Holding the work by hand or against your body leaves it unstable and may lead to loss of control.

Never leave the trigger locked "ON". Before plugging the tool in, check that the trigger lock is "OFF". Accidental start-ups could cause injury. Be aware of the location and setting of the switch "Lock-ON" button. If the switch is locked "ON" during the use, be ready for emergency situations to switch it "OFF", by first pulling the trigger then immediately releasing it without pressing the "Lock-ON" button.

Keep hands away from cutting area. Do not reach under the material being cut. The proximity of the blade to your hand is hidden from your sight. Keep hands from between the gear housing and saw blade holder. The reciprocating blade holder can pinch your fingers.

Do not use dull or damaged blades. Bent blades can break easily or cause kickback.

Before starting to cut, turn tool "ON" and allow the blade to come to full speed. Tool can chatter or vibrate if blade speed is too slow at beginning of cut and possibly kickback.

Always wear safety goggles or eye protection when using this tool. Use a dust mask or respirator for applications, which generate dust.

Secure material before cutting. Never hold it in your hand or across legs. Small or thin material may flex or vibrate with the blade, causing loss of control.

When removing the blade from the tool, be aware that the blade may be hot after prolonged use. Allow it too cool off first, and then grasp the blade, keeping fingers back from the cutting edge.

Blade Installation and Removal

The Jigsaws in the SOA are equipped with tool-less blade changing systems for fast and easy changes of T-shank blades. If blade is not properly installed, then the blade may unexpectedly dislodge from jigsaw when tool is energized.

To remove a previously used blade, pull blade change lever (Fig. 2) until blade ejects. Blade ejects forcefully when released. Hold on to the blade and direct away from yourself or bystanders.
Pull the blade change lever to the point that the slots on the blade clamp's ring line up with the slot in the center of the clamp (Fig. 2).
Insert the saw blade (teeth in cutting direction) until it the “T” part of the blade shank is completely inserted in to the blade clamp. (When inserting the saw blade, the back of the blade must rest in the groove of the guide roller.) (Fig. 2a)
When blade change lever is released, it will spring back to its closed position.
Verify that the blade clamp has also returned to its closed position (which is the point where slots were previously).

Operating instructions

PLUNGER SPEED: The jigsaw cutting speed or stroke rate required depends on the material being cut, the type of blade being used, and the feed rate preferred by the operator. The best speed for a particular application is largely determined by experience though as a general rule, slower speeds are for denser materials and faster speeds for softer materials. Note that when the jigsaw is used at low speed settings for an extended length of time, the motor temperature will rise due to slower speeds of the internal cooling fan. In such cases, it is necessary to occasionally run the tool at full speed for a few minutes to keep the motor running at high efficiency.

VARIABLE SPEED DIAL: The Jigsaw is equipped with a variable speed dial. The blade stroke rate may be adjusted during cutting operation by presetting the dial on or between any one of the six numbers (Fig. 1).

VARIABLE SPEED CONTROLLED TRIGGER SWITCH: The Jigsaw is equipped with a variable speed trigger switch. The tool can be turned "ON" or "OFF" by squeezing or releasing the trigger. The speed can be adjusted from the minimum to maximum SPM as set on the variable speed dial by the pressure you apply to the trigger. Apply more pressure to increase the speed and release pressure to decrease speed. Regardless of the pressure applied on the trigger, the tool will not operate any faster than maximum speed setting selected on the variable speed dial.

"LOCK-ON" BUTTON: The "Lock-On" button, located in the handle of the tool allows for continuous operation at maximum preset SPM without holding the trigger (see: Schematic). TO LOCK TRIGGER "ON": squeeze trigger, depress button and release trigger.

TO UNLOCK THE TRIGGER: squeeze trigger and release it without depressing the "LockON" button. If the “Lock-ON” button is continuously being depressed, the trigger cannot be released.

CONSTANT RESPONSE CIRCUITRY: The internal electronic feedback system provides a "soft start", which will reduce the stresses that occur from a high torque start. The system also maintains the selected speed under load for maximum efficiency.

