It largely determines the accuracy and productivity of cutting the material. Considered in the article specifications files and the key differences between them will help you choose the right blade for different types of work.

A file for a specific job is chosen in two ways: firstly, they are guided by the inscriptions, and secondly, they look at the size, teeth and setting.

We read the marking

There is no single standard for the alphanumeric marking of jigsaw blades, but most manufacturers adhere to the European classification from Bosch or indicate it in addition to their own designations.

Decoding of marking

Files are made from different brands steel, affecting the purpose of the canvases and indicated by logos:

1. CV (HCS) is a resilient alloyed alloy for cutting wood, synthetic and wood-composite products.
2. HSS is a tough high speed steel for hard materials.
3. BM (Bi-Metal) is a compound of the first two grades of steel that can withstand significant loads and is suitable for many operations.
4. HM - hard alloy for cutting tiles and building blocks.

The purpose of the canvas is also indicated by the marks:

1. Wood - soft sawn timber, fiber boards.
2. Hardwood - solid wood, laminated panels.
3. Inox - stainless steel.
4. Alu - aluminum.
5. Metal - tin, profile and pipes.
6. Plaster, fiber - fiberglass.
7. Soft-material - rubber, polystyrene, carpets.
8. Acrylic - plexiglass, polycarbonate.

Sometimes there is an inscription on the file that specifies the type of work:

• basic - standard blade for a high-quality cut;
• speed - a file with set teeth for fast cutting;
• clean - blade without setting for a clean cut;
• progressor - a file with different teeth for cutting various materials;
• flexible - flexible blade for metal cutting;
• special - for cutting ceramics, plastics and other special jobs.

We cut wood materials

Cutting wood and everything that is made from it is the main purpose of a jigsaw. Therefore, a wider range of saw blades is produced specifically for wood and is subdivided according to the type of work.

Fast cut

Certain construction work with wood does not require special care, for example, sawing pieces of battens or dismantling an old one. window frame... More important here is the speed provided by the blades for fast cutting with characteristic features:

1. Coarse teeth - up to 6 mm.
2. Fairly divorced - about 1 mm.
3. Long blade - from 60 mm.
4. Width - up to 10 mm.

For thick workpieces, similar canvases with large incisors are used, but without routing - they move less from the vertical. In principle, the thicker the file, the better it holds perpendicularity.

Advice. For cutting along the fibers, a blade with an oblique tooth is better, and with a straight tooth, for a cross cut.

Clean cut

An operation such as trimming a furniture board or parquet board requires a smooth and precise cut. Similar tasks are performed with lower productivity, but better quality, using blades for a clean cut, having:

1. Teeth less than 3 mm.
2. Minor divorce.

Most of the files are cut for retracting, so the material is placed reverse side... To mark and cut from the face, you need a reverse tooth blade. It is not very convenient for them to work - in addition to maintaining the direction of the cut, they have to overcome the pushing force of the tool.

Advice. Cutting the panels laminated on both sides almost without chips allows a specialized saw with two rows of teeth.

Figured cut

It is problematic to cut small radii with a wide blade. Cutting saws have a beveled back side, which facilitates turning, without chipping, they pass roundings and differ in appearance:

1. Small (up to 2 mm) tooth.
2. Narrow working part - up to 4 mm.
3. Small in length - up to 40 mm.

We cut polymer materials

PVC pipes and window sills are sawn with saw blades for wood or metal with a large tooth. Fine-toothed files are also suitable, but you will have to cut at a minimum speed, otherwise the sawdust will soften and clog the blade - you will no longer get sawing, but a cut with heated metal.

For thin plastics and plexiglass, a metal file with small teeth is suitable. For a thick one, you can take a canvas on a tree, turn off the pendulum mechanism and cut at low speeds. Figured sawing of polymer sheets is carried out with a narrow saw blade on wood.

We work with metal

To cut galvanized profiles and sheet metal products, wave-cut saws are used, similar in profile to canvases for hand saw... They differ in small (up to 1 mm) teeth, deflected not through one, but in groups of 3-5 pieces.

At permanent work take three blades: for steel, aluminum and for non-ferrous alloys. If you rarely cut metal, then one file is enough for steel, which is also suitable for ebonite and PCB.

In general, a jigsaw is not very suitable for cutting metal: the tool is heavily loaded, and the process is slow. Rather, it is an extreme method, justified only occasionally, for example, when cutting sandwich panels with bimetallic files with small incisors at the edges and large ones in the middle.

Canvases for specific tasks

Drywall and cement-containing materials will quickly plant any file, with the exception of specially designed carbide-tipped blades, which also cut thermal insulation well.

A hole in the tile is cut with a file on ceramics without teeth with carbide spraying. It is also suitable for working with glass fiber reinforced polymers.

The cutting part of blades for cardboard, rubber and other soft materials is not made with teeth, but with polished waves or just looks like a knife.

For sawing combined materials, special files are intended, one half of the blade of which is equipped with small teeth, and the other with large ones.

