answer me this

[Mark A]

Question to all those above who say jigsaws are no good for straight cuts - have you only used cheapo machines?

I started off with my father's old crappy Black and Decker, and when that melted cutting a chipboard worktop I replaced it with a Mac Allistair from B&Q. That was so atrocious I swapped it for a Ryobi, which was no better. Eventually I bit the bullet and paid for a Bosch Pro: the difference is night and day - produces good perpendicular cuts up to about 2.5" in softwood without any problems, and with the right blade can cut up to 5" with only minor wobbles.


Sunnybob - Try some thick, ridgid blades; they make all the difference.

I've had good results from both the Bosch Precision series (cheap) and the Festool Trion series (expensive).

These work well

When jigsawing, it's imperative that you take your time and let the tool do all the work. Also, applying force in any direction but down and forward (gently) may induce wandering, especially if the blade isn't held perfectly parallel to the side of the base plate.

Let us know how you get on!

Mark

 

[deema]

Threw my jigsaw in the trash can, as with most of them, they don't cut vertical, or straight. A router and a straight edge / template gets pulled out on the very remote occasions I can't find another solution. I'm one of the very few people who hate routers with a passion. IMO very dangerous! But I know I'm a very small minority!!

 

[blackrodd]

If you have a similar scrap piece of ply or chipboard, mark a straight line and cut it freehand, using the same blade, etc.
Take note of the angle or "skew" that the jigsaw baseplate takes when cutting to you're straight line.
You will instantly see why the saw skipped the line.
Don't be discouraged, as I said earlier, most jigsaws are the same.
If you like the easy life, then buy you're self a bosch or similar hand held circular saw, The're ok for light duty work,
but not everyday use.
You could even mount it upside down, making a ply top and you will have a cheap saw bench, it's all on u tube.
Or in future, You could even cut slightly clear of the pencil line freehand, and "shoot" to the line with a hand plane/jack plane.
HTH Regards Rodders

 

[Phil Pascoe]

As Mark said above. I wonder what saws some people use. My Bosch is nearly 20yrs old, has cut tons upon tons of firewood amongst other things, has the sole plate hammered back flat once in a while and still cuts a sheet of ply straight enough that three passes of a jointer will clean the edge. It does get cleaned and oiled regularly. I could no way justify a track saw and my 7 1/4" circular gets taken out only in desperation.

 

[GLFaria]

Check the alignment of the blade vs. the sole plate guide.

A similar problem happened with my Bosch circular saw (blue amateur line, alas!). When I checked it, the blade was off by 6 degrees with respect to the edge of the plate!!! Worse, it is not adjustable.

 

[bridger]

As Mark said above. I wonder what saws some people use. My Bosch is nearly 20yrs old, has cut tons upon tons of firewood amongst other things, has the sole plate hammered back flat once in a while and still cuts a sheet of ply straight enough that three passes of a jointer will clean the edge. It does get cleaned and oiled regularly. I could no way justify a track saw and my 7 1/4" circular gets taken out only in desperation.

my Bosch was purchased in the late '80s or very early '90s. the shoe will no longer bash quite to straight, alas, but it still does yeoman duty for everything else.

I also have a metabo that has had a much more pampered life, and I reserve it for more delicate work.

 

[sunnybob]

well, looks like I'm screwed (nothing new there). The blade is a genuine makita B10 wood cutter, straight from the wrapper.
the jigsaw pendulum was set at maximum. So theres nothing I can do to make it cut a straight line against a fence.

Admittedly I can do better freehand than this particular cut, but my original plan was to use a hardwood edging around the bench. As its all in place and the wall is at the end of the run, I cant use a big plane, or even get a circular saw to within 6 inches of the wall.

i might have to climb on the bench, kneel down in front of the work and use a pull though saw. Like THATS gonna happen!

 

[pedder]

These tailed devils don't want work they want to lead you in misery.
Just get a good panel saw, it will make you happy.

 

[sunnybob]

I used an old cross cut saw, held vertical with the teeth away from me, left hand holding the bottom, and hacked it out.
Its better than the jig saw could manage, and I've saved my self the time and cost of harwooding the edges, because its just a bench.

 

[custard]

Use the jigsaw freehand but stay about 1mm over onto the waste side so that the pencil line is (just) preserved the whole way across, then run a router against a straight edged fence for a very good quality cut.

For a superb quality cut run a length of masking tape along the fence edge, rout once, remove the masking tape then rout again.

Good luck.

 

[custard]

These tailed devils don't want work they want to lead you in misery.
Just get a good panel saw, it will make you happy.

 

[AndyT]

I'd have sat on the bench, saw in my right hand, waste to the right of the saw, and worked back towards the wall.Do you still need to do the other end?

 

[sunnybob]

I'd have sat on the bench, saw in my right hand, waste to the right of the saw, and worked back towards the wall.Do you still need to do the other end?

Thats strange, I was thinking that my self.

But I'm a few years past the acrobatics stage now. The other end is quite good. I actually planned the right side to be good, so i could jig saw the left. HUH! last time I make a plan.

while youre all here, the main reason to resurface the bench was to fit my record 52 1/2 vice. That went ok, once I had welded in a metal bracing plate to the bench frame, but why are the vice jaws not parallel?
I have sen other posts here explaining they are made that way, but why?
If i clamp a piece of wood in it, the wood is going to get a crease across it.

 

[Paddy Roxburgh]

Even the best jigsaw, with the best blade operated by the most skilled hand will not cut a finish quality line. The same is true for bandsaws and all but the very finest tooth handsaw. Table saws and circular saws can, bur won't always. The solution is to cut slightly on the waste side of your line and to plane to your line. I read your earlier posts about the problems you were encountering with the hand plane. I didn't post then but without much doubt your problem was that it was not sharp enough. I would suggest that to start with use a honing guide. It takes some mucking about to get plane set up and sharpened right, but once you do it will make no end of things you want to do easier.
Paddy

 

[NickWelford]

Lidl plunge saw and track?

 

[Droogs]

Unfortunately Sunnybob is in Cyprus

 

[sunnybob]

Even in Cyprus we have a Lidl (lol), but their tool section is a bad joke. they have a set of bins in one aisle and whenever we go in, I always have a stroll down the JUNK aisle. Everything I know that has been bought from them has failed in a very short time, up to and including a mig welding machine.

Yes, my inability to sharpen an edge is now world wide knowledge. I'm going back to the UK in a couple weeks, and taking all my blades with me. My son is a joiner /shopfitter, and has a tormek sharpener system,, so its time to call in the debt he owes me.

Still want to know why the record vice jaws are canted????????

 

[Phil Pascoe]

So that they pull parallel when tightened.

 

[sunnybob]

you reckon?
I've put some temporary plywood jaw covers on, and even with a fair bit of force on the handle the jaws are still angled?

 

[Bod]

you reckon?
I've put some temporary plywood jaw covers on, and even with a fair bit of force on the handle the jaws are still angled?

Angled left to right, or top to bottom?
Left to right (or R to L) the vise is damaged
The jaws are designed to close at the top first, to allow for wear bring the jaws parallel.
The jaws are designed to require wooden faces to be fitted, which on a new vise can be made to close parallel.
If this is a proper Record vise, you should be able to exert a huge amount of pressure on the handle before it bends, this used to be the safety weak point before damage was done to the body, but usually the quick release nut skips, on a well used example.

Bod