17
Cutting Tips
Face the good side of the material down and secure it in a bench vise or clamp it down. Draw
cutting lines or designs on the side of the material facing up towards you. Then place the front
edge of the saw foot on the work and align the blade with the line to be cut. Hold the jigsaw
firmly, turn it on, and press down (to keep the saw foot flat against the work) as you slowly
push the saw in the direction of the cut.
Gradually increase the cutting rate, cutting close to the line (unless you want to leave stock for
finish sanding). As you cut, you may need to adjust or relocate the vise or clamps to keep the
work stable. Do not force the saw, or the blade teeth may rub and wear without cutting, and
the blade may break. Let the saw do most of the work. When following curves, cut slowly so
the blade can cut through cross grain. This will give you an accurate cut and will prevent the
blade from wandering.
Cutting with a Straightedge, use a rough-cut
blade whenever possible. Clamp a straight-
edge on the work, parallel to the line of cut
and flush with the side of the saw foot. (Either
first mark the line of cut and then position the
straightedge parallel and at the same distance
as between the blade and the side edge of the
foot, or first mark the side edge of the foot and
then clamp the straightedge on the mark and
parallel to the cut line (Fig. 14).
As you cut, keep the saw foot edge flush
against the straightedge and flat on the
workpiece (Fig. 14).
Metal Cutting
When cutting metal, clamp the material securely. Be sure to move the saw along slowly. Use
lower speeds. Do not twist, bend, or force the blade. If the saw jumps or bounces, use a blade
with finer teeth. If the blade seems clogged when cutting soft metal, use a blade with coarser
teeth.
• For easier cutting, lubricate the blade with a stick of cutting wax, if available, or cutting oil
when cutting steel.
• Thin metal should be sandwiched between two pieces of wood or tightly clamped to a single
piece of wood (wood on top of the metal).Draw the cut lines or design on the top piece of
wood.
• When cutting aluminum extrusion or angle iron, clamp the work in a bench vise and saw
close to the vise jaws.
• When sawing tubing and the diameter is larger than the blade is deep, cut through the wall
of the tubing and then insert the blade into the cut rotating the tube as you saw.
Fig. 14
Line Of
Cut
Clamps
Foot Against
Straight-Edge