Advice. The length of the file is chosen based on the thickness of the material. To prevent the blade from pulling out and breaking, its end must come out of the cut line in any position of the jigsaw pendulum.

For household needs, a set of 5-10 files for various purposes is enough. Just starting to use a jigsaw, they acquire an inexpensive set, master the subtleties of working with different types of canvases and, on the basis of their own experience, select necessary files... Still, there are no hard recommendations, often one canvas copes well with tasks that are atypical for it. Here you can experiment, but think first.

Today, every craftsman has a jigsaw in his home assortment. This device is quite useful, since it will easily allow you to accurately and accurately perform any manipulations with the material. When buying a jigsaw, as a rule, most people also buy files "in reserve", the purpose of which they have no idea about.

But when it is time to test the jigsaw in practice, then the choice of the necessary blade is done by the "typing" method, since it is quite difficult to immediately figure out which file is needed. For the correct choice of such a tool as a jigsaw, you should know the variety of canvases, their markings and other nuances.

Markings

Knowledge of marking will give the opportunity to choose the right blade for a jigsaw, since it can tell quite a lot, including about its purpose. To do this, you just need to take a closer look at the canvas and decipher the symbols that are indicated.

Marking, as a rule, from a set of Latin letters and numbers. In the marking, in the first place is the Latin letter, which denotes the type of shank.

The most common letters that you can see on the canvas are "T", "X". The most used is the marking with the Latin letter "T", and means that the shank of the tool has a T-ob different shape... Quite a rarity is the canvas with the letter U.

Immediately after the letter there is a series of numbers, you should pay attention to the first one. The numbers indicate the length of the canvas:

• standard blade 75 mm long;
• medium file 90 mm;
• extended file 150 mm;
• long file, the size of which is more than 150 mm.

Once again, the numbers are followed by letters that will help you find out the size of the teeth. The size of the teeth is indicated by the following letters:

• "A" - small teeth;
• "D" - large;
• "B", "C" - middle teeth, so to speak, an intermediate version.

Sometimes there is more than one last letter, but a few. In this case, the last letter denotes quality. consumable... The quality of the consumable is indicated by the following letters:

If you are interested in the material of the canvas, in this case, the following markings will help, which can be seen under the T-shaped protrusions of the tail and the canvas. Three Latin letters will tell you about the material from which the instrument is made. This marking is divided into four options:

What to look for when choosing a jigsaw file?

Tooth shape

Such a nuance as the "shape of the teeth", it is impossible to ignore, since from their configuration it is possible to determine the capabilities of the acquired jigsaw. Before making a purchase, it is worthwhile to realize for what needs this or that canvas is being purchased. A large number of small teeth will significantly improve the quality of the cut, but at the same time, the speed will be reduced. A large toothed blade will speed up the process considerably, but the cut will be rather sloppy. According to the shape of the teeth, the blade can be divided into the following groups:

File width and thickness

Such a nuance as the width and thickness of the jigsaw blade, cannot be ignored when choosing a jigsaw, since criteria such as the quality and speed of performing various kinds of work depend on these two nuances. Both wide and narrow products have their positive points. Wide file quite strong and stable. When using it, you do not have to worry that it will deviate from the intended course. It is easier to perform various maneuvers with narrow canvases, compared to wide ones. Thickness is also important because the thicker the web, the better its stability.

Canvases for wood

Appointment of the jigsaw- direct work with wood, well, with those materials that are made on its basis. Wood jigsaws come in many varieties. Jigsaws are distinguished, both by the size of the teeth, and by their sharpening, also by the shape of the file. There are two main types:

Distinguish behind such parameters:

1. File length. This parameter determines the immediate thickness of the cut.
2. File width.
3. The size of the teeth directly affects the cleanliness of the cut.
4. The orientation of the teeth.

Canvases for metal

Jigsaw blades are made, as a rule, of high-speed steel. Such a product is quite hard and has a bluish tint. The file has a different shape of the tooth and the geometry of the blade itself. Depending on what kind of cut is needed, products with rather fine teeth are used, which have exactly the same size. Typically, a blade with such teeth is used for soft metals.

If the choice fell on product that has teeth with varying geometry, the file is used for cutting harder metals. Such a product has teeth, where the pitch and size increases towards the edge. The advantage of this option is the direct simplification of the cut, since such a structure of the teeth, as it were, planes the metal, while each of the teeth performs its function. This structure of the file minimizes the load on the tool, therefore, increasing its resource. The same function is performed with a slightly curved canvas at the bottom.

Everyone, without exception, jigsaw blades for metal have fine teeth. These products have a certain marking, where you can always see the Latin letter "A" in the last or penultimate place. This letter indicates the strength of the metal. Before choosing a file for cutting metal, you need to understand what material it will be intended for. Because the harder the metal, the smaller the tooth should be.

