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The saw blade is the most important working component in a jigsaw. How accurate, fast and high-quality the cut will be depends on it. Requirements for files for a manual jigsaw may be different, depending on what tasks they are selected for. For example, for crafts made from plywood, cutting laminate, metal, and complex shapes, a thin but slow cut is important; For working with wood or chipboard, you can use quick and rough. The job will be completed much faster if you choose the right saw blade. In this article, we will talk about the types and features of hand jigsaw files, how to choose them correctly, and also share several life hacks on what you can use to make files in your home workshop.
Features of files
If your saw blade has become unusable and you are about to go to the store, then we advise you to first understand the basic terminology regarding your future purchase. Below we will talk about several main features of files.
Any manual jigsaw blade that you find in the store has a TPI setting of “Tooth Pro Inch” (the number of teeth per inch is 2.5 cm). Note that the higher this indicator, the neater the cutting line will be. However, the work process itself will become slower. Thus, the lower, the faster, but less accurate. The average TPI is 15 teeth per inch, or 6 per 1 cm.
The tooth set is another important indicator of the saw, which prevents the saw blade from jamming in the material and facilitates the sawing process. It is worth paying attention to this, because not every file found on sale has this property.
Sawing purposes and suitable tools
Depending on the purposes of sawing, we select what can be used to cut plywood most effectively. Among the tools used for work are the following:
- electric circular saw;
- hand saw;
- electric jigsaw.
Let's consider the features of using various tools for cutting plywood and in what cases it is more advisable to use one or another device.
Hand saw
When cutting plywood with a hand saw, physical effort is required due to the significant density of the material. This tool is used when it is necessary to cut a sheet of plywood into identical fragments.
A hand jigsaw is the best assistant in processing plywood sheets
A hand jigsaw is considered the best tool and allows you to decide in advance how to cut plywood without chipping, eliminating the need to purchase electric tools. It can be used to produce a small number of elements of complex shapes. Having certain skills in working with a jigsaw, you can make a neat cut, however, due to high labor costs and low productivity, this method cannot be called optimal.
Hand saw for plywood
If you don’t have electric tools or a simple jigsaw at hand, you should resort to using a simple hand saw. To make cutting a sheet convenient and to avoid chipping, the tool blade must have a large number of small and well-sharpened teeth. The angle of the saw to the plywood sheet should be sharp. It is recommended to avoid jerking and make even movements with strong pressure.
Circular Saw
Sheets of plywood can be created into various shapes using a circular saw or circular saw, but the main purpose of these tools is to create square cuts. When cutting material, it is very difficult to get a neat cut because the rotation speed of the discs is very high. In this regard, preference should be given to those cutting wheels that have small teeth and are used for working with wood. When processing plywood, it is good to use cutting wheels designed for sawing chipboard.
A cutting wheel with fine teeth will prevent the formation of large chips
Tip: when cutting a plywood sheet, make sure that the pressure on the sheet is insignificant and the rotation speed of the disk is low.
Circular Saw
When making furniture or repairing it, you often have to choose what to cut laminated plywood with. To get a clean cut, you need to select discs or blades that have frequent and fine teeth. The angle of their sharpening, as well as the shape, is of great importance. It is advisable to select discs with a positive sharpening angle and different tooth shapes (alternating trapezoidal and straight teeth are observed). If the disk has negative sharpening angles, then it is necessary to reduce the speed, otherwise the wood will burn.
A relationship has been established between the size of the chip and the saw teeth: small ones leave less damage than large ones. The amount of tooth set affects the cleanliness of cutting plywood. The best result is achieved with minimal wiring. You can check this parameter using a regular ruler. You should not saw a thick sheet using a disc with minimal tooth spacing, since increased friction will cause it to burn and the disc will become pinched.
Electric jigsaw
An electric jigsaw is best for cutting any plywood. When working with this tool, you should use small files, cut the blade, pressing the jigsaw and avoiding jerky movements. Upon completion of the process, the ends of the material are processed using sandpaper.
A jigsaw will make sawing easier and make a high-quality cut of the sheet
You should not purchase low-quality tools, since after a cut 5 meters long, the cutting edge becomes severely dull, which causes chips to appear. The absence of setting and the opposite sharpening of teeth located next to each other and the small width make it possible to make complex figured cuts. But these qualities of files for finishing cutting cause the fragility of the blades.
