Choice correct file for a jigsaw for wood largely determines the performance and accuracy of cutting the material. It is worth clarifying right away that cutting blades for jigsaws come in a variety of shapes, types and sizes. That is, each material needs its own file.

Let's try to classify the cutting blades and analyze how, for example, a saw for metal differs from that for wood. How to choose a canvas for a particular wood material will also be discussed in this article.

Features of files for power tools

The thickness and density of each material is different, which immediately imposes some specific requirements for the quality of the steel sheets. This also includes the size and shape of the files, as well as the angle of inclination of the teeth. There are simply no universal models, so you shouldn't buy into clever marketing moves about “omnivorous” canvases.

Even if you have the best quality jigsaw blades for wood at your disposal, they are unlikely to cut metal properly. Likewise, they will only partially cope with chipboard or plastic (you have to cut long and hard).

Steel

All cutting blades, and jigsaw saws for wood, including, differ from each other in the quality of steel. Each model has a marking spraying on the shank, where the material of manufacture can be determined by the code.

For example, Makita jigsaw blades are always made of high quality carbon steel with the HC S mark. This type of canvases is suitable for any wood material, be it wood, fiberboard, chipboard, plywood or even plastic. In our case (wood), it is not so much the hardness of the steel that is important as its elasticity.

Marking "HS S" means that the blade is made of hardened and high-speed steel, which is the best option for working with metals of light and middle group... The material of such files is noticeably harder, but lacks elasticity, that is, it is more fragile.

Marking "BIM" (biferrum) implies the presence of both of the above properties, that is, in one person, both hardness and plasticity with flexibility. Such blades are used for cutting metals. senior group and some complex alloys. On the shelves of some brands you can find jigsaw files for wood (Bosch, Gross) with such markings, but you will be sawing with them for a very long time (and expensive), so it is better to use ordinary "HC S".

The inscription "NM" means that the canvases are made of hard alloys... Files of this type find their application mainly in the ceramic field, where there is a dense work with tiles and similar materials.

Canvas size

Wood materials are, as a rule, thicker than the same metals or plastic, so jigsaw saws for wood go, as they say, with a margin, that is, long. If the material is rough, like ordinary boards, then it is better to use thicker canvases, and for curly cutting- thin. The former are noticeably easier to drive in a straight line, while the latter are more convenient to turn.

Teeth

Canvases with large teeth designed for working with soft wood, and it is worth noting separately that the larger the fangs and the distance between them, the wider the cutting step, that is, the cut will be rougher. The same rule works in the opposite direction: fewer teeth - more beautiful cut.

In addition, the width of the setting of the fangs affects the quality of the saw to a large extent. The smaller it is, the more accurate and accurate the cut will be. But it should be borne in mind that a very small distance significantly increases the operating time, making it more time consuming. It is also useful to note that files with small wiring require higher speeds from electrical equipment, so you must make sure that neither the tool nor the material burns.

In their shape, the teeth can be either oblique (at an angle to the edge of the blade), or straight, like an isosceles triangle. Moreover, instead of the usual layout, you can find “wave” cutting in stores, where each next tooth is slightly shifted to the side from the previous one (often found on the shelves of the Makita brand). Such canvases are used mainly for a clean cut: tabletops, kitchen fronts and some other small elements made of wood and chipboard / fiberboard.

If we summarize the features of the choice of blades by teeth, then we get the following picture:

• rare tooth - soft wood and curly cut (thick and thin file, respectively);
• medium frequent tooth - neat sawing chipboard, plywood and treated wood;
• small frequent tooth - cutting plastic and metal in a straight line;
• medium beveled tooth - clean saws at small radii (tabletops, small chipboard elements, plastic).

Shank

Several types of shanks can be found on the market. The most common type is a blade with a semicircular base and two stops closer to the teeth. These files are universal and will fit most jigsaws.

Some brands produce cutting blades exclusively for their tools with some specific shanks. Therefore, at the time of purchase, be sure to check with the seller for this moment. The same rule is true for buying a tool of this kind: it is better to look for something universal and not bother with finicky consumables.

1. Main selection criteria
2. Tooth shape
3. Different step
4. Nozzle thickness
5. Fastening form
6. Features of marking
7. Manufacturer brands
8. Other tips for choosing

Using an electric jigsaw, you can process solid wood, plywood, chipboard, chipboard, cut out various shapes, cut parts, adjust their dimensions to the desired parameters. The tool is universal, has different saw blades... There is a standard set of attachments.

Main selection criteria

You need to pay attention to:

• Nozzle performance.
• Cutting precision.
• The quality of the cutting line.
• The structure of the processed material.
• The shape of the teeth, the pitch with which they are located on the base.
• The width of the canvas, its thickness.
• The material from which the jigsaw file is made.

