I don't have much luck with jigsaws!

[julianf]

Im trying to cut 30mm rough sawn oak.

I have a jigsaw. It's ancient. It's blade secures by a block with a groove in it and two screws. Maybe I'm buying the wrong blade but the blade works it's way loose quickly.

So I borrowed a friend's. Some cheap Screwfix special. Modern blade toolless blade locking mech. I think I got about 8 mins work out of it until the blade locking mech also lost the blade. But in a more terminal manor. At least I only owed my friend £20 but I've had more fun out of a score before...

So then I borrow my neighbours. Same blade locking mech as my own. I'm dubious. It losses the blade (not mine, the one that he has been happily using) almost instantly. As in within 10mm of cutting.

I remember the £20 that the last tool I borrowed cost me, and don't try again.


So there's my tale of woe. All I'm wanting to do is rough cut blanks as my bandsaw throat is not deep enough.

I can use my sawzall fine, but then that really is rough cutting, in that I can't see where I'm going much at all.

So the question -

Is 30mm dry rough sawn oak just too much to expect out of a jigsaw?

I don't need a clean cut at all, so can get a fierce blade (which I think I've already got) but I do need a machine that will hang on to it.

I'm not a complete heathen when it comes to tools, despite the above scenario. I'm not being totally brutal and trying to force a non oscillating blade through half a tree. But that said, these are all old or low tech machine with none of the blade progression trickery that I read about now.

So, yes, again, is there a machine that I can buy that will cut through 30mm oak, or is this just too much to ask?

Thank you!

 

[deema]

Mafell

 

[Bojam]

Yeah by all accounts the Mafell P1CC is the dogs. I use a Bosch GST160CE which is considerably cheaper and I don't have any complaints. Nicely balanced (the CE is the model with the palm grip, not the bow handle), sufficiently powerful for the tropical woods I work and, yes, it holds a blade.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Any decent jigsaw should handle that (and probably twice that) without missing a beat. I had a DIY book sponsored by Bosch from the very early '80's in which was written that a jigsaw would never be of any use for much other than 6mm ply - thankfully times have changed.

 

[skeetstar]

May be wrong, but blades secured by tightening screws went out with the ark, so my guess that those were old and inadequate before you started. I wouldn't expect much from a cheap screwfix saw, but it should last longer than 8 mins, depending on its condition when you started, maybe you just got unlucky with that one. As above anything decent, with a good blade would do what you wanted, .. I've a couple of jigsaws, and I'd be confident that my old cheap Makita would do the job, my Festool Trion certainly would.

 

[paulrbarnard]

I’ve happily made cutouts in 30mm thick oak (sink cutout in worktop for example) with my dewalt cordless jigsaw. Never had a blade fall out.

 

[Spectric]

Yes blade fixing never been an issue, my Bosch uses the insert , rotate and a lever to lock but as for perpendicular cuts thats another story, keeping that blade at 90° to the base during cuts is a big problem in anything over 18mm or hard wood.

 

[Jameshow]

Yeap a decent trade jigsaw designed for cutting worktops out all day long.

Pick which colour suits you best!

Cheers James

 

[julianf]

Thanks to all.

I have the Milwaukee m18 system, as their impact drives are great. But no single maker has the best in every tool...

I'm wondering what their m18 jigsaw is like.

Or maybe I'll just get a cheap second hand 240v Bosch GST somthing or other and see if that works. I don't need battery power, but you get used to it too quickly!

I can't be spending half a grand or whatever on a Mafell. I've no doubt they're good but it's not a tool that I'll ever use often enough for that sort of outlay. Half a grand would buy a lot of "slightly larger than required" wood to allow for wonky sawzall cuts!

I'm only wanting to hack stuff up to then route. Eg -

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Or maybe I'll just get a cheap second hand 240v Bosch GST somthing or other and see if that works. I don't need battery power, but you get used to it too quickly!

You don't need to see if it works - it'll work. So will any decent battery driven one, so if you've already got batteries that route is open to you.

 

[Fitzroy]

I've found the jigsaw to be a tool that I do not gel with, and the thicker the wood the more issues I have. I've learnt I need to take it very slow, not expect to follow a line with any great accuracy and guide the saw with moderate pressure not try and force where it goes. Otherwise the blade starts to catch and bind, overheat, smoke, go blunt and then it all goes pete tong.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

Buy a bigger bandsaw? Those shapes seem to be exactly why God invented the bandsaw in the first place. Or am I missing something obvious?

 

[julianf]

Buy a bigger bandsaw? Those shapes seem to be exactly why God invented the bandsaw in the first place. Or am I missing something obvious?

