Fretwork, hand saw, has more than 450 years of existence. The first mention of this instrument appeared in 1870 in a book about ornaments. For the last few centuries, this wonderful jigsaw has been used to make all kinds of decorative items: picture frames, various furniture inserts, stylish boxes and boxes.
Much has changed since then. The jigsaw has also undergone changes - now it has become electromechanical. And this is not surprising. The need for this tool has not gone away, just like in previous times, people are engaged in creativity, some for pleasure and others for profit.
Tool for making decorative and openwork crafts
Sawing with a jigsaw - view creative activity, with which most people are familiar from childhood, from school. At least it wasn't that long ago. When labor lessons began at school and girls learned sewing and needlework, boys were introduced to such a tool as jigsaw.
It is not difficult to use, and crafts made with a jigsaw from plywood carry not only artistic value, but also practical use. Manufactured products can act as souvenirs: various boxes and toys, and also have practical applications in everyday life. Decorated elements of the porch of the house, windows, stylish benches with carved legs, beautiful kitchen furniture and many other useful wood products can be made using this wonderful tool.
Ideal hobby tool
A hand jigsaw is a tool for cutting shapes out of plywood or some other material, for example, plastic. Its manual version is budget-friendly - its cost does not exceed several hundred rubles, and its scope is very wide. Figure cutting with a hand jigsaw is the most interesting activity. This is not only a pleasant pastime, but also practical benefits, not only financial, but also moral.
The design of this tool is very simple:
Electromechanical jigsaws
The electric hand jigsaw has become an indispensable tool in the household. It can be used to cut various materials: plywood, wood, plastic, metal, ceramics, etc.
This tool works from electrical network 220 W and is a plastic case with working elements, equipped with a control knob. Its main component is saw blade
, which is mounted on a rod located in the front of the device.
The rod is driven by an electric motor. The movement of the cutting blade is reciprocating. To speed up the sawing process, some samples of this tool use the pendulum principle, that is, the file moves not only up and down, but also back and forth.
Cutting blades - consumables and they need to be changed from time to time. They are functionally different from each other - there are attachments for wood, metal, and ceramics. There are thicker blades, with more or less rigidity, with larger or finer teeth. Important characteristic files is their shank. The most common saws today are those with U-shaped and T-shaped shanks. It is with such files that you need to purchase a jigsaw - then there will be no shortage of consumables.
Electric tools differ in many respects, but in this article we will pay attention to only one important factor - this saw blade play. This characteristic affects the movement towards the cutting blade when figure sawing. Many brands of jigsaws cannot cope with the task of perpendicular cutting, this is especially sensitive when cutting thick wood - the error can be up to 5 mm.
Conducted experiments on figured cutting of wood showed that the best jigsaw turned out to be a tool from the company Festool. Popular company Makita in this competition she showed herself not with the best side- the error of the perpendicular-shaped cut turned out to be quite large (up to 5 mm), and the jigsaw of this brand also enters the tree with large chips.
- this is already professional equipment for sawing. Its design is more complex than the equipment discussed above. The principle of its operation can be compared with sewing machine, which instead of a needle jigsaw blade. The quality of the products obtained using this unit is incomparably better. Perpendicular cut error at large thickness workpiece is zero.
The only disadvantage of this electromechanical device is its high price. But this is compensated by the comfort of working on it and high productivity at highest quality the resulting products.
Manufacturing technology of decorative and openwork products
To work you will need the following:
- Plywood or wooden blank.
- A template, drawing or drawing of a future product.
- Manual or electric jigsaw.
- Files and needle files of various configurations.
- Wooden square and ruler.
- Skin of various grain sizes.
Cutting drawings
To begin work, you need to determine what should happen at the end of the work. To do this, you will need a drawing or template of the future product. You can invent and draw it yourself, or use it ready-made solutions. There are many collections containing drawings and diagrams of crafts. The Internet is also replete with a variety of interesting ideas. And for almost everyone there will be an interesting diagram or drawing.
