Tips for choosing saws
When replacing a file, it is important to know what and what you are going to change. Even if you only work with wood, it may be necessary to replace the saw blade due to wear of the old one or a change in the thickness of the bar.
All saws have their own designations. Those that are used for woodworking are marked with the abbreviation HCS, and those that are for metal are marked with HSS.
- When choosing a saw to work with a jigsaw, you should know what material will be processed with it. High carbon steel tools are suitable for soft materials.
- If you need to get a straight cut, then you should choose a straight saw with wide teeth.
- For cuts in shape, thin models are used.
- It is recommended to cut laminate with special devices that have a reverse slope.
- But metal tools, as a rule, are not straight, their teeth are of different sizes.
- For steel, it is recommended to use a waveform tool.
- For ceramics, files that do not have teeth at all (with carbide spraying) are suitable, but for plastic, medium teeth are needed.
- Don’t go for short models. According to the rules, the saw should come out of the sawn material.
- Do not use a tool with too coarse teeth, this may damage the material.
Saws made of bimetallic material are of the highest quality and most durable. They need replacement less often than other models.
Bimetallic jigsaw saw
Insert the file into the jigsaw
It is important not only to know how to properly insert the file into the jigsaw, but also to learn how to choose it for your tool. Indeed, for each material it is necessary to select its own version.
When working with different materials, frequent replacement of files is required. There is no universal model that will work equally effectively with metal and wood.
Saw Replacement Instructions
How to replace a file in a jigsaw? There is no universal way. the instructions will differ depending on the type of attachment. Consider the instructions for each type.
Electric jigsaws with quick-clamping system:
- Such a tool is equipped with a special lever that releases the file, so it is not necessary to remove the protective cover.
- Pull the lever, this will open the lock, pushing the stem forward.
- Insert the saw shank into the jigsaw and release the lever.
- Fix it in the correct position with the adjusting screw.
Electric jigsaws with a lock:
- Open the protective carapace of the instrument.
- Turn the lever on the rod to install the file.
- After releasing the lever, slide the file towards the clip.
Jigsaws with a screw system:
- Remove the protection (cover).
- Loosen the screw using the special hex wrench.
- Insert the blade into the special hole, teeth first.
- Tighten the mount.
- Install protection.
Understand in detail how to install the file correctly. Do not clamp it too tightly, otherwise the cut will turn out to be uneven.
Advice
In order for the jigsaw to serve you for a long time, you must follow several recommendations:
- Remember to check the instrument settings before use.
- In order to avoid breaking off the material during work, use special inserts.
- Be careful and careful when replacing the saw blade. Do not overtighten the mounts, but do not leave them too loose.
There are a great variety of jigsaw files. They can vary in length, thickness and tooth shape. Replacing the file yourself is not difficult, the main thing is to know how to do it correctly.
How to insert a blade into a jigsaw. How to insert a file into a jigsaw
What can you saw with a jigsaw
The jigsaw is able to work with materials of different hardness, while effectively coping with their sawing. It is important to choose the right tooling and cutting conditions. Saw blades differ in purpose: for cutting steel, aluminum and non-ferrous metals, they are made of tool steel, for sawing wood. from chrome vanadium or high-carbon steel, for plexiglass and ceramics. from harder materials, for example, carbide and tungsten alloy. There are universal saws that are used for wood materials and plastic.
If you have a large amount of work with a specific type of workpieces, for example, laminate, it is better to choose specialized equipment specifically for this task. The right choice is the key to quality work. It should be noted that the files are suitable for working only with homogeneous material. It is impossible to make a cut in a wooden workpiece with metal inclusions. nails or screws, as you can damage not only the equipment, but also the jigsaw itself.
How to insert a file into a jigsaw: types and characteristics of files
What is a jigsaw and what is its structure? This question is very important for beginners. A jigsaw is an electric saw with the movement of its working part of a translational-returnable nature (working blade). The jigsaw includes a ski to guide the working blade while performing forward-and-back movements along the surface to be treated. The jigsaw makes such movements at a frequency of up to 3 thousand vibrations in 60 seconds.