BLADE ORBIT SELECTOR LEVER: Maximum cutting efficiency can be obtained by adjusting the blade orbit selector lever to suit the material being cut. The following chart will help you determine which setting to use for your application. This orbit selector chart is intended, as a guideline only, and test cuts in scrap material should be performed first to determine the best setting. Setting O Hard materials such as metals or thin sheet metals. This setting can be used with knife blades, grit edge blades, rasp work and down cutting blades. Setting I Soft materials where cleaner cutting or delicate scrolling work is performed. Setting II Medium density materials such as harder woods or particleboard. Setting III Soft materials such as wood, plastics, etc. and when fast cutting is more important than a clean cut.

CHIP BLOWER: The jigsaw is equipped with a two-position chip blower to help keep the cutting line clear of chips. It also helps to stop cutting occasionally and physically blow on the cut-line to see where the blade is, in relation to the marks you’ve made.

By adjusting the chip blower lever the force of the discharge air may be altered as follows; BLOWER SWITCHED ON For working with wood, plastic and similar materials that produce large amounts of sawdust. BLOWER SWITCHED OFF For working with metals and when cooling agents are used, or with dust collection accessory.

FOOTPLATE ANGLE ADJUSTMENT: The footplate (Fig.6) may be tilted to allow angle cuts up to 45° in either direction (Fig. 6). To adjust footplate, remove dust shroud if used, loosen the footplate screw and slide the footplate slightly forward towards the back of tool, then rotate to desired angle. The detent slots will hold the footplate firmly at 0°, and there are additional position marks for 15°, 22.5° 30° and 45° angles. Intermediate angles may be set with a protractor (Fig. 6). After positioning the footplate, securely tighten the footplate screw (Fig. 6).

TOOL TIPS: Always be certain that smaller work pieces are securely fastened to a bench or other support. Larger panels may be held in place by clamps on a bench or sawhorses. To begin a cut, clearly mark the cutting line, and rest the front of the footplate on the work. Engage the switch, and move the blade into the work using only enough forward pressure to keep the blade cutting steadily. Do not force, as this will not make the saw cut faster; let the blade do the work. Choose blades carefully, as the ability of the jigsaw to follow curves, provide smoother finishes, or faster cutting is directly related to the type of blade used For tight curves it is best to use a narrow or scroll blade. (Please ask for Shop Tech assistance when selecting the proper blade for your material.)

TYPICAL USE: Most Often, students will need to cut portions of a site model, by making edge cuts or internal cutouts in a model base. We have some Styrofoam blocks on top of the main tool cabinet which allow forming a base, upon which various cuts can be made without damaging worktables. Usually, the students will either draw lines to be cut directly on the sheet material, or spray-glue a printed drawing to the surface of the material to be cut. This works especially well for large sheets of material. Smaller parts should be clamped to the edge of a workbench, with areas to be cut over-hanging the edge of the bench, so as to avoid damaging the bench.

Plunge cutting is useful and time-saving in making rough openings in softer materials. It is not necessary to drill a hole for an inside or pocket cut. Draw lines for the opening, hold the saw firmly, tilt it forward so that the toe of the saw foot rests on the work, but with the blade well clear of the work. Start the motor, and then very gradually lower the blade. When it touches, continue pressing down on the toe of the saw foot slowly pivoting the saw like a hinge until the blade cuts through and the foot rests flat on the work. Then saw ahead on the cutting line. We do not recommend plunge cutting with a scroll blade. To make sharp corners, cut up to the corner, then back up slightly before rounding the corner. After the opening is complete, go back to each corner and cut it from the opposite direction to square it off.

Clean-up

When you are finished working with a Jigsaw, clean the area before leaving the workstation. There are 4 Trash barrels in this room, and each one has a broom, bench brush and dust pan attached. You must use these items to clean up your work areas at each machine, when you are finished working there. Also, there are scrap barrels at each workstation to deposit scraps of material, which may be useful for someone else. Please do not put materials with stray hardware or glue on them, or food/drink items, only re-usable materials.