When choosing a file for a jigsaw, it is worth considering the peculiarity of the material, because the wrong tool will not bring the desired result. In order to choose the right file, it is important to study the following marking list:

• T111CHCS - a product made of carbon steel, which is used for cutting wood and plastic (length 75 mm, tooth pitch 3 mm);
• T119B0HCS - carbon steel, designed to work with soft woods (length 56 mm, tooth pitch 2 mm). Typically used when doing fine work, curly cutting;
• T101BHCS is a carbon steel blade used for cutting soft woods. The advantage of such a blade is a smooth cut (length 75 mm, tooth pitch 2.5 mm);
• T101BRHCS - also used for the manufacture of carbon steel, the main nuance of the blade is reverse teeth. Designed for working with soft woods (length 75 mm, tooth pitch 2.5 mm);
• T118AHSS - used for the manufacture of hardened steel and is intended for hard metals (length 50 mm, tooth pitch 1.2 mm);
• T144D HCS - carbon steel is used, the blade has set teeth. The direct purpose of the blade is cutting of hard and soft wood species. (length 75 mm, tooth pitch 4 mm);
• T127DHSS - hardened steel is used, designed to work with non-ferrous metals. The blade has milled set teeth (length 75 mm, tooth pitch 3 mm);
• T118GHSS - Made from hardened high speed steel. The main difference is the wavy teeth and is used for hard metals. (length 50 mm, pitch 0.8 mm);
• T118BHSS - made of hardened high speed steel, serrated wavy teeth. Main use for cutting hard metals (50mm length, 2mm pitch).

These markings can be found directly at the foot of the jigsaw file.

Naturally, when jigsaw blades are chosen, you cannot remember all the nuances and criteria. When buying jigsaw files, pay attention to the following points:

Speaking of the manufacturer, you can safely note "Bosch", "Makita", "Practice". Jigsaws of these manufacturers have proven themselves excellently for their quality and durability. At the time of choosing a file, remember about its intended purpose, otherwise the goals set will not come true. Knowing the types of files used, and paying attention to the markings, the method of fastening, as well as the manufacturer, the correct choice is guaranteed.

The jigsaw is a high-speed device, which is why do not neglect the safety rules!

The combination of accurate cutting of workpieces with a good working speed is possible only with the right choice of a cutting blade for each specific operation... When choosing files for a jigsaw, you need to understand their technical parameters and the key differences between them.

When purchasing consumable accessories for a jigsaw, they first study the product marking, then look at the shank shape, blade geometry, type and size of teeth.

Types of canvases - decoding of inscriptions

Some manufacturers use the European standard from Bosch to classify products, others indicate it in addition to their marking.

The inscriptions indicate the purpose of the file for any material:

1. Wood - Medium density softwood and composite boards.
2. Hardwood - laminated hardwood.
3. Fiber, Plaster - fiberglass products.
4. Acrylic - polycarbonate, plexiglass.
5. Metal - galvanized profile, sheet metal, pipes.
6. Inox - stainless steel.
7. Alu is aluminum.
8. Soft-material - cardboard, rubber, carpets, polystyrene.

Inscriptions indicating the grade of steel used in the manufacture:

1. HSS is a high quality grade for fast cutting of hard materials.
2. HCS - alloy steel for cutting wood and composites.
3. Bi-Metal (BM) is a blade consisting of the previous two grades and is suitable for most applications.
4. HM - carbide-tipped file for cutting blocks and ceramics.

Marking specifying the type of work:

1. Clean - for a clean cut.
2. Basic is a common file suitable for a variety of tasks.
3. Speed ​​- for fast and straight cutting.
4. Flexible - flexible metal file.
5. Progressor is a versatile blade with teeth of different shapes.
6. Special - canvas for plastic, ceramics or other specific materials.

Jigsaw blades for wood

Fast cutting of a bar or board, which does not require smooth edges, perform long canvas with large teeth, with a wide working part and a fair set. Such a canvas is useful for construction work in which speed is important. For example, when breaking an old window or cutting lathing bars.

It is better to cut along the fibers with a blade with oblique incisors, and across - with straight ones. A cut in a thick board will move less from the vertical if you use a file with large teeth without setting.

Saw blades for fine cutting of wood have small teeth and a small set. These canvases can be used to gently cut a furniture panel or parquet board. A minimum of chips on the laminated panel is ensured by jigsaw files, on which the cutters are located in two rows.

The blade with a reverse incline of the cutters cuts the material with the downward stroke of the pendulum, which allows you to mark and saw from the face. In fact, this is not very convenient - you have to hold the jigsaw more strongly, overcoming the pushing of the blade out of the cut line.

Figured cutting is performed with narrow saws with a semicircular back side. These blades have small teeth and a short length. They pass curved sections without chipping and easily turn in the cut.

Electric jigsaw blades for metal

For cutting profiles and sheet metal, blades with a wave-like arrangement of teeth are designed, reminiscent of saws for a hacksaw for metal. Their incisors are small and separated in groups of several pieces. Special bimetallic blades with large teeth in the middle part and small ones along the edges are used for cutting sandwich panels.

Files for polymers

Thin plastic, ebonite, plexiglass and textolite are cut with a cloth for metal. Thick plastic workpieces are cut with a saw in wood, turning off the jigsaw pendulum and setting low speed. A curvilinear cut of polymeric materials is performed with a narrow canvas for wood.