Jigsaw device diagram.
We fix the file
To set the file into working position, you need to slide the protective cover down.
And with the hex wrench, loosen the retaining screws.
Then insert a file into the hole near the support roller and clamp its shank with screws (the file is inserted with teeth forward).
Tighten evenly with both screws. Then install the cover in its place.
To remove dust and keep the workplace clean, at the back of the jigsaw there is a special branch pipe designed to be connected to a vacuum cleaner.
This is done by simply connecting the hose to the nozzle.
Sale (-55%):
How to get the most out of your jigsaw
When guiding the tool along the cut, you do not need to apply too much pressure. Excessive efforts can lead to a deterioration in the quality of the cut and breakage of the file.
When using the jigsaw, it is recommended that you guide the jigsaw along the line you have drawn, not directly along it. So, the line is better visible and the cut is made smoother. In addition, you do not have to include in the size of the workpiece the tolerance for the cutting width.
When processing decorative materials, the workpiece is placed face down. So no scuffs will appear on its surface.
To reduce the amount of sawdust in the processing area, use the blow-off function or connect a vacuum cleaner to a special nozzle. The less cutting waste on the workpiece, the better the markings are visible, and the easier it is for the saw to cut.
Do not overload the instrument. If there is a lot of work, let the engine cool down periodically so that it does not overheat. This is especially important when working at low speeds, when the fan does not have time to cool the jigsaw mechanisms.
Types, characteristics and features of saw blades
Types of saw blades for jigsaw.
Varieties of canvases can be roughly divided into several subspecies:
- by the material with which you have to work;
- by the shape of the teeth;
- depending on the distance between the teeth;
- across the width of the saw blade;
- depending on the thickness of the cut.
Let’s consider them in more detail.
The different cutting resistance depends on the material to be worked with. Therefore, you should choose the file that is most suitable for this or that material. Appointment is one of the first and most important search criteria.
There are various canvases for:
- metal;
- wood;
- of stainless steel;
- laminate;
- ceramic products;
- cement;
- for various types of plastics and fiber materials;
- for wood with metal inclusions.
The shape of the teeth determines how quickly and accurately the cut will take place. If the teeth are thin and often spaced, the process will be slower, but more accurate and precise. If the teeth are large and sparse, then the work will be rougher, but much faster. The technology by which the teeth are made determines their geometry and direction. There are four main types of teeth by shape.
Jigsaw blades are selected depending on the material being processed.
How To Replace Reciprocating Saw Blades
The step is the distance that is counted from one tooth vertex to the other. If a tree or other material is cut across, it is better to cut blades with a large tooth, if this is normal carpentry work. with a small one. Also influenced by such a factor as the thickness of the material itself.
The wider the web, the stronger it is. Also, the width affects the quality and time for which the work will be done. and how fast you will work not with an even cut, but with a curve. Stability depends on the width, which implies a high cutting speed. The wider the blade, the smaller the angle of deviation from the desired line. To make the cutting curve better, narrow saws should be used. The narrower it is, the easier it will be to turn the jigsaw while working with curved lines. How accurately you will fit into turns when carving and how much easier you will be to control the jigsaw while doing this, it all depends on the thickness of the blade.
The thickness of the cutting line directly affects how firmly the cutting blade stands when cutting on a straight mowing line. It is important to cut perpendicular to the plane of the workpiece: this will ensure fewer burrs and abscesses. But this method is not suitable for cutting very thick workpieces, even if the width of the blade allows it, since in this situation it is more advisable to use circular or circular saws.
Reciprocating saw: which is better
So, in total 7 cars took part in the test.
KRESS 1200 SPE
Stroke frequency, strokes / minute: 0-2600.
Stroke amplitude, millimeters: 28.
Pendulum stroke: yes.
Frequency regulation: rheostat switch, pre-speed limiting.
HITACHI CR13VBY
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Power consumption, W: 1150.
Stroke frequency, strokes / minute: 0-3000.
Amplitude of the stroke, millimeters: 32.
Pendulum stroke: yes.
