How to use a hand jigsaw

In this lesson we will show you the basics of working with common with a hand jigsaw. Of course, there are also electric jigsaws, but they cost a lot of money, and working with them is a pursuit of speed, and not a calm, moderate creation of beauty.

For work we will need: a hand jigsaw, a file, a table stand, a clamp for attaching the stand to the table, an awl, a pencil, two paper clips, a sheet of tracing paper, a sheet of copy paper, sandpaper and of course a piece of plywood required sizes. We will cut out a Christmas tree; in this work, in addition to the cutting technique, we will also master the technique of assembling plywood parts into a three-dimensional Christmas tree shape and the simplest method of finishing finished product using regular watercolor paint.

The size of the plywood should correspond to the pattern you have chosen; try to arrange the cut parts more compactly, closer to each other, since everything that remains after cutting, as a rule, can no longer be used in further work due to its fragility. And so we clean the selected piece of plywood with sandpaper, trying to move it along the fibers, since transverse scratches will be very visible on the finished product and are very difficult to remove later, and the treated plywood looks velvety and soft.

The sandpaper should be medium-grit to reduce scratching of the plywood.

Secure the sheet of tracing paper and the drawing using clamps, then use a pencil to copy the drawing onto the tracing paper. This operation is necessary in order not to damage the original drawing when transferring it to plywood.

It should immediately be noted that with the current level of distribution and availability of copying, with large-scale and complex drawings For cutting, it’s good to use a copying machine and you just need to copy the required drawing onto a blank sheet of paper and then transfer the drawing from it onto the plywood. The advantage of this method is that it is quite easy to enlarge or reduce the pattern chosen for work. We put tracing paper with a drawing on the plywood and a pencil, using carbon paper we transfer it to front side her.

Having transferred the entire drawing to plywood, we carefully check whether all the lines of the drawing are clearly visible on the plywood.

On next stage It is very important to check future interconnections of the Christmas tree parts. To do this, a piece of plywood of the same thickness as we are using needs to be attached to the drawn groove of the Christmas tree part and make sure that it fits exactly within the drawn boundaries. If the dimensions of the groove and the thickness of the plywood do not match, the width of the groove is adjusted - it is drawn equal to the thickness of the plywood used. Otherwise, when assembling finished parts, they will dangle or simply not fit into each other. This way all grooves in all part drawings are checked.

We take the stand and insert its clamp into the central hole.

We fasten the stand with a clamp to the edge of a table, window sill or workbench.

If your file is not inserted into the jigsaw, then we do this in the following sequence. We loosen the thumb of the lower clamp of the jigsaw (after turning the handle down to the working position). Insert the file into the lower clamp.

The direction of the saw teeth should be as in figure “b” - this is very important.

Then, having loosened the knob of the upper clamp, insert the upper end of the file into it and placing the jigsaw on the stand, press it firmly and screw the knob tightly. The file should be taut. But excessively strong tension can lead to breakage of the file when figure sawing, a weak file tension will also lead to this. So everything should be in moderation.

The position of the body when cutting should be as in the figure.

When cutting with a jigsaw, you need to smoothly move your hand up and down, up and down, monitoring the position of the file so that it does not tilt from the vertical position. When cutting along a curved line, turn the plywood rather than the jigsaw during the sawing process - this will reduce the likelihood of breaking the file.

When cutting sharp corners, make movements of the saw in place, gradually turning the plywood.

You should have a free space - a hole in which the file will turn, now continue sawing in the desired direction.

Free space To turn the saw, do it on the part of the plywood that will be thrown away and you will get sharp corners without much difficulty.

After you have cut out the entire outline of the design, the sawn part will be freely removed from the plywood.

Now, in order not to break the file, insert it into the cut from which you started cutting out the part and smoothly moving the jigsaw up and down, but only pull it out of the plywood with the back of the file.

Similarly, cut out the second part of the Christmas tree.

Sand the resulting parts with sandpaper.

Now we have two Christmas tree parts ready for assembly.

We collect them into one structure.

Now let's paint the Christmas tree with watercolors or gouache.

Our Christmas tree is ready.