Typically, diagrams of small crafts are printed on A4 paper. To create drawings of decorative and stylish furniture or other large household items, whatman paper in sizes A0 and A1 is used, however, other paper and cardboard media, for example, pieces of unnecessary wallpaper glued together, can also be used for this purpose.
After the drawing is selected, it must be transferred to the material from which the craft will be made. There are several ways to do this:
Technology
After applying the drawing to the workpiece from which the future craft will be made, they begin to cut it out. Sawing begins with the internal elements of the workpiece and only then the outer contour is cut out. This order of work is more convenient - holding the workpiece is much easier.
Holes for the jigsaw blade are drilled in sharp places on the internal contour, which also makes work easier. You need to drill holes carefully, as chips may form on the back side.
To avoid this you need to follow simple rule- Do not drill holes completely. For example, if the thickness of the plywood is 3 mm, then the depth of the hole to be drilled should also be set to 3 mm. This is easy to do if you limit the depth of penetration of the drill into the plywood using electrical tape - wrap it around the drill, leaving only the 3 mm long tip without electrical tape. After drilling, turn the workpiece over and use an awl to make holes.
After the workpiece is cut, it needs to be process and polish. If the outer contour is not difficult to process, then grinding the internal elements is sometimes difficult, especially in sharp corners. It is difficult to sand such places with a file or needle file. Therefore, ingenuity can come to the rescue. Needs to be cut thin strip sandpaper and insert it instead of a jigsaw file and then hard to reach places It will be much easier to process.
The principles of sawing with a manual or electromechanical jigsaw are similar, but there are also differences.
Working with a hand jigsaw
When using this tool you must additional device - sawing machine. It must be equipped with a clamp for attaching to a workbench or table. This device serves as the base on which the workpiece is sawed. This addition can either be purchased at the store, or you can make it yourself from a piece of thick plywood.
When working, the workpiece should be secured at chest level - this will make work more comfortable and maintain posture.
When working with a hand jigsaw requires accuracy and patience. The files of this tool are quite fragile, so you need to avoid sudden movements and distortions of the blade, and also not allow the file to overheat during operation; to do this, you need to pause work every 10 seconds and let the cutting blade cool.
When sawing jigsaw file must remain in one place, that is, it is not moved forward or backward, the movement of a hand jigsaw is vertical, reciprocating. They only move the workpiece, turning it smoothly, without stopping the forward movements of the manual jigsaw.
Sawing with an electromechanical tool
The operating principle is very similar to hand tools. The difference is that a manual jigsaw does not require additional equipment (a machine with a clamp). And also when sawing, the shaped movement is produced not by the workpiece, but directly by the tool itself. Wood blank it is firmly pressed or attached to the workbench, and all curly movements are made directly with a jigsaw.
A jigsaw has an advantage over a hand saw- this is the thickness that he can cut out figuratively. A wooden blank 50 mm thick is not available for processing with conventional, non-standard electric tool. So, if you need to decorate elements of a porch or furniture, then you can’t do without a jigsaw.
You need to be very careful when choosing a power tool, since not all tools allow you to perform high-quality figure sawing of great depth.
Safety precautions
Basic safety precautions are required for all types of physical work.
All photos from the article
According to historical data, mass production of plywood dates back to the beginning of the nineteenth century. And since this material at that time was produced exclusively for decoration and furniture production, almost simultaneously this type of craft appeared as a do-it-yourself craft.
For more than 2 centuries, this type of art has not lost its relevance. It is loved for its simplicity and the end product is of decent quality.
By by and large Anyone, regardless of gender and age, can engage in this type of art. A huge advantage is the absence of serious financial investments.
In addition to your own great desire, you only need a sheet of plywood, the jigsaw itself and stencils or, as the craftsmen also call them, drawings for artistic cutting out of plywood with a jigsaw.
Preparing for work
Despite the apparent simplicity of this type of creativity, it should be taken seriously. Success here largely depends on how thoroughly you prepare. Namely, you will select and process a plywood sheet and select drawings that are suitable for your product that can be cut out of plywood with a jigsaw.
Choosing a quality sheet
Now plywood is divided into many types, each of them was developed for specific goals. And as strange as it may sound, not every material is safe to work with.