Window sills and PVC pipes are cut with a file with large teeth on average frequency stroke or fine-toothed at low speed, excluding heating of the material.

Special jigsaw blades

For cutting drywall and materials containing cement, blades with carbide tips are intended. They cut well thermal insulation mats... Cutting tiles or cutting glass-fiber-reinforced plastic is possible with a blade without cutters, coated with a carbide compound. The jigsaw blade used for rubber, carpet, cardboard and similar soft materials is like a knife blade.

The length of the file is selected based on the thickness of the material being processed. The tip of the blade must always come out of the cut, regardless of the stroke of the pendulum.

In a home workshop, a set of 6-10 files is enough. To begin with, you can purchase an inexpensive set of canvases for various purposes and master the subtleties of work. Then, based on your experience, choose the right files for your jigsaw.

The process of owning and operating a power tool is combined with the constant replacement of consumable work items.

The saw blade gradually loses its carbide taps, becoming ineffective; drills for a drill tend to break or grind off from constant contact with one or another dense material; a cutting disc for a grinder, lasts no more than ten minutes of intensive work.

File classification

The purpose of a jigsaw is similar to the purpose of a circular saw - making a cut in a particular material. However, unlike a circular saw that can only make a straight cut, a jigsaw allows you to make circular and curly cuts. This is largely due to the consumable material of the tool - its file. The thin metal of the blade and the small teeth of the small size allow the jigsaw to maneuver in any material.

Most use a jigsaw for sawing wood blanks and wood-based products - chipboard, fiberboard, using appropriate wood saws. However, using special files, the tool can also handle metal, plastic, and cut finishing materials such as tiles, stone and porcelain stoneware.

Wood saws.
Many jigsaws, regardless of brand, have an article number consisting of two capital letters and two numbers, separated from each other by a fraction.
Example: LE 80/800. LE - "electric jigsaw". The number 800 indicates the power of the position in watts. But the figure 80 indicates the maximum thickness of a wooden product that a jigsaw can cut using the saw that comes with it. That is, in this case, the thickness is 80 mm.

Important: The number given in the article reflects the thickness of the wooden one! blanks. Modern jigsaws are capable of cutting metal, plastic and aluminum, but the maximum thickness of products in the case of processing products from these materials will be much smaller, and its value is never reflected in the article of the model.

Marking of saw blades for wood:

• T101D: The most popular file model. Has large teeth, big step and is designed to make a rough cut.

The shape and size of the teeth of this model allows it to cut not only standard wooden blocks and boards, but also plywood of a large section.

• Т101В: It has smaller teeth than the previous model and is intended for a clean cut.

Usually, this type of file is used for working with plywood and plexiglass.

• T101BR: Same size and pitch as previous model.

The difference is that the position of the teeth is reversed. Allows to process materials such as laminate, glued wood.

• T119VO: The cross-section of this model is very thin, which gives it the ability to make a figured cut.

The size of the teeth is very small, which allows the file to leave behind a clean and even cut on materials such as plywood, chipboard, fiberboard.

There are models of long jigsaw files. For example, such as the T 345 XF. This version allows you to easily cope with a board thickness of 100 mm.

Saw blades for various types of work on wood, metal, plastic

Metal saws.
The thickness of the processed metal product is much less than the same value for a wooden blank. For the jigsaw model LE 80/800, given above, this characteristic will be 6 mm. A very small value compared to the fact that the maximum thickness of the wood for the same tool position will be 80 mm.

Classification of files for metal:

• T118A: The strong structure of its material and a very fine tooth allow for the ability to cut metal.

In addition to metal products, the size of the teeth of such a file makes it possible to work with plastic.

• Т224D: Designed to work with aluminum products, the thickness of which can reach 20 mm.

Diamond files.
Saw blades of this kind are designed to work with fragile materials that tend to crumble during the sawing process. It is on materials such as tiles, slate and ceramic tiles. A diamond-coated blade can also cut metal, but such an application will lead to the fact that the consumable element will quickly fail and will require replacement.

The peculiarity of diamond files is that their blade is completely devoid of teeth. Cutting occurs due to diamond dust crumbs.
As a rule, the abrasion of three Latin letters - DIA is applied on the saw blade with abrasive diamond dusting.

Diamond coated and DIA lettering. Designed for ceramics.

How to insert a file into a jigsaw

Changing the saw blade is a fairly common procedure, provided the tool is used regularly. Lost efficiency jigsaw blades cannot be restored - it is much easier to purchase this consumable at the nearest tool store and replace it. Buying is not a problem.

Fortunately, we have not observed a shortage of such products for a long time, and the cost of a saw blade will obviously not hit the pocket.
But replacing the file for an inexperienced jigsaw user can cause some difficulties. In order to avoid them, we will consider the main options and features of replacing the saw blade.

Shoe mount.

On many household jigsaw models, the saw is attached with a quick-clamping block, which secures the saw blade with two front adjusting screws. Such a clip for a jigsaw file is a slightly outdated design, however, it is not devoid of advantages, the main of which is its versatility - blades of any type and size are suitable for such a saw holder.