And at the end of the lesson, we will show you the sequence of cutting out internal holes in parts. Let's say we need to cut out part of a circle.

In the middle of the part to be removed, use an awl to make a hole. Do not try to make the hole close to the drawn line, this may cause the plywood to chip, which will be quite unsightly.

Having loosened the upper clamp of the jigsaw and freed the file, we insert its upper end from below into the punctured hole.

We clamp the file into the upper clamp of the jigsaw and cut out the part of the pattern to be removed.

Then release the file from the upper clamp again. And we repeat this operation with each internal hole drawing.

The Christmas tree turned out to be stable and quite strong; for greater stability, the joining parts of the parts can be coated with some kind of glue that does not leave marks on the wood - this is PVA, carpentry or casein glue.

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 does it represent plywood sheet. It consists of several sheets of veneer, which are connected to each other using glue.

Important: plywood can be of 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 plywood crafts. 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. Ready design 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

From carved wood and plywood you can make so many decorative items and useful little things that it is stupid to limit the scope of the work. In fact, it can be absolutely anything that your imagination can handle: boxes, covers for decorative and collectible books, lampshades, panels, shutters, furniture elements, trim, cornices... But the most attractive thing about creating exclusive works is that anyone can do them willing, if he puts in a certain amount of effort.

Wood carving: photographs, drawings and sketches

The main key to success in creating interesting things with slotted carvings is the choice of pattern. It is he who conveys the overall concept and sets the aesthetic tone for the entire product.

The easiest way for beginners to make patterns geometric shape as in the photo.

Carved designs of floral and animal themes are classic ornaments for any field of application.

Inscriptions - modern version application of wood and plywood carving. At the same time, you are unlikely to be able to find drawings and sketches on the Internet - they will have to be compiled purely individually according to personal requirements for sizes, fonts, and words.

Stencils for slotted threads

However, unlike cut-out inscriptions on plywood, drawings with plant, animal and fantasy themes can be found on the Internet. So feel free to choose the stencils you like for your album, and you’ll have plenty of ideas for creativity for a long time!

The most simple sketches are suitable both for training at the very beginning of the process of making products, and can also become separate elements complex design. For example, this is how carved houses are decorated.

More complex templates will require some skill and patience, but the results are worth it. Such pictures can serve as an independent product, even as a gift.

Entire compositions with an idea and meaning usually serve either as a separate work or form the basis of a work.

Tools for slotted carving: jigsaw or router

However, choosing a design is only a third of the success. Another important aspect, which must be considered before starting the work itself. Namely, the choice of tool that will be used to carve wood or plywood.

Depends on the equipment:

• how thin the thread will be;
• complexity of pictures;
• cutting speed;
• accuracy of work.

Therefore, it is important to evaluate all the pros, cons, capabilities and limitations of each of the traditional sawing tools:

A jigsaw is a device for shaped cutting of parts. Hand tools The work is quite labor-intensive, but allows you to very accurately cut according to the drawing. Power tools allow you to quickly produce shaped plywood products, but require caution.

A milling cutter is a tool thanks to which flat-relief slotted threads acquire a thinner and more complete appearance. It is with its help that you can round edges, remove chips, make valances, and carry out the most complex cutting.

Theoretically, a milling cutter can do the same work as a jigsaw, and even more, but in fact, such handling of the tool is fraught with its rapid failure and frequent replacement of the frieze.

Materials for slotting threads

In most cases, plywood is chosen for this type of work - it is uniformly thin, has a pleasant color and structure, and does not suffer from further use or storage, unlike solid wood. It is the choice of material that becomes the third pillar of successful work.

The modern market is abundant different types materials, so it’s easy to get confused. For this work you should choose:

• FC plywood - harmless to humans and the environment, durable, easy to cut, practical;
• FB plywood - also safe for humans, but resistant to aggressive environment, since it undergoes special processing and receives protective covering, because of which it may cost an order of magnitude more.

Note! Do not under any circumstances choose to interior work FSF class plywood - it is treated with carcinogenic preservatives and is permissible for use only in fresh air- they are excellent for covering the outside of a bathhouse or a house.