Each type of base has different strength resistance to the canvas. Thus, a laminate saw cannot be used for working with solid wood. There are canvases for of stainless steel, ceramics, hardened cement, fibrous materials. The attachments must be used strictly for their intended purpose..

Tooth shape

Allocate:

• Milled divorced. The teeth are bent in different sides... This prevents excessive heating of the blade during operation, allows you to remove sawdust trapped between the kerf. Suitable for plywood, hardwood, softwood, plastics, non-ferrous metals.
• Wavy milled. The setting of the cutting base is made in groups. Several teeth at once deviate first to the left, then to the right. This allows you to get a clean, chip-free cut, to make a straight line. Suitable for materials made of aluminum, plastic, non-ferrous metals.
• Tapered teeth. Used for the production of clean sawn wood, plastics.
• Diluted grinded. They are used for sawing soft wood, chipboard, chipboard, fiberboard.

Jigsaw blades
Working tooth length	Part size (step)	Divorce	Usage	What it looks like (click to enlarge)
75 mm	8 s / d (3 mm)	Side	Soft hard rocks up to 60 mm thick. Especially for rip sawing... Rough cut.
75 mm	6 z / d (4 mm)	Undercut and side	Like the previous one, but cut clean
67 mm	6 z / d (4 mm)	Undercut	Hard and soft woods, artificial wood materials up to 60 mm thick. Very clean cut.
50 mm	12 s / d (2 mm)	Undulating	Artificial wood materials up to 30 mm thick. Very thin kerf.
50 mm	12 s / d (2 mm)	Undulating	For cutting tight curves in wood and synthetic wood materials up to 20 mm thick.
75 mm	10 r / d (2.5 mm)	Undercut	Reverse cutting tooth on the downstroke. For planks covered with plastic.
60 mm	6 r / d (4.5 mm)	--	The tips of the teeth are coated with tungsten carbide, especially nice results when working with chipboard with a high glue content.
70 mm	--	--	Semicircular flat and triangular files. For wood and artificial wood materials.

When buying, you need to pay attention to the height of the teeth. The smaller ones will cut accurately, but the blade will be slow to cut. Large ones allow you to work quickly, but the cut line is rough.

Different step

When choosing a part, you need to take into account the step - the distance between the tops of the teeth. It has letter designation t. There is a table compiled as a general guideline for choosing a saw blade. Its basis is a formula indicating the number of teeth per inch of blade. If the marking says TPI 7, then there are 7 teeth per inch.

• If it is necessary to make a longitudinal straight cut of the wooden base, it is better to choose a nozzle with the following parameters: t = 3.5–6.5 mm, TPI 7.
• For ordinary carpentry work, tips with medium sharp edges, t = 3 mm, TPI 9 are suitable.
• For curly cut - with small sharp protrusions, t = 2 mm, TPI 9–13.

In order for the tool to vibrate less during operation, it is better to choose blades, in one step of which there are at least 5–8 sharp protrusions.

What should be the width of the nozzle

The wider the width, the more stable the nozzle is in operation, the less deviations from the cutting cavity. For curly lines, you should choose narrower canvases. If the teeth are on the drive axis, the tool will be easier to control.

Nozzle thickness

For cutting a strictly perpendicular line on a thick wooden base it is necessary to use attachments large thickness. How thinner material, the thinner the canvas should be.

Fastening form

Shanks can be with one stop and T-shaped mount, two stops and U-shaped mount.

Features of marking

Types of attachments:

• For cutting any wood. With a gray tail (marking is applied to it).
• For wood with metal. With a white ponytail.
• For metal. With a blue ponytail.
• For plastic, tile, cardboard. With a black ponytail.

From the markings, you can find out what metal the part is made of. The abbreviation HCS means the blade is made of high carbon steel. HSS - high speed steel. BIM - bimetal. HM - Carbide.

For cutting plywood, soft-fiber wood, chipboard, chipboard no more than 30 mm thick, plastic, it is better to choose HCS blades. The teeth of such files have a pointed shape, conical grinding. High flexibility prevents the possibility of kinking. HSS saws are designed for cutting metals. In the lower part they have a curvature, it is necessary to prevent metal scuffing. These bits are thinner than wood cutting blades, but have a higher hardness.

Bimetal bits are durable... They are manufactured by laser welding. It is based on high-carbon steel. The rear part is formed from it, the teeth are made of high-speed steel. The attachment is suitable for cutting curves and straight lines. HM blades are intended for sawing lightweight concrete, fiberglass, tiles.

For laminate, veneered boards, a blade with a reverse tooth system is used. The cut takes place in the opposite direction, towards yourself. This move allows you to process parts of different lengths, to get a clean line, without chips.