As soon as the plank is small then I can use my existing bandsaw. But I'd need a significant machine to do some of those staggered cross cuts on bandsaw.

I cut up the job in the photo today. One easy cross cut with the sawzall, and one staggered Z style cut to get between two pieces.

As soon as that was done my bandsaw can handle it fine, but it's just those initial cross cuts that it does not have the throat for.

A large bandsaw, whilst a desirable object, would mean another machine having to go, as space here is limited. The small bandsaw isn't even permantly set up, but gets moved to end fro from storage as required.

 

[mikej460]

I have a Makita 240v Jigsaw that has performed extremely well over the years so I looked up Makita Jigsaw on eBay and this popped up - it seems to have excellent reviews Makita M4301 MT Series Jigsaw 240V 88381815765 | eBay

 

[baldkev]

The mt range is aimed at aprentices, slightly cheaper made and feel but work well. I have an mt belt sander and recip saw..... i replaced the leads for real ones and they are great now.


Hi julian, i see you are in devon! Where are you getting your oak? My brother has a sawmill in loddiswell
Kev

 

[Sandyn]

I was going to say it always seems to be right at the end when you find a piece is missing, but it's the other kind of jigsaw. I have had a couple of them over the years but really don't like using them. With thick wood, I follow the line on the top, but the cut is all over the place on the bottom.

 

[TRITON]

It's blade secures by a block with a groove in it and two screws.

Oh for God sake

 

[dephill]

Is your blade a modern bayonet ‘t’ fitting?
If so the two older jigs may require a ‘u’ shank, possibly with a hole through. One of the screws goes through the hole, the other clamps the blade tight. Just a thought…. Any jig should manage 30mm oak.
Buy another cheap to mid one from screw fix with a new t shank blade.
If it breaks, return it, they have a pretty much ‘no questions asked’ policy.

 

[David Young]

Im trying to cut 30mm rough sawn oak.

I have a jigsaw. It's ancient. It's blade secures by a block with a groove in it and two screws. Maybe I'm buying the wrong blade but the blade works it's way loose quickly.

So I borrowed a friend's. Some cheap Screwfix special. Modern blade toolless blade locking mech. I think I got about 8 mins work out of it until the blade locking mech also lost the blade. But in a more terminal manor. At least I only owed my friend £20 but I've had more fun out of a score before...

So then I borrow my neighbours. Same blade locking mech as my own. I'm dubious. It losses the blade (not mine, the one that he has been happily using) almost instantly. As in within 10mm of cutting.

I remember the £20 that the last tool I borrowed cost me, and don't try again.


So there's my tale of woe. All I'm wanting to do is rough cut blanks as my bandsaw throat is not deep enough.

I can use my sawzall fine, but then that really is rough cutting, in that I can't see where I'm going much at all.

So the question -

Is 30mm dry rough sawn oak just too much to expect out of a jigsaw?

I don't need a clean cut at all, so can get a fierce blade (which I think I've already got) but I do need a machine that will hang on to it.

I'm not a complete heathen when it comes to tools, despite the above scenario. I'm not being totally brutal and trying to force a non oscillating blade through half a tree. But that said, these are all old or low tech machine with none of the blade progression trickery that I read about now.

So, yes, again, is there a machine that I can buy that will cut through 30mm oak, or is this just too much to ask?

Thank you!

Most modern Jigsaws will handle 30mm oak without any issues. The standard quick release works well if the blade is fitted correctly. On battery and cabled machines they now have a sweep action with normally 3 setting, 3rd setting the roughest. This sweep action allows the blade to work like we use a handsaw contacts the timber on the cut and clears on the return to allow the sawdust to clear. This will work for you with no issues, just make sure the jigsaw you buy has a sweep action function.
Please be aware though folks that the sweep action must be turned to 0 setting when using the down cutting plates. Good luck D

 

[Mark Karacsonyi]

Some interesting points here. Generally I use a 10year old long corded deWalt model. It’s important to use the pendulum action as listed above, also the blade quality.

I remember reading an article, I think it was furniture making magazine, I got the title wrong I know, quite an old one. It had a section on blades. Generally the Bosch, Makita blades come from the same factory. Also the review on the different blade patterns were interesting too.

One thing which people do not always check is the depth of the cut on the up stroke, which needs to exceed the depth of the required cut (thickness of material).

Also don’t flog the blade to death. It’s only additional wear and tear on the tool. Also the feed rate, as not to force the cut, these factors generally add to blade drift, especially if cutting to a contour.

Hope this helps, Have fun.