Photos of carved wooden houses

For Russia, slotted carving is of particular importance as a decoration for building facades. Since ancient times, ornaments carved on birch bark and other similar materials have been decorating huts, bathhouses, and churches, as photographs colorfully demonstrate.

Video of wood milling with a hand router

If you have just decided to try your hand at curly slotted carving, it would be a good idea to watch a video with a master class. It will help you better understand how drawings are created and how such home beauty appears.

The dominance of gadgets in everyday life modern man has not destroyed many people’s desire to work with wood and plywood with their hands. An activity accessible to everyone - cutting out with a jigsaw - removes nervous tension, allows you to make useful and beautiful things.

A lot can be done when you have ready-made samples drawing. Stencils for cutting out plywood with a jigsaw allow you to choose the item that is most accessible for novice craftsmen or the most interesting and useful item.

What is needed for sawing

The work can be easily accomplished if thought out preliminary preparation when everything you need is nearby. You can enthusiastically cut out any crafts without being distracted by trifles.

Mechanical jigsaw

The main tool for cutting is a jigsaw: simple mechanical or electric. Regular manual model It is a metal arched frame with a handle on which a blade with teeth is fixed. Clamps ensure the tension of the tape in the required amount and position, allowing you to cut out a wide variety of shapes.

Jigsaw files heat up during operation, undergo heavy loads, and therefore often break. It makes sense for a craftsman to immediately buy a set that will allow him to do the job without being distracted by searching for a new blade. This is especially important for beginners who like to cut plywood, whose skills are still imperfect. Experienced craftsmen feel the material, automatically adjust the speed of movement and the force of pressure of the jigsaw on the plywood. They have to replace the blade much less often.

Note! For stencil cutting with a mechanical jigsaw, you can only use thin plywood (9 mm).

To cut out the internal patterns of stencils, you will need a board that allows you to secure the workpiece on any table. This will ensure ease of use and protect the tabletop from damage.

Jigsaw

For craftsmen who regularly do sawing, it is useful to have a jigsaw. The tool will save physical effort, increase work speed, providing high quality and accuracy of reproduction of the drawing according to the diagram.

Electric jigsaws of all models have a set of attachments that significantly simplify stencil cutting and ensure smooth edges on craft elements of any degree of complexity.

If an amateur plans to start working with not very thick plywood (9 mm or a little more), it makes sense to use a household electric jigsaw with low power ratings (350-500 W).

Professionals work with more powerful jigsaws, which allow them to cut patterns on wood not only using easily reproducible patterns, but also the most complex stencils. The process can be carried out quickly and accurately with thick plywood (up to 30 mm) and wooden planks thickness up to 140 mm. Setting up the instrument is carried out according to the instructions, the availability of which must be checked upon purchase.

Additional tool

In addition to a jigsaw and material for cutting, you may need a hacksaw, an awl or drills, with the help of which holes are made in the plywood in several places along the contour of the stenciled pattern. The edges of the patterns are processed with files; sandpaper can be used for these purposes.

Both beginners and professional carvers most often work using ready-made stencils. You can come up with an easy pattern yourself, but with the availability of a huge number of different sketches for cutting out plywood with a jigsaw in electronic and printed publications, the process of creating a pattern is simplified. Parts cut from a stencil can be glued together, covered with stain, varnish, or paint.

Preparing the stencil and transferring the design

If you have to cut out a small funny craft, then the drawing found in special online publications is printed on a regular printer. The A4 format allows you to make a small stencil.

When you plan to cut larger parts from plywood, such as trim, shelves, interior elements, the capabilities of ordinary home printers are not enough. You will have to look for a service that can print large-format sketches using special equipment.

The finished pattern for the stencil is first cut out of paper, paying attention to the contours of the internal slotted parts and the specularity of the display (if this is important for the part). Then they are transferred to the wood base, tracing the lines with reverse side sheet of plywood with a pencil or marker.

Note! It's better to use with a simple pencil, because, despite the less visible lines, if necessary, they can be erased with an eraser and corrected.

You can transfer the design for the stencil using carbon paper, tracing the lines with a sharpened pencil. Self-adhesive paper with a ready-made template is also sold. It is glued to plywood, and after cutting with a jigsaw it is removed. There are ways to transfer using a projector (when you need to zoom in) or pricking with a needle. With good drawing skills, you can draw a stencil directly on plywood, without carbon paper.