Manufacturer brands

Manufacturer only brand BOSCH produces a wide range of attachments. The market share is about 90%. Electric jigsaws HITACHI, MAKITA and others also include many different saw blades, but parts are made by third parties.

It is important to consider the power of the tool, the ease of mounting the blade in the holder. Professional jigsaws are sold in cases. The kits contain additional accessories.

An electric jigsaw is an indispensable tool in the arsenal of any craftsman. They can cut almost any surface in everyday life. The quality of the saw depends on the right choice consumable which is the cutting blade. Depending on the choice of the material to be cut, the final choice of jigsaw file depends. The types and features of canvases can confuse any beginner. This article will help you understand this variety.

Files differ in shape and material from which they are made. Structurally, they are a small strip of metal, on which the shank and the cutting edge can be distinguished. Based on this, morphological parameters can be distinguished that affect the choice: the type of shank, the shape and type of the cutting edge, dimensions.

Classification by shape

Shank type

The shank is the part of the jigsaw blade that attaches it to the tool. They differ only in form. It is imperative to pay attention to their appearance, otherwise it will not be possible to fix the new canvas. There are the following types of shanks:

The most common is the T-type shank. Since it was invented by the Bosch company, it is also called "Bosch". Due to the fact that this corporation has the largest market share for jigsaws, many companies are trying to move to this standard. If you choose between files according to the shank model, then the T-shaped one will be the best option. It will fit almost all jigsaws, including domestic producers, for example "Interskol".

The American standard among shanks is the U-shape. Most older instrument models work with it. To fix it, a screw or shoe type of fastening is used. Makita shank files are especially popular. They only fit the old jigsaws of the company of the same name. Likewise, files for jigsaw Bosch that only fit their old jigsaws. Structurally, their shape is equipped with an additional T-shaped stop.

Canvas size

Cut edge shape

The files have different shape cutting edge depending on the type of material with which they are working. In addition to the shape, the method of setting the teeth is also different. The wider they are set, the faster the material is cut. The quality of the saw border gets worse. All files can be divided into the following groups, according to the type of their edges.

• Classic routing with milling... The teeth are set apart. V classic version they are alternately bent to the right, then to left side... Due to this, the canvas does not heat up as much as an ordinary flat one. The saw cut can be obtained very quickly, but the quality of the work will not be accurate. Such files are intended for soft materials.
• Classic wiring with grinding... The teeth are set apart, then ground. The cutting line is wide. Designed for fast cuts of average quality. It is better to choose such files when working with wood and its derivatives (chipboard, fiberboard, etc.).
• Wavy routing with milling... The teeth are set apart along the wave. Relatively compact groups of sharpened segments are obtained, the length of which is equal to the half-period of such a bend. Within one bend, the teeth follow each other, lining up along the bend contour. Designed for a beautiful cut in wood, chipboard, plywood, soft metals and plastics.
• Conical grinding without set... The teeth in such a file are not divorced, but simply ground. Inner surface the grinding turns out to be diluted, and the outer one goes along the cone. Designed for accurate cutting of plastic, wood and laminate.

Type of processed material

Wood and its derivatives

Sawing wood, chipboard, plywood was the main function of jigsaws from the beginning. You can saw wood with almost all types of saws. In order for such work to be effective, and the sawing was of high quality, special types of canvases were created for wood. Depending on the priorities in the process of work, they are divided into several groups.

When performing such work, a certain trick is used: the material is turned face side from a jigsaw. In this case, chips can be almost avoided. There are files with reverse teeth. It is more difficult to work with such files, but the workpiece does not need to be turned over.

1. Figured cut... Curved shapes can be cut with narrow saws. They fit very easily into the groove, allowing you to cut along a wide variety of curves. The characteristics of the blade should be as follows: a very narrow blade with a cut reverse side, fine teeth. The length is selected according to the thickness of the material.

Metal

Initially, jigsaws were designed for sawing wood. Over time, their power and speed began to increase, and the variety of saws made it possible to produce blades with very fine teeth. Due to this, the specific force per tooth during the saw cut increased. The latter made it possible to work with more solid materials such as non-ferrous metals and steel. Relatively thin inserts can be cut with jigsaws.

When performing work on metal, a number of rules should be observed:

• saw is very slow, without excessive pressure;
• if the file becomes dull, you should immediately change it, otherwise the jigsaw will quickly fail;
• teeth on the canvas should not be more than 1 mm.

Plastic

Examples of polymer materials are PVC pipes, plastic panels... For cutting them, you can use blades with large teeth. If you cut plastic with a fine-toothed file, the material may heat up and the plastic will start to melt. You can even work with a wood saw at low revs. Thin leaves plastic or plexiglass is sawn with a fine-toothed file also at low speeds.