Frequency regulation: rheostat switch, pre-speed limitation.
Cut to speed
Relatively fast cutting. one of the key benefits of a reciprocating saw. Of course, a lot depends on the material (timber, for example, can be raw, with knots), but a lot. and from the instrument. If we discard the presence of the pendulum movement, then even in the passport numbers, as it turned out, there is a significant difference.
For clarity, the table with the results indicates, figuratively speaking, the minute stroke rate, that is, the product of frequency and amplitude. In theory, the larger this figure, the higher the cutting speed, but in practice everything is much more complicated. Under load, the frequency drops, and how much. depends on the power. And not declared, but real given.
The speed test included several tasks. First, a pine board was cut 4 centimeters thick and 20 centimeters wide (a medium-toothed wood saw was used). Second phase. cross-cut of a bar of 150×150 millimeters with a blade with a large divorced tooth. Then the task became more complicated: 6 nails were hammered into the timber (“one hundred square meters”!), And it was sawn with a universal blade with a small tooth for wood and metal. Finally, the last test. sawing a steel pipe with a diameter of 65 millimeters with a bimetallic blade for metal. Time is the average of ten attempts. The equality of numbers should not be intimidating, since they were rounded to whole numbers.
Table 1. Cutting time, seconds
Blade travel per minute, m / min.
Board 40×200 mm.
Bar 150×150 mm.
Bar 150×150 mm with nails
Steel pipe 65 mm.
Bosch GSA 1200 E
What conclusions can be drawn?
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The cutting speed of the DeWALT DW311K and Kress 1200 SPE models should be considered the same. From a subjective feeling, the difference is not felt, but according to the results, the differences are rather formal.
What is the strength? Definitely, in a pendulum stroke. See how much it speeds up the process. The figures for a bar with nails are especially indicative. Although the blade was not chosen at all for high-speed cutting of wood.
Reciprocating saw: what is the power
MAKITA JR3060T
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Power consumption, Watt 1250.
Stroke frequency, strokes / minute: 0-2800.
Amplitude of the stroke, millimeters: 32.
Pendulum stroke: 4 steps.
Frequency adjustment: rheostat switch.
Cutting precision
They say precision. it’s not about reciprocating saws. Indeed, it is useless to argue with circulars on this indicator “saber”, but it is capable of a more or less even cut. The same bar of 150×150 millimeters was taken as a base for this test. So the task became as complicated as possible and approached practice (sawing just thick materials. The best option for using a reciprocating saw). And the legend came to mind immediately: the bars must be joined end-to-end. It would seem that it is easy to control the cut based on the markings on three sides of the workpiece. But in practice, the elastic canvas in the array “leads”, which results in a bevel. Trial attempts did not give the desired result. With a 20-centimeter blade and a shoe adjusted for a small rig exit, every time there was a slip in the far lower corner of the beam. A high-quality joint would not have come out, although the blade was rather rigid, and the saw was immersed in a horizontal position.
The tactics required adjustments. The choice fell on a long 30-centimeter blade, the support shoe was pushed back all the way, the method of immersion. same. And it worked! Accurate cut on all three lines became stable. True, sawdust served as a hindrance, and unsuccessful attempts with insignificant withdrawal also happened, but, in general, systematic deviations were not found. all saws did the job. However, the features of each can be distinguished. The saws JR3060T, JR3070CT (their support shoe noticeably protrudes in front of the body, has no angular adjustment, the line is always in sight), as well as the Kress 1200 SPE and DeWALT DW311K saw a good view of the cutting area. But the last two have strong vibration, which is why it should be cut exactly along the mowing line at a reduced frequency. Nevertheless, the best visibility is provided by the Bosch GSA 1200 E: here the shoe is strongly pushed forward and, moreover, has a large U-shaped notch. Reverse example. AEG US 1300 XE: the support shoe practically rests against the gearbox housing and, despite the fact that the blade opening is very wide, the cutting area is shaded and the line is less visible.
Finally, the common thing for all saws: despite the fact that there is no starting current limiting system, there is no tangible jerk at the start, although full speed is gained almost instantly.