What can be cut from plywood

The possibilities of mastery are essentially endless. If you have the skills and desire, you can do a huge amount of useful and simple decorative items. The following crafts are most often made:

• toys;
• trays;
• keychains;
• caskets;
• stands;
• flowerpot;
• shelves;
• candlesticks;
• baskets.

The list of products can be continued as long as desired, because there are no limits to the possibilities of stencil cutting. It is important to choose suitable drawing, have quality tool and skills to use it.

The most simple templates patterns on wood for working with a jigsaw - without through holes. These can be animal figures, hearts, fruits, toy cars. As skill develops, the complexity of the stencil will increase.

Features of the sawing process

Doing the job requires good lighting. It is advisable to prepare the tools in one place convenient location under right hand without cluttering the space with unnecessary details.

Sawing should begin with the internal elements of the design applied from the stencil. To perform slotting work on plywood, holes are first made in some places on the contour.

When cutting with a regular hand jigsaw, hold a piece of plywood with your hands. When working with an electrical apparatus, the workpiece is fixed on a workbench or table using a vice. If you have experience working with electric jigsaw sawing is easy and quick; As a result, the lines are smooth, neat, requiring minimal subsequent sanding.

Successful carving is only possible if the nail file is properly and firmly secured, which is subject to mandatory inspection. Carelessness leads to distortion of the drawing, which will turn out to be completely different from the stencil. Inattention can provoke traumatic situations.

The presence of stencils, a good jigsaw and the desire to start cutting - all this together can bring pleasure to the work process and the result both to the master himself and to loved ones or customers.

First of all, you need to properly organize working space. Despite the apparent formality, this is a very important condition. A properly equipped place provides not only comfort and convenience, which is important when working for many hours with a hand jigsaw, but also directly affects the quality of the project being implemented.

A special machine-table is used as a thrust structure, behind which the name “dovetail” is assigned. It represents a small rectangular board, having a wedge-shaped cutout that goes into the working field for sawing. Dovetail attached to the edge of a table or workbench using a clamp.

They work with a hand jigsaw while sitting or standing, placing the workpiece for cutting at a level of 30-40 cm from the eyes. The light source is placed in front at an angle to the working plane. Compliance with these rules will allow you to control the cutting line as accurately as possible, thereby improving the quality of the cut project.

Which jigsaw should you choose?

Despite the simplicity of their design, modern manual jigsaws have a number of features that you should pay attention to when choosing. It is better to avoid models with a frame made of sheet iron and choose a jigsaw made from a metal tube. This option provides better tension on the blade and eliminates its distortion, so the file will not “lead” during operation.

The file is fixed in the frame by tightening the upper and lower wing nuts. When choosing a jigsaw, pay attention that it is equipped with blades made of high-quality steel with wide ears. This will significantly increase the ease of use of the tool during work.

How to properly prepare a tool for use?

The file in the jigsaw is fixed strictly vertically, with the teeth down. The canvas must be stretched. The degree of tension is regulated by compressing the frame: the tool is rested against the edge of the table or squeezed by hand, after which the wings are tightened, if necessary, tightening them with pliers. By straightening, the frame will ensure proper tension on the canvas.

For sawing with a hand jigsaw small parts, figures with sharp contours and complex wood patterns use small saws with a large number of teeth per inch. They do not jam when turning, creating a thin and neat cut without leaving chips. To create large plywood products and long straight cuts, blades with large teeth are used, which cut much faster.

Let's get down to business. How to cut out plywood and wood with a jigsaw?

To get an accurate and neat cutting line, you should follow a number of basic rules:

1. The hand with the jigsaw should only perform vertical movements.
2. Up and down movements are made without sudden jerks and with maximum amplitude in order to use the entire working length of the blade.
3. The second hand smoothly turns and moves the workpiece during the sawing process.
4. There is no need to press the file onto the workpiece or apply lateral pressure to the blade.
5. Sawing occurs only at the moment when the file moves from top to bottom, so the reverse movement should be performed freely without pressure.