Unusual materials

Blades without teeth with a special diamond coating can be used for sawing ceramic tiles... With their help, the saw cut edge will have complex bends. If the cut needs to be straight, it is best to use a regular tile cutter. The diamond coating prevents the file from becoming blunt from abrasive elements of the material.

Ordinary canvases also quickly become dull from drywall. To cut the latter, coarse-toothed saws with soldered special alloys should be used. Soft materials(cardboard, rubber) are sawn with blades in the form of a knife with a wavy edge, which is simply sharpened and does not have any teeth.

There are files with an unusual shape of teeth, which in their own way outward appearance repeat the contours of the letter M. Such a canvas works with wood and metal. In this case, the direction of movement can be either direct or reverse. If you have no idea what material you have to work with and the saw cut needs to be made of small length without quality claims, then you can purchase universal files... They are made of high speed steel.

Marking

Several symbols and numbers are located on the tail of the file. They determine the type of blade material and key characteristics of the cutting edge. Additionally, the purpose is specified by color coding, inscriptions on the blade and the saw neck. Since it is the Bosch company that is the leader in the production of cutting blades for jigsaws, its method of marking has become common. This is not a standard, but other manufacturers are trying to adapt to it.

Shank symbols

The combination of letters and numbers is positional. This means that the element number in the label has its own meaning. Since each position can have different amount values, then it makes no sense to bring them together in a single table. Everything available options listed below as lists.

The first letter defines the type of shank and can take the following values:

• T for T - shaped;
• U for U-shaped;
• M for Makita shanks.

The third and fourth characters define the purpose of the canvas. There is no single rule for filling them out today. Therefore, in order not to mislead readers, it is better to skip them. For example, the values ​​0 and 1 can correspond to wood. At the same time, 1 and 2 represent steel. As a result, a value of 1 can correspond to wood and metal at the same time. Bosch jigsaw blades have not yet set the standard in this case.

The fifth character defines the size of the teeth:

• A - small;
• B - medium;
• C, D - large.

The sixth and subsequent characters define the specification of the web and can be combined. Here is a list of their main meanings:

• X - for progressive teeth;
• O - for canvases with a narrow back side;
• R - reversible teeth arrangement;
• F - used cutting edge and a working surface made of a special durable alloy;
• P - for files with a neat and precise cut.

Between work surface and the shank is the saw neck. It can be printed with letters that determine the type of alloy from which the canvas is made. The most common alloys are:

There is often confusion in the designation of alloy types, for example, with CV symbols, some manufacturers indicate carbon steel, while others mark alloys made of chromium and vanadium.

Color and text coding

The purpose of the file can be determined by the color of the shank or by the inscription on it. Variants color coding determine the type of material with which the canvas should work:

• gray - wood and derivatives;
• blue - metals;
• red - plastic.

Duplicate inscription some manufacturers print directly on the working part of the canvas. The scope will be clear to those who are at least a little familiar with English language... Here are some examples:

The inscriptions can indicate not only the material, but also the set of teeth. For example, "clean" means that the teeth are practically unset.

Summary table of the most common types

It is impossible to present files of all types in the form of one table, especially taking into account all the listed characteristics. A set of the most common types is shown in the following table.

marking	wood	Chipboard	plywood	metal	tin	plastic	plexiglass
T101AO	+	+	V			V
T101B	V		+			V
T101BF			V			+
T101BR	+		V			V
T101BRF	V		+			+
T101D	V	+				V
T111C	V					V
T119B	+	+	V				V
T119BO	V	+	V			+	+
T144D	V	V
T244D	V	V
T301CD	V	+				+
T118A				V	+
T118AF				V	+
T118B				V
T127D				+		V
T127DF				+		V
T227D	+					V

Table 1. The most common types of files and their area of ​​application. Legend: "V" - specially designed for working with material, "+" - can be used.

As you can see from the table, there are canvas models that are specifically designed for metals or wood. But they can be applied to other materials as well. Plastic can be cut with almost all types of canvases.

How to make the right choice

If the file is bought for daily work, then it is better to take special option for specific type material. Moreover, you always need to have a stock. For example, if you plan to perform a lot of work on cutting wood materials, then it makes sense to take several types of jigsaw saws for wood with in different steps teeth and blade thickness. For sawn chipboard you may even need a metal file. For those who work with a jigsaw from time to time, it is worth having a couple of universal blades in the arsenal.

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 has no idea.

But when it comes 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 a tool such 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 indicates the quality of the 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 make various maneuvers with narrow canvases, compared to wide ones. Thickness is also important because the thicker the web, the more stable it is.

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 own 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 certain markings, 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 an even cut (length 75 mm, tooth pitch 2.5 mm);
• T101BRHCS - also used for the manufacture of carbon steel, the main nuance of the canvas 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 of teeth 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 files for a jigsaw, 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 its intended purpose, otherwise the set goals 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!