Plywood saws are the key to successful sawing of the material
Finish cutting of plywood can be done using blades for working with metal parts. The size of the teeth of such saws is minimal, which greatly slows down the cutting speed, but allows you to achieve the highest quality. Since the width of the metal files is large, it is possible to carry out a figured cut only with a large bending radius (0.6-0.8 m).
Types of blades for a manual jigsaw for wood
Hand jigsaw files, designed for cutting wood, taking into account the structure of their teeth, are divided into five types, each of which has its own specifics. Let's look at all types in more detail, taking into account the tasks that each of them performs.
Standard. A commonly used wood jigsaw blade has equally spaced teeth of the same size and direction. Files with such a cutting part leave an undesirable curved line and are intended for rough cutting of wood.
A blade with double teeth is less common. A file with a small gap after each pair of teeth has a low speed, but the efficiency of the process is high. This file practically does not leave sawdust on the surface of the material and almost does not overheat. It can be used when performing “filigree” work.
A file with a missing tooth significantly increases the speed of cutting material due to a slight loss of quality. Like the previous type, this saw blade hardly heats up, copes well with sawdust and does not get stuck during operation. Can be used for straight and decorative cutting of wood or plastic.
Blades for a manual jigsaw with reverse (reverse) teeth are used less frequently than typical ones and, unlike them, are unique in that they cut without chipping from the underside of the workpiece. They cope well with delicate, delicate woodworking. If you consider yourself an experienced specialist in working with a hand jigsaw, then this type of file is just for you; we do not recommend it for use by beginners.
The spiral type is the rarest, which is most often used for figured cutting. Round files for a hand jigsaw are quite difficult to handle, so they are more in demand for machine tools. The uniqueness of this type of blade lies in the possibility of a sharp change in direction during the sawing process.
Jigsaw files Pegas, spiral, for wood, N3, D1.05x130mm, 40tpi, 12 pieces M00009352
Jigsaw files Pegas, spiral, for wood, N3, D1.05x130mm, 40tpi, 12 pieces
:
Suitable for wood, bone and plastic.
Can be used both in hand jigsaws and with jigsaw machines.
Description:
Jigsaw files, Pegas, Spiral. Dimensions: #3 Spiral teeth allow cutting in any direction. These files will not be able to make sharp corners, but will do an excellent job when making holes in large parts where it is not possible to rotate the workpiece relative to the machine.
How to choose a good file
Having well organized your workplace and having reliable, high-quality blades on hand that will not deteriorate, break, or tear from the first wrong action, the process of sawing with a manual jigsaw can be a pleasure. In order not to waste your time and nerves, it is best to figure out how not to fall for a fake when choosing a quality file. Of course, we advise you to purchase products from a trusted brand. Reliable saw blades for hand jigsaws are produced by companies such as Bacho, FIT, Stanley and Kraftool. When purchasing components from these brands on construction markets, you risk buying a fake. Therefore, it is better to purchase files from large, trusted construction stores.
Advice from professionals
When choosing a manual jigsaw for wood for a schoolchild, you must take into account the following recommendations from the experts:
- You should pay attention to the weight of the model. Because the instrument is held with one hand and for a sufficiently long time, it should be light.
- It is better to choose models with an anatomical handle that fit comfortably in the hand so that the student does not get tired.
- It is necessary to pay attention to the strength of the frame. You should not choose models made of aluminum or iron, they are not strong and durable enough. The best option is a tool made of steel or titanium. They are highly durable, and the jigsaw does not “jump” while sawing.
- It is recommended to choose a jigsaw with drum clamps. This type of fastening is more convenient, because... Unscrews without the use of wrenches. If you choose nuts, you will have to use an additional tool to replace the file.
If you choose the right tool for a student, you will be able to perform all the necessary work on cutting wood or plywood.
DIY file
If you have your own workshop, a file can be made from available materials. It won't be difficult. For example, it can be made from a tin can, thick steel wire or guitar string. An ordinary tin can will help you save your budget; the average cost of such a canvas is 35 rubles per piece. A file made of steel wire will perform its function just as well, and will last longer than many cheap fakes. What you need during production and the process itself can be easily found on the Internet.