When working with a hand jigsaw, it is guided not along the line of the pattern, but along inside contour, since even the thinnest blade leaves a cut, the width of which should be taken into account. This is especially important when cutting out products with precise fitting of elements, for example, or.

When you're done, don't forget to loosen one of the clamps so that the jigsaw frame doesn't lose its elasticity.

What about practicing basic techniques?

The most intricate patterns are always based on a number of basic shapes and elements, after working which you will be prepared to perform complex projects. It is advisable to do this on thin plywood up to 3 mm thick.

Obtuse and right angles : the jigsaw moves smoothly without pressing on the workpiece, as if making idling; at this time, the second hand slowly turns the wooden piece to the desired angle.

Inner circular outline : to do this, a small hole is drilled in the inside of the figure through which a file is passed. When cutting a circle, the cutting line is drawn along inner contour drawing. The stroke of the tool should be of medium intensity; the workpiece unfolds in proportion to the movements of the jigsaw.

Oval outline : when cutting out such a figure, increase the stroke of the jigsaw in steep areas, turning the workpiece faster in this place.

Sharp corners: a neat sharp angle without chips or other defects is obtained by bringing two cuts together.

Advice! When cutting out complex openwork patterns, start working from the center wooden blank, uniformly shifting to the periphery. This will significantly simplify the cutting process and avoid breakage of the fragile work at the finishing stage.

You have gotten a good feel for the jigsaw, have achieved smooth movement and are maintaining a neat cutting line, but then the movement of the tool becomes difficult and the file jams in the workpiece. This is a typical situation that arises when carving plywood with a hand jigsaw. It happens for the following reasons:

1. Overheating of the file - during prolonged use, the blade expands due to heating. To avoid similar situations take short breaks or periodically wipe the canvas with a damp cloth.
2. Features of wooden blanks. The movement of the jigsaw may be difficult due to the fact that the file has run into a denser area: a knot, a lump of glue in plywood, etc.
3. On long cuts, the saw blade can become pinched between two nearly separated pieces of plywood. You can continue sawing comfortably by pinning the separated ends together with a clothespin.

What kind of plywood is needed for cutting with a jigsaw?

Practice shows that best material for working with a hand jigsaw – birch plywood thickness from 2 to 8 mm. It is affordable, easy to use and highly durable.

To create small details or a “dense” openwork pattern, it is more appropriate to use three-layer plywood up to 3 mm thick. It is easy to saw and at the same time quite durable. The likelihood that you will spoil the sawn curl when the blade jams again is significantly lower.

When choosing material for crafts, pay attention to the fact that the plywood is smooth and without large quantity knots. Examine the end for the presence of air chambers; their presence indicates uneven application of the glue. It is better to refuse such low-grade plywood, otherwise you will not avoid a large number of chips that will spoil the appearance of the product.

What if you use wooden blanks?

For all its practicality, plywood does not have such an expressive texture as board. By sawing projects from planks, you can take advantage of these advantages: play on the difference in colors and shades, the orientation of wood fibers (as in intarsia), etc. Crafts made from wood have a more attractive end (without a layered structure like plywood) and are much easier to treat with a finishing compound.

For sawing with a hand jigsaw, workpieces from soft and hard rocks up to 10 mm thick are used. When choosing a material, give preference to tangential cut boards. It is not recommended to use radial cut workpieces, because... they have parallel located tree rings, which, due to their hardness, will lead the jigsaw away when sawing.

What to do if chips keep appearing?

The number and size of chips depend on the type of plywood used, the quality of the blade and how correctly the master saws. A few tips and professional tricks will help you cut with a hand jigsaw without chipping:

• using low-quality plywood that is prone to chipping, saw more intensively, installing blades with fine teeth;
• use a saw blade with a reverse (reverse) tooth, designed to minimize chipping.
• glue the cut lines on the back side with tape or masking tape;
• moisten the back of the workpiece.

How to transfer a diagram to a wooden piece?

There are several convenient options transferring the printed drawing onto a wooden base:

• using carbon paper and redrawing the template by hand;
• gluing the sheet with double-sided tape;
• gluing the picture onto glue, the remnants of which are rubbed off with sandpaper at the finishing stage.