Freud Powertools - features

Making the Cut. In some situations the jigsaw can be mounted to a stand and fixed upside-down on a bench. This allows the material to be pushed into the jigsaw, as when using a band saw. The more common method of use, however, is treating the jigsaw as a hand tool, pushing it over the material. The limitations of jigsaws lie in their thickness of cut and their trouble cutting a straight line. Typically, stock thicker than about 1 1/2 inches is too thick for jigsaw work. However, the problems of cutting a straight line with a jigsaw can be greatly alleviated by using a saw guide. Rule number one for using a jigsaw: Safety comes first. Get to know your owner's manual and all the safety recommendations specific to your jigsaw. Rule number two: Let the saw blade do the work. Manual pressure is not going to help the cutting action, and too much forward pressure will reduce the life of the blade and the quality of cut.	Standard Vertical Cuts. For vertical cuts, keep the saw's footplate flush against the cutting surface. You may want to drill a pilot hole for the blade in a scrap section of the material for cuts that are not made from the material's edge. Start the blade then slowly push the saw forward to penetrate the material.	Bevel Cuts. To produce angled or beveled cuts, rotate the footplate by loosening the screw at the bottom of the saw. Many of today's jigsaws offer an angled cut adjustable to 45 degrees. Adjust the footplate then retighten the screw. Make a test cut to measure the angle's accuracy before making the actual production cuts.
	Horizontal (Bench) Cuts. The cutting method is the same, but for horizontal cuts on plywood or other material, make sure the stock is secured to the workbench. Be certain the jigsaw is not going to come into contact with the workbench — or the electrical cord — when making the cuts.
	Straight-line Cuts. Use a firmly clamped, straight guide fence to make long, straight regular or bevel cuts. For further accuracy on straight cuts, a wider jigsaw blade is less likely to curve outward during cutting. Also, use a slower blade speed. Slower speeds generally allow more accurate cuts.	Plunge Cuts. Hold the saw with both hands and position the front end of the footplate firmly on the work piece. With the blade positioned nearly 90 degrees to the work surface and set for vertical cutting action (not orbital), start the saw and slowly tilt the blade back to a flat position, penetrating the material. However, many users stick with using pilot holes, finding it difficult to achieve accurate plunge cuts.