The disadvantage is that if the adjusting screws are unevenly tightened, the file may be skewed, which will lead to a curvature of the cut.

The latter feature, however, can be considered as a positive factor in some cases. The fact is that the jigsaw stem can bend during operation. So, using the degree of freedom that the saw attachment allows, you can use the same adjusting screws to bring the saw blade into a vertical plane.

Quick-release fastening.

A more modern file attachment point is a quick-clamping one. This design allows replacement without removing the tool cover. The process flow is very simple:
- Pull back the lever located on the tool body - in this case, the rod is automatically extended to the plane of the sole.

The saw shank is inserted into the holder.

With a special hex key, we fix the blade by turning the adjusting screw. You can immediately tighten it to failure, and then, gradually weakening, achieve the desired position.
For all the seeming simplicity and convenience of this design of the attachment point, there are points that can be called disadvantages. If the previous block system is universal in the sense that all standard sizes of the saw blade are applicable to it, then in the case of a quick-clamping design, only consumables with a specific shank shape are used.

On the other hand, such a consumable is found everywhere, so you should not consider this nuance as an obvious drawback. Another point is that the file in this type of mount has a slight longitudinal play. It can be compared with the degree of freedom of the drill, which, being in the chuck of the hammer drill, has the ability to move longitudinally. This feature does not affect the quality of the jigsaw.

In the photo, the moment of inserting the blade into the mount while the lever is pulled

There is another type of fastening, which does not apply to quick-locking, and consists in the fact that the file is fixed with only one screw, in contrast to the first case, where there are two screws. This design is quite rare and is found, for example, on a jigsaw of the Protool brand.

Protool has a different mount than other jigsaws

Jigsaw blades DeWALT DT2216-QZ / DT2220-QZ

These DeWALT blades belong to the XPC series and are designed for working with wood. High quality steel guarantees durability and long service life. The optimized tooth geometry, as well as the increased blade stiffness, improves controllability, cut accuracy and reduces the likelihood of inadvertent blade exiting the material during cutting.

Large interdental cavities increase cutting speed and are cleared of chips faster. DT2220-QZ bimetallic blades with a working length of 75 mm are recommended for processing wood, chipboard, plywood and plastic up to 60 mm thick. The unique plunge point geometry allows clean plunge cuts to be carried out comfortably while avoiding kickback. DT2216-QZ saw blades with a working length of 54 mm are designed for fast and accurate curvilinear cutting of wood, chipboard and plywood up to 15 mm thick.

Today we will analyze the types of files for an electric jigsaw, because when choosing, the buyer has many questions. There are a lot of types of files, because you can cut not only wood with a jigsaw, the list is much longer. Therefore, in this article we will figure out which saws are better to cut a simple tree, and which chipboard or fiberboard, which files are used to cut various types of metal.

And of course, we will pay attention to marking, therefore, after reading this article, you will begin to figure out which file is suitable for which work. It's not for nothing that there are different letters and numbers on the files. What do they mean? We will analyze all this using the example of popular models from Bosch, since they are of good quality, and the price for them is quite low.

Marking

If you have ever been to a tool store, you have seen that there are letters and numbers on the shank of any file. Let's figure out what they mean.

The letter T means the type of attachment, that is, T-shaped (Figure 1). There is also U, it is much less common (Fig. 2).

The numbers on the shank mean:

The first digit is the length:

• 1 - standard short, length up to 75 mm.
• 2 - medium length, up to 90 mm
• 3 - extended, up to 150 mm
• 7 - the longest (over 150 mm)

The following letters indicate the size of the teeth:
A, B, C, D

Tooth A is the smallest, so all metal files have an A, for example T118A means a T-shank file, short, very fine tooth. Further, respectively - B - a slightly larger tooth (most often these are files with a fine tooth on plywood, chipboard, fiberboard and wood for a clean cut). Files with the letters C and D - with the largest teeth, for rough sawing wood.

There are also files with two letters at the end, for example, model T119BO, so let's analyze what the last letter means:

• F - bimetal (the coolest, highest quality)
• X - universal for wood, metal and plastic.
• O - for a curved cut (cut a circle, for example, as a rule, thin, so that the file can be turned right during sawing).
• P - thick options for cutting strictly at the exact selected angle (thick, do not bend, so they cut perfectly). A striking representative is the T144DP, which costs much more than the standard ones.

By wood

Main purpose electric jigsaw is sawing wood. For this purpose, there are a huge number of files and they are all different. Let's go in order.

If you need to cut ordinary boards and you do not care about the quality of the cut, its cleanliness, you work at speed (for example, sawing ordinary boards for firewood or for a fence), then buy jigsaw files with a large tooth. Thanks to this, the cutting speed will be high, and if you work with a jigsaw in pendulum mode, then everything will be just fine.

In addition, also pay attention to the length of the file, since it will not work to cut a board or block with a thickness of 70 mm (for example), you will need an elongated one.

Well, the third nuance when choosing is thickness, standard files are not thick, but there are thickened ones (they saw much better, since they do not bend). Since most jigsaws use a standard mount (T-shaped), the name of the files for such a mount begins with the letter T.