Speaking about artistic cutting, you should remember that during work you will inevitably breathe fine dust and fumes from plywood, and this moment they are not always safe.
- Experienced craftsmen prefer to work with sheets made on the basis of urea-formaldehyde compounds; they can be easily recognized by the first letters of the “FK” marking. Such plywood may already come with decorative coating type of varnish or have a clean “shirt”. In the latter case, it is more convenient to apply drawings to the sheet for cutting out of plywood with a hand jigsaw;
- Sheets marked “FOF” are aimed at furniture manufacturing and are often also quite safe. But they have another disadvantage: they most often refer to and have a thickness of more than 12 mm;
- The FB brand was developed as plywood for construction or finishing various kinds boats and yachts, so the price of such material is too far from affordable, although this plywood is also safe;
- What you definitely shouldn’t mess with is plywood like “FSF”. No matter how beautiful it looks, it should be clearly remembered that its production uses compounds with a high content of phenol, which itself is considered one of the serious and rather toxic carcinogens.
Important: for artistic work, especially for cutting with a jigsaw, it is highly recommended not to take sheets that have knots in the top jacket. They will fall out during operation.
Let's move on to the drawings
The easiest way to make, for example, drawings of animals for cutting out of plywood with a hand jigsaw is to use scrap materials and simple carbon paper. Everyone has a lot of printed material in their home, such as old postcards with birds, fish and other living creatures.
A pre-prepared carbon copy is placed on the prepared and sanded sheet, the image you have chosen or a photo of your favorite animal is placed on top of it, and secured with push pins (now you can use tape for this purpose). After which you just have to clearly outline the outline of the image.
Important: do not worry about the carbon paper staining the clean sheet while you press your drawings for artistic cutting out of plywood with a jigsaw. After the workpiece is cut, it will in any case need to be sanded with sandpaper; during this processing, all contaminants will be removed.
You should not immediately take on complex highly artistic products with thin fragments. It will be difficult for an inexperienced craftsman to process small parts without damaging them with careless pressure.
If there are children near you, then it is better to use, for example, simple drawings for cutting out a machine from plywood with a jigsaw or making a cutting board. Thus, you will not only gain basic work skills, but will also delight the kids.
Important: do not forget that professional drawings of plywood boxes for cutting with a jigsaw necessarily contain fasteners that are part of the overall plate. Therefore, it is better to start here by cutting out internal cavities and fragments.
If you don’t have enough choice of images from your home archive, we recommend turning to ready-made collections. Nowadays, such stencils are used not only for cutting plywood, but also whole line arts and crafts takes them as a basis, so it won’t be difficult for you to buy such sets in stationery stores, and sometimes even in underground passages.
Advanced users who have a good printer at home can download one of the common graphics programs to their computer and use it to create professional original works.
Product cutting process
Special attention You need to pay attention to preparing the jigsaw. As already mentioned, it is better to start with manual option. The price of such a tool and instructions for working with it are accessible to almost everyone. A couple of decades ago, such work was part of the compulsory labor training program for boys in schools.
Initially, you should properly secure cutting blade. The teeth of the blade should only point down, towards the handle. First, one of the edges of the blade is securely clamped, after which the second end of the jigsaw is slightly compressed by 10 - 15 mm and the opposite edge of the blade is fixed. There is no need to stretch it too much; the fabric may burst during operation.
The basic skills that are taught in labor discipline classes, for the majority of people, remain just a couple of trinkets for memory. But for some, a favorite hobby begins with the basics of working with metal or wood, which later brings pleasure from the opportunity to show imagination, apply skill and end up with a household item or simply a decorative item. One of these directions folk art is sawing out of plywood, which is also popular among users of the FORUMHOUSE portal. We will dwell on it in more detail in our article, we will analyze what, with what and by what technology real carved masterpieces are created and in what cases stencils are used for cutting. Fortunately, our craftsmen are happy to share their experience.
- Characteristics of plywood
- Tools, templates, assembly
Characteristics of plywood
Plywood – multilayer, sheet construction material, made from hardwood veneer or coniferous species wood by gluing several layers into a single sheet. Due to the peculiarities of the arrangement of the fibers (at one angle), the sheet usually has an odd number of layers - three, five or more. If coniferous varieties There are several types of plywood (fir, spruce, pine), while deciduous ones are mainly birch. There is also a combination - a coniferous “filling” and birch cladding, in which case the plywood will still be birch. The best - completely birch plywood, but it is also the most expensive.
The material is divided into grades and brands, depending on the decorative effect and used in production chemical substances. There are five grades, differing in the quality of veneer and the appearance of the sheets:
- Elite grade (E) - no defects on the surface of the material, uniform, monochromatic, smooth texture without knots, cracks, wormholes or repair inserts.
- First grade (I) – there may be microcracks (up to 20 mm) and knots of small diameter on the sheets.
- Second grade (II) - even fused knots are acceptable if their number does not exceed ten pieces per 1 m² of sheet and their diameter does not exceed 25 mm. There may also be some wormholes and veneer repair inserts.
- Third grade (III) – fused knots without quantitative restrictions, voids in place of fallen knots, up to a dozen wormholes (up to 6 mm) per 1 m² of sheet.
- Fourth grade (IV) - the sheet must have a strong adhesive connection, peeling is unacceptable. The entire spectrum of appearance defects - in almost any quantity, but the diameter of wormholes, knots and voids - no more than 40 mm.
The grade concerns only the outer layers of the sheet and is indicated by two numbers, and the grade can be either common to both sides or vary, more often, within the same grade - I/I I/II E/I and so on. Except for the fourth, lowest grade, all other grades of plywood are sanded on both sides, and the elite grade can be additionally varnished.
Naturally, the higher the grade and decorativeness of the material, the more beautiful the finished product will be. But considering that the cost of the elite, and even the first grade, is decent, and the parts cut out are most often small in size, you can use a lower grade if you actually cut a high-quality blank from the sheet. The plywood from which the workpiece will be cut should not have knots - they may fall out and other defects. They also pay attention to the ribs - you cannot cut out masterpieces using fragments with voids in the middle layers.
The grade of plywood and its main characteristics are determined by the chemical compositions used:
- FB – impregnation of veneer with bakelite varnish, which provides resistance to high humidity.
- BS – bakelite glue (alcohol-soluble), gives high performance characteristics, such plywood is stronger and more durable.
- BV – water-soluble bakelite mixtures; plywood is resistant to high humidity.
- FC – phenol-urea resin bonding, relative water resistance, for indoor use.
- FSF – gluing with phenol-formaldehyde resin, moisture-resistant material for external use.
Which plywood is suitable for sawing
For sawing products intended for home use(boxes, stands, shelves, utensils, decorative elements) best option– FK grade plywood.
Phenol-urea resin is safe for others and well tolerated high humidity, therefore products made from such plywood are not distinguished harmful substances and resistant to deformation.
FSF brand plywood is not suitable for household items due to aggressive formaldehyde, but can be used for outdoor decoration - carved frames, coffee tables For open verandas or gazebos, various benches.
For cutting, plywood with a thickness of 3–5 mm is most often used. If loads are expected (chairs, stools, benches, tables, etc.), the thickness is increased. It is more difficult to cut from a thick sheet (more than 10 mm), so lace openwork from such material is unlikely to be obtained. As an option, a main canvas made of thick sheets and carved inserts to increase decorativeness.
Portal member temernik, who opened a topic that is still active to this day back in 2011, uses sheets different thicknesses, depending on the purpose of the items.
temernik FORUMHOUSE Member
For my father's anniversary, I cut out a carved frame from 4 mm plywood, and a stand for flower pot, on the bears, sheets 8 mm thick were used.
Tools, templates, assembly
Patterns on plywood are cut out with jigsaws - this can be either a manual or electric tool. For complex, openwork elements, a manual jigsaw with replaceable files is often used. They can accurately cut out the most intricate patterns, while a jigsaw is more likely to ruin the design if the skills are insufficient.