A standard set of files, see the photo:

Well, now we will analyze each file separately, what can be sawed for it, for what work it is more suitable.

For metal.

T118A is a standard metal file with a very fine tooth (like metal blades). You can cut metal up to 3 mm, but it costs a terrible grinding, so use ear muffs. Highly recommend. Also, due to the fact that the tooth is very small, it is also recommended to cut plastic with it, many finishers do this.

These are 5 files that we constantly sell together with jigsaws. By by and large they are enough for all household chores.

In addition to the standard metal file, there are special options for any other metal. For example, an aluminum file has a larger tooth, which prevents the teeth from clogging. After all, aluminum is a soft metal, so the standard metal is very quickly clogged with shavings.
Т224D - for aluminum, special. It says Alu on it.

File for tiles, stone and porcelain stoneware.

Not everyone has tile cutters and grinders, so they came up with special jigsaw files for tiles. The blade has tungsten carbide spraying instead of teeth, which actually cuts any stone surface.

T150Riff - special for tiles, the cost is about 250 rubles. Perfectly cuts tiles.

Standard blades for hand jigsaws have a length of 130 mm, while the range includes modern manufacturers you can find options with a length of 150 and 160 mm. The types of files are classified according to two main parameters: their dimensions and the configuration of the teeth.

In general terms, blades for hand jigsaws are similar to, but have one important difference: they always choose pinless files with flat ends, which can be fixed in the tool clamps and easily threaded into thin holes when creating small patterns.

The dimension of files for a hand jigsaw is similar to an easel one: from # 2/0 to # 12... But practice shows that the most optimal options for manual cutting are numbers from # 3 to # 9.

Which files are better?

The quality of cutting directly depends on the characteristics of the blade. Therefore, it is best to always choose products from trusted brands. Their products are made of high-quality carbon steel, the blades have clearly formed teeth with a positive sharpening angle; blades are hardened for maximum hardness and long life. Overpayment in this case turns out to be a justified investment in convenience of work, high quality of project execution and a long service life of the blade.

Let's understand the basic concepts

In the marking of files for hand jigsaw the basic information is laid down, which allows you to choose the blade that is optimal for a particular type of wood and the project as a whole. To decipher this marking, it is important to familiarize yourself with the key concepts.

TPI Is a value indicating the number of teeth per inch of blade. For a hand jigsaw, it is appropriate to choose blades with a high TPI. They cut wood more slowly, but allow better control of the cutting line.

Reverse tooth - a blade with a reverse-directed tooth, which cuts the material during the return movement of the saw, thereby preventing the formation of chips on the seamy side of the cut product. They are especially relevant when using plywood blanks.

Tooth set - created to prevent the saw from jamming in the workpiece, which in turn ensures trouble-free cutting (especially of sharp turning and curved lines) and minimizes the formation of chips. The cutting width when using such saws increases slightly, which should be taken into account when making a project.

File classification

Based on the features of the configuration of the teeth, blades for a hand jigsaw are classified into the following types:

Dedicated to all the happy owners of an electric jigsaw.
Choosing the right jigsaw file.
The scope of application of an electric jigsaw is simply huge. But for each type of work, for each type of material, you need its own, suitable nail file.
It is very easy to get confused in the marking of saws, but we will help you with the example of saw blades from the company leader in this industry. BOSCH.

File and jigsaw shank compatibility

First you need to pay attention to first letter in the file marking, which indicates the type of shank and compare with the one used in your jigsaw.
« T"- T-shaped shank, the most popular worldwide standard from BOSCH

« U»- U-shaped shank, used mainly in USA

« M"- for jigsaws Makita

The choice of a nail file depending on the material of the workpiece

Now you need to determine what you will be sawing. The material from which the canvas is made primarily depends on this. For convenience, BOSCH marks its files with the appropriate designations and shank color.

Wood- Softwood, fiberboard, chipboard
Material HCS- high carbon steel, gray files

Hardwood- Solid wood, wood board, laminate flooring, countertops
BiM – bimetallic files, gray

Metal- Ferrous and non-ferrous metal, pipes, profiles
HSS- tool high speed steel or BiM - bimetallic, blue files

WOOD and METALL- Wood with nails, tin, aluminum
BiM- bimetallic files, white

ALU- for aluminum
steel HSS, blue files

There are also black and gold nail files for non-standard materials.

The choice of a nail file depending on the type of work

For most tasks, standard universal files with an inscription
BASIC(base)

If necessary quick roughing sawing should be purchased with nail files
SPEED(quick)

For ultra-precise cut you will need files marked CLEAN. The special shape of the tooth makes the cut even and accurate.

CLEAN(clean)

FLEXIBLE(flexible) - a kind of bimetallic (BIM) files specially for metal cutting

SPECIAL(special) - SAWS for specific work (sawing ceramics, plastics)

PRECISION(precise) - for precise parallel cuts with respect to angles

For sawing laminated materials, such as chipboard, nail files are used with the letter R in the designation.

Jigsaw blades marking

In principle, these data should be enough when buying a BOSCH nail file for any purpose.
But for those who are especially curious and for professionals, we will give a decoding of the designations with all the details.
The jigsaw file is marked as follows: for example - T101D
First letter we disassembled it mount type.
T- T-shaped;
U- U-shaped;
M - for Makita jigsaws

Next digit denotes the length saw blade:
1 - the most common standard file up to 75 mm long;
2 - medium - 90 mm;
3 - extended - 150 mm;
4 - extra long, more than 150 mm
The length of the blade should be such that, during work, the tip of the file is always outside the workpiece being cut.

Second digit points to appointment files:
0 - plexiglass, polycarbonate, wood;
1 - wood, steel, non-ferrous metals;
2 - steel, non-ferrous metals, aluminum;
3, 4, 5 - nail files special purpose(drywall, cement, porcelain)
As you can see, there is no clear relationship, therefore, usually the second and third numbers are skipped when decoding files.

And here letters following the numbers deserve close attention

A, B, C, D(right after the numbers) - tooth size(Ascending);
The larger the tooth, the faster the cutting speed, but the rougher the cut.
A- small tooth. Used when a clean cut is important;
V- middle tooth. Universal nail files. Excellent cutting speed and clean cut;
C and D- the largest tooth. Files with this tooth are used for fast cutting and for soft material.

The next letter (it may not be) speaks about the features of the nail file:

F- bimetallic blade Bim
Files with such a blade have increased strength and durability.
O- a file with a narrow back forcurvilinear(curly) cut
R- canvas for precise cut at any angle. The canvas is thicker and does not bend at all
R- a file with teeth pointing in the opposite direction, it works on the movement of the file downward. This feature is essential for sawing laminated chipboard materials(the top edge is clean)
NS- "progressive" tooth pitch. Universal a file for any materials, but like everything universal - it loses to special ones. Convenient when you need to cut a little and all the time a different material
G- for very thin sheet metal (pitch of teeth at the blade 0.7 - 0.8 mm)
HM- with carbide inserts along the edge of the teeth
Riff- with finely dispersed carbide inserts along the edge of the blade (such as abrasive grit)

In our case, the marking T101D means:

file with a T-shaped shank type, blade up to 75mm, for wood, with a large tooth for quick sawing

The "clean" sign indicates that the spreading of the teeth is minimal and the file is suitable for fine cutting.

Most users do not need to memorize and read the symbols correctly. We have already taken care of you and have placed in the catalog the most popular and universal jigsaw files.

Files for wood

- for direct sawing of soft wood, chipboard, fiberboard up to 30 mm thick. The only file for fine cutting of chipboard.

Jigsaw files photo

Jigsaw blades: marking

The marking of jigsaw files can tell a lot about its purpose, including - you just have to take a closer look at it, meet and decipher familiar symbols and everything immediately becomes clear. This is, of course, if you know how it reads. That is why, to study replaceable blades for a jigsaw, you need to start with their marking. As a rule, it is a set of Latin letters and Arabic numerals... The first is a letter and it denotes the type of shank. As a rule, these are the letters "T", "X" or "U" - the latter is very rare, but the former is widespread and indicates that the shank is T-shaped.

Jigsaw blade: photo shank

Following the first letter is a series of numbers - as a rule, there are three of them, but it is the first of them that is important. It indicates the length of the canvas:

• 1 - standard short file 75mm long
• 2 - Standard file middle length(90mm)
• 3 - Long file, the size of which is 150mm
• 7 - Very long. Size over 150mm

After the numbers, there are letters again, but this time, they do not denote the type of shank, but the size of the teeth - as a rule, these are the letters A, B, C and D. "A" is the smallest tooth, and "D" is the smallest large. "B" and "C" should be understood as intermediate options.

Quite often, in the marking of jigsaw saws, at the end there may be not one letter, but two - the last of them indicates the unique qualities of the consumable. Let's deal with them in a little more detail - we will not write large lists. As they say, only the most necessary and common:

What else can you read by studying the writing on the jigsaw blade? In principle, you can additionally learn about the material that was used to make it. By and large, this is not important, but if you want to buy a really high-quality canvas that can work for a long time, you need to own this information. Between the T-shaped shank protrusions and the saw blade you can find three Latin letters, which tell about the material from which the file is made. There are not many options here - only four:

• HCS is a high carbon steel. For soft materials just what you need.
• HSS - tool high speed steel. This option is ideal for ferrous and non-ferrous iron.
• BiM - bimetallic saws. Flexible and durable, and most importantly versatile.
• HM / TC - carbide files. Quite specific canvases - they are used mainly when working with very hard materials (steel, tiles, fiberglass and even abrasive materials).