Even in labor lessons, they teach that the quality of the saw and ease of use largely depend on the tension of the file - with a loose set it is more difficult to make a cut exactly according to the template.
Temernik uses his son’s old jigsaw, left over from his school days. This simple tool is enough for him to create his plywood openwork.
To start cutting out a design, a puncture is made on the blank with a sharp awl, into which a file is then inserted; the second option is to drill with a drill with a thin drill bit. In both cases, it is not recommended to bring the hole directly to the contour line, if the motive allows. Puncture or drilling at a distance will help avoid possible cracks and “cuts”. To process the edges of cuts (ribs), files or sandpaper with the appropriate grain are used; this grinding gives the pattern a finished look and removes minor flaws, leveling the edge. In addition to the basic tools, you may need pliers, a hammer, a drawing set (ruler, compass) and others.
Even simple drawing it is cut out according to a template applied to plywood - if you have artistic talent, the patterns for sawing are drawn “from your head”; if nature is not so generous, they are transferred from a stencil.
There are enough standard preparations on the Internet in free access, in thematic publications. In a thread on the forum, many craftsmen share their favorite templates with each other. Temernik The Internet and my wife’s drawing talent help.
temernik
I take drawings from the Internet, then I come up with a method of fastening and modify it; if something is wrong, then my other half completes the drawing, she does it well.
The design is transferred from the stencil to the plywood with a pencil or pen; for convenience, the base is secured to the sheet with buttons. Particular attention is paid to small contours; a few inaccuracies can spoil the entire appearance of the finished product.
To increase decorativeness, products cut from plywood are joined into a tongue-and-groove pattern and glued, most often with PVA glue for wood. First, dry “fitting” is carried out, and after adjustment and cleaning, the adhesive assembly is completed.
temernik
Everything is attached in the following way: some parts have grooves cut out, others, on the contrary, have protrusions, everything is first fitted “dry”, and then assembled with PVA glue. The ends were sanded.
After assembly, the plywood is covered with protective and decorative compounds - varnishes, stains, paints, depending on the desired effect.
Examples of work by portal participants
Open temernik The topic received a lot of responses, many shared their creativity in it.
Bosun1955 I started with a similar technique.
And now he combines it with equally interesting, multi-layer cutting.
Boatswain1955 FORUMHOUSE Member
I finally understood the essence of cutting out plates of various shapes - two drawings of the same size are made, the waves are drawn in opposition to each other. That is, where on the first there is a ridge, on the second there is a trough. After cutting, the parts are assembled one at a time. This makes two plates. I sawed with a hand jigsaw without any fuss; for a long time I could not figure out how such shapes were made. So I took my soul away a little, sawed some plates and a basket.
56Vladimir1981 He is also a master at using a jigsaw.
If your new hobby is sawing out various decorative elements, burning or carving wood, then our advice would be to start with a material such as plywood.
There are several significant reasons for this:
Plywood is quite easy to work with.
If it's in your hands good tool, and you start with small figurines, then making them will only take you a couple of hours.
The material is universal in use, so you can make literally anything you want from it: furniture, toys, small decorative elements.
All this can be a wonderful addition to the interior of your home.
Features of working with the material
What is a plywood sheet? It consists of several sheets of veneer, which are connected to each other using glue.
Important: plywood can be different types: based on beech, birch, pine.
Not only the quality of the finished product, but even its structure and color depends on which sheet you choose.
If you are going to cut out various figures using a jigsaw, then you need to choose the highest quality types of plywood.
They are particularly durable, which guarantees that the plywood will not crack, ruining the entire appearance products at the most unpredictable moment.
If you are going to start working immediately, immediately on the day of purchase, then choose only dry sheets of wood.
They won't break the jigsaw blade every 10 minutes.
To work with plywood, you will need to acquire a number of tools.
In principle, they are always the same for all types of products, so you only need a one-time investment:
- Jigsaw
- Jigsaw files
- Hand or electric drill
- Ruler
- Grinding machine
- Burner.
Framework
If you want to beautifully decorate your home or give it to someone close to you original gift, make your own plywood frame.
The preparation process will not take you much time, because you just need to get the necessary materials.
Note!
They are standard for all cases, and we have already mentioned them before.
We will offer you master classes on light crafts made from plywood. You can make either a regular straight frame or plan various patterns and figures on it.
First you need to make a template, and after that you can cut it out, trace the contours with a pencil on the plywood and begin the manufacturing process.
This stage is not only the most responsible, but also the most exciting. If you put a piece of your soul into your work, everything will definitely work out. The finished structure must be opened with varnish. Ready!
Doll furniture
This task will be a real test for parents.
Note!
The so-called test of acquired design skills.
Feature of creation doll furniture is that children do not tolerate falsehood at all.
If they see that the furniture is not worked out in detail, but instead kitchen stove for your favorite doll you brought an ordinary block rectangular shape, then you simply cannot avoid serious grievances and childhood disappointments.
The second feature of making such a craft from plywood using a jigsaw is that all this furniture must be carefully worked out with sandpaper or a grinding machine.
Your child will constantly come into contact with these self-made toys, and if the edges are poorly processed, they may get hurt.
Note!
Well, the last feature of crafts made from plywood and the house is that the materials for such furniture must be absolutely non-toxic and normal for constant contact with the child, because he can drag it into his mouth or take it to bed with him.
This is not a simple applique or paper craft, so you need to take the matter seriously, following a whole list of actions that need to be completed.
Carrying out work from plywood
How simple furniture is made in detail, and then assembled into one piece of furniture, so do-it-yourself plywood crafts should be done separately.
To do this, first of all, prepare special drawings of plywood crafts, on which you will specify the dimensions of all parts and their fastenings.
Take a ready-made plywood sheet and attach a paper part template to it.
Trace the part with a pencil and plan out the outline with a jigsaw.
After this, each part must be cleaned with sandpaper or a grinding machine and only then the piece of furniture must be assembled.
When you are done with the entire set, open it with varnish.
Below are provided different variants and photos of plywood crafts. Choose the one you like.
Photos of plywood crafts
- Hand tool
- Jigsaw
- Preparing the stencil
- Sawing process technology
- Defects in work
Wood carving with a jigsaw is rapidly gaining popularity: many people want to purchase interesting subject decor for decorating your home, furniture and even clothes! Carved objects made of plywood of various thicknesses fit organically into any interior style; people often purchase photo frames for photographs with ornaments, cut-out words and letters, or order intricate shelves and others interesting products. Few people know that artistic sawing using a plywood jigsaw is a task accessible to anyone, even the untrained and inexperienced. You just need to understand how to work with the tool.
What is a jigsaw: general description
A jigsaw is a tool designed for cutting various contours from plywood, including curved ones. It is equipped with a blade with fine teeth that can make an even cut of plywood without the formation of significant burrs.
Hand tool
The ancestor of this type of tool is a manual jigsaw. It consists of a metal arc in the shape of the letter “U”, between the ends of which a sawing blade is stretched and attached to clamps. They securely hold the file during operation and allow you to adjust its tension. On one side of the frame there is a handle.
The clamps on the tool can rotate, creating different planes for sawing, thereby providing the opportunity for wood carving of varying complexity.
When cutting from plywood with a hand jigsaw, you need to be careful: its design is quite fragile, and during intensive work, the blade often breaks from force and heat, so it has to be replaced. To do this, each master must have several dozen spare files.
When working with a jigsaw for carving internal contours It is convenient to use such an auxiliary board, as in the photo: it will help both protect the table and solve the problem of convenient placement of the workpiece.
Jigsaw
The tool operates from an electrical network. It is a housing in which the working mechanisms are located, and there is also a handle for control on it. The sawing organ is located in the lower front part. The blade is often protected by a foot, which allows you to cut the contour exactly along the line without deviation. Advanced and professional jigsaw models have various attachments that facilitate the cutting process and straighten the edges of plywood.
Blades can have different teeth in shape and size. It is necessary to select files that match the material being processed to avoid damage and damage. plywood sheet when operating the mechanism.