Saws for woodworking

I want to note right away that the main purpose of an electric jigsaw is to work with wood and materials made on its basis (chipboard, plywood, ...) - everything else, as they say, is a side application. For this reason, jigsaw files for wood have a lot of varieties - they can differ both in the size of the tooth and the angle of its sharpening, and in the shape of the file itself. In general, without delving into the study of these tools, two main types can be distinguished:

Well, as for the subspecies of these wood canvases for a jigsaw, then you should not bother with them - as a rule, this is to a greater extent specialized tool, and it is not yet a fact that he will show himself the best way... I will give a simple example - the T101BR blade, with a reverse tooth direction. One of the recommended uses for this file is a laminated surface. Practice shows that an ordinary blade on a tree with a fine tooth copes well with it - the reverse direction cuts worse and, moreover, creates vibrations and a lot of inconvenience in work.

Blades for metal work

Any jigsaw file for metal has a fine tooth and in its marking, last or penultimate, there is always the Latin letter "A" - this is due to the strength of the material. The harder the material, the finer the tooth is needed to cut it. There are no special types of canvases for metal - the only thing that can be mentioned here is the shape of the cutting edge.

In many ways, the appointment of metal saws for a jigsaw is also due to other factors - you need to understand that each different type metal has its own characteristics. For example, aluminum is a soft and tough metal - if you use a standard fine-toothed blade to cut it, it will most likely be ineffective and will clog. For this material, the files are produced separately - for example, the T224D blade, it says Alu on it.

And finally, a few words about the so-called special jigsaw blades - most of them have a narrow specialization, and you can work with them only on a certain material. In particular, there are separate saws for, plastic, aluminum, profile metal, pipes, ceramics, cement, sandwich panels and even boards with nails. The most notable of them, so to speak unique in its kind, can be called a diamond file for a jigsaw, which is used for very hard materials and ferrous metals, and the so-called file for. The latter, in mass production, cannot be used - it cuts confidently, but slowly.

Various jigsaw blades photo

In principle, all that can be distinguished in the whole variety of replaceable blades for a jigsaw - there is not much left to say. For a household, absolutely no need to buy all types of files - there is a so-called "gentleman's set" which includes five files that can cope with all household needs. These are T101D (for rough cutting of wood), T101B (for fine cutting of wood), T101BR (for finishing works Reverse Tooth), T119BO (for contour cuts in wood) and T118A Standard Metal Saw. These jigsaw blades will satisfy any home craftsman to the full.
The author of the article is Alexander Kulikov

For those who have a jigsaw in their household, from time to time should purchase files for it. There are many varieties and manufacturers. The most common types of saws, of course, for wood, besides them there are canvases for metal, tiles. In order not to get too confused in the choice, we will consider the most popular files in everyday life, made by Bosch. In terms of price / quality ratio - a good choice... The letter "T" in the marking designates the type of shank - T-shaped. The most common type of file.

Wood saws... There are several types, it all depends on the nature of the work being done.

For example, if you need to cut a bunch of boards as quickly as possible, a file with a large tooth is best. The larger the tooth, the faster the cut will be, but less accurate, the cut is not very smooth, but if you are making a fence, or building a barn, then accuracy, in principle, is not needed.
For these purposes, you can take a file with the T101D marking. It is suitable for boards up to 75mm thick.
If the board or block is up to 100mm, a 244D file is required.
For boards up to 200mm - long file 344D.
It can be seen that the larger the number in the marking, the more the file is intended for a thicker board.
It is necessary to take into account what is required for a thick board.

For a clean cut, you need a file, for example, T101B.

Clean cut file Т101B

Her teeth are noticeably smaller, respectively, the cut is smoother. This is suitable for assembling furniture, where you need an accurate and even cut, without chips.
It is often used for cutting fiberboard, plywood, chipboard.
It can also cut thick boards of course (up to 75mm), but it will take longer than with files with a large tooth.

Laminate file.
It has reverse tooth, directed in the opposite direction in comparison with other files. This is done in order to avoid chips with front side laminate flooring, do not spoil the appearance. Shallow tooth - for a clean cut. It is marked T101BR.

The letter "R" - stands for reverse (reverse). And so it is no different from the simple T101B tree.

Shape cut files.

Their teeth are always small, they are used for cutting out a radius, a circle, and are used in the manufacture of furniture. In shape, they are noticeably narrower than all the others, this is done so that the file does not jam when turning the jigsaw.
From personal experience I can say that I sawed out a circle in a fiberboard plate under the sink, the cut turned out to be very accurate and even.
The marking of such files with the letter "O" in the name is T119BO.

They always have a small tooth, so that it is easier to recognize them, their shank is blue. If you are sawing metal up to 3mm, a T118A file will do, it can also cut plastic, for metal up to 6mm - T123X, for aluminum - T227D, its tooth is larger.

Combined file.

You can cut both wood and metal like this. Her tooth is small on one half of the canvas, large on the other. Marking T345XF.

Ceramic tile file... It is marked T150RIFF, T130RIFF. It has carbide spraying along the edge.

Carbide-coated

Most often, the files are clamped into a jigsaw using a 3mm hex wrench, sometimes there is a quick-clamping mechanism.

As for prices: the most common files cost about 25-40 rubles, long for a thick board about 80 rubles. A file on ceramics stands out from the general row, its price is 150-170 rubles. Prices are valid for 2012.