Classification of jigsaws by power and application:
In the instructions on how to use a jigsaw, or in technical passport the main parameters of the tool that must be taken into account when using the mechanism should be described.
Wood carving tools
Sawing with a jigsaw is a creative process, but it requires preparation and additional equipment. What you will need for work:
Preparing the stencil
Drawings for cutting with a jigsaw can be different sizes, depending on the scale of the product being manufactured. To create a diagram of a shelf, a piece of furniture or a composite three-dimensional toy, you can take a large sheet of whatman paper A1 or A0; wallpaper left over after renovation will also work; for small figures, use regular A4 paper or another suitable format.
Using a bright pencil or marker, draw the outline of the future product on the surface, following the dimensions. This could be an element for assembling furniture, a shelf or another large product.
There are such a wide variety of templates for cutting with a jigsaw that it can be difficult to choose the right one. It is much easier to come up with your own cutting patterns and transfer them to paper.
Transferring an image to the surface of plywood or boards
Before you start cutting with a jigsaw, you need to transfer the image from the stencil to a piece of wood or plywood. To do this, cut out a shape from a sheet, apply it to the surface of the plywood and carefully trace it. It is desirable that the line be smooth and accurate. We use with a simple pencil so that if necessary, you can correct the line by erasing it with an eraser.
We apply the contour from the back side so that finished product no remnants of the lines were visible. The internal area can be shaded so as not to cut off excess and to mark untouchable areas.
It is important to transfer the design in such a way as to minimize cutting along the grain with a jigsaw - it is so difficult to get an even line.
Sawing process technology
Many people have probably heard how to use a jigsaw. Working with the tool will not cause difficulties if you prepare for it correctly.
Plywood carving begins with the inner contours of the design. To do this, you need to make slots for inserting the tool blade:
- The plywood is often taken thin, and when cutting a large contour there will be no problems, but tension may arise in a small remainder. Sawing with a jigsaw inside can damage the product - chips, burrs, cuts;
- It’s easier to work this way: you always have something to hold the workpiece by. A large sheet is much easier to handle than trying to hold a small sawn piece while shaping its interior.
How to saw with a jigsaw:
Working with a jigsaw is much easier than using a hand tool; there is no need for physical effort and the process goes faster.
How to saw with a jigsaw:
As you can see, there is nothing complicated in this process.
Defects in work
If you did not follow the technology or hold the tool incorrectly, the saw may simply move off the line. Why does a jigsaw cut crookedly:
- tilted the tool while working;
- the tension of the file has weakened;
- With an electric saw, the fastening of the saw may become loose.
To avoid such problems, before starting sawing, be sure to check the tension of the saw and the fastening of all working elements. If the blade is beveled and stuck, it is better to start over and make a line parallel to the defective one.
A little about safety
Safety precautions when working with a jigsaw for cutting plywood and wood are simple:
- Use protective equipment- glasses, gloves, robe. These things will protect you from dust and small chips.
- Sawing with a hand jigsaw should be done carefully so as not to damage your fingers with the file. Maintain a distance between your body and the tool.
- If you are a beginner, carefully read the instructions on how to use a jigsaw and the main characteristics of the tool. This information will help avoid accidental injury and unit breakdown.
Wood carving with a jigsaw requires care and attention. Both your health and the integrity of the finished product depend on these qualities.
What can be made from plywood: interesting ideas and drawings
Sawing wood with a jigsaw or hand tools is a creative process. You can create many decorative products of different directions:
Drawings of plywood crafts do not have to be made in exact dimensions. Even taking an example from the Internet and changing its proportions, you will get a unique product that no one else has in this form.
DIY plywood crafts can be painted or left in a natural color; you can glue buttons, beads, ribbons and other decor onto them to liven up the product. To do this, it is worth involving children in the work; their imagination is a bottomless well of interesting ideas.
We offer you diagrams with photos for cutting out of plywood with a jigsaw.
You can come up with your own idea of what you can cut using a hand or electric tool, make your own sketch and transfer it to paper, then to a piece of wood or plywood.
Carving plywood with a jigsaw requires certain knowledge and skills. If you don't have them, consider the following rules:
