1. Main selection criteria
2. Tooth shape
3. Different pitch
4. Nozzle thickness
5. Mounting form
6. Marking features
7. Manufacturer brands
8. Other tips for choosing

Using an electric jigsaw, you can process solid wood, plywood, chipboard, chipboard, cut out various shapes, trim parts, adjust their sizes 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 accuracy.
• Cut line quality.
• 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 to work with solid wood. There are canvases for of stainless steel, ceramics, hardened cement, fibrous materials. Nozzles must be used strictly for their intended purpose..

Tooth shape

Highlight:

• Milled set. The teeth are bent to different sides. This prevents excessive heating of the blade during operation and allows you to remove sawdust trapped between the walls of the cut. Suitable for plywood, hard and soft wood, plastic, non-ferrous metals.
• Wave-shaped milled. The cutting base is laid out in groups. Several teeth deviate at once, first to the left, then to the right. This allows you to get a clean, chip-free cut and make a straight line. Suitable for materials made of aluminum, plastic, non-ferrous metals.
• Conical ground teeth. Used to produce clean cuts of wood and plastic.
• Set apart, polished. Used for cutting soft wood, chipboard, chipboard, fiberboard.

Jigsaw files
Working tooth length	Part size (step)	Divorce	Usage	What it looks like (click to enlarge)
75 mm	8 w/d (3 mm)	Side	Soft hard rocks up to 60 mm thick. Especially for rip sawing. Rough cut.
75 mm	6 w/d (4 mm)	Undercut and side	Same as the previous one, but drank clean
67 mm	6 w/d (4 mm)	Undercut	Hard and soft species, artificial wood materials up to 60 mm thick. Very clean cut.
50 mm	12 w/d (2 mm)	wavy	Artificial wood materials up to 30 mm thick. Very thin cut.
50 mm	12 w/d (2 mm)	wavy	For cutting sharp curves in wood and artificial wood materials up to 20 mm thick.
75 mm	10 w/d (2.5 mm)	Undercut	Reverse tooth for sawing on the down stroke. For plastic-coated boards.
60 mm	6 w/d (4.5 mm)	--	The tips of the teeth are coated with tungsten carbide, especially good results when working with chipboards with a high content of adhesive mass.
70 mm	--	--	Semicircular flat and triangular files. For wood and artificial wood materials.

When purchasing, you need to pay attention to the height of the teeth. Small ones provide precise sawing, but work with the blade will be slow. Large ones will allow you to work quickly, but the cutting line will be rough.

Different pitch

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

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

In order for the tool to vibrate less in your hands when working, it is better to choose blades that contain at least 5–8 sharp protrusions in one step.

What should be the width of the nozzle?

The greater the width, the more stable the nozzle in operation, the less deviations from the cutting cavity. For curly lines, it is worth choosing 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 nozzles must be used large thickness. The thinner the material, the thinner the canvas should be.

Mounting form

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

Marking features

Nozzle types:

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

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

For cutting plywood, soft-fiber wood, chipboard, chipboard with a thickness of no more than 30 mm, and plastic, it is better to choose HCS blades. The teeth of such files have a pointed shape and are conically ground. High flexibility prevents the possibility of breakage. HSS files are designed for cutting metals. They have a curvature at the bottom, which is necessary to prevent the metal from scuffing. These bits are thinner than wood cutting blades, but they are harder.

Bimetal tips are durable. They are made by laser welding. The basis is high-carbon steel. The back part is formed from it, the teeth are made of high-speed steel. The attachment is suitable for cutting curves and straight lines. NM blades are designed for sawing lightweight concrete, fiberglass, and tiles.

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

Manufacturer brands

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

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

For those who have in their household jigsaw, from time to time you should buy files for it. There are quite a lot of varieties and manufacturers. The most common types of files are, of course, for wood; in addition to them, there are blades for metal and tiles. In order not to get too confused in the choice, let’s look at the most popular files in everyday life, from Bosch. In terms of price/quality ratio – a good choice. The letter “T” in the marking indicates the type of shank - T-shaped. The most common type of files.

Wood files. There are several types, it all depends on the nature of the work being carried out.

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

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

File for clean cutting T101B

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

Laminate file.
It has a reverse tooth, directed in the opposite direction compared to other files. This is done to prevent chipping from front side laminate, do not spoil appearance. Fine tooth – for a clean cut. It is marked T101BR.

The letter “R” means reverse (reverse). And this is no different from the simple T101B made of wood.

Shape cutting files.

Their teeth are always small, they are used for cutting out radii, circles, and are used in furniture production. They are noticeably narrower in shape than all the others, this is done so that the file does not get pinched when turning the jigsaw.
From personal experience I can say that I cut a circle in a fiberboard slab for a sink, and the cut turned out to be very accurate and even.
The marking for such files with the letter “O” in the name is T119BO.

They always have small teeth, to make them easier to recognize, their shank is blue. If you are sawing metal up to 3mm, a T118A file is suitable; it can also cut plastic, for metal up to 6mm - T123X, for aluminum - T227D, it has a larger tooth.

Combined file.

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

File for ceramic tiles . It is marked T150RIFF, T130RIFF. It has carbide coating along the edge.

With carbide coating

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

As for prices: the most popular saws cost about 25-40 rubles, long ones for thick boards cost about 80 rubles. The ceramic file stands out from the general range; its price is 150-170 rubles. Prices are current for 2012.

Let's try to understand the labeling of such a common consumable as a jigsaw file.

The purpose is determined by the color of the shank on the side of the alphanumeric designations. If the shank

• gray - the file is intended for sawing wood:
• white - for wood and metal
• blue - only for metal work
• red - for sawing plastics
• black - other materials

Now let's go over the alphanumeric symbols mentioned above. Let's go in order.

First comes the letter T or U. It indicates the type of saw attachment. The more common T-shaped mount, but there is also a U-shaped one - see diagram

The letters M (Makita) and F (Fein) may also appear

The following numbers indicate the working length. They can be 1,2,3,7

1. short (length up to 75 millimeters)
2. medium (length from 75 to 90 millimeters)
3. long (length from 90 to 150 millimeters)
4. very long (length exceeds 150 millimeters)

The second and third numbers show the purpose of the file itself.

F - bimetallic files. They are of the highest quality: they cut cleaner and faster, last longer
O - narrow files for curved cuts
P - thicker files, due to which they move less from side to side and the cut is perpendicular to the surface.
R - regressive canvases, that is, with reverse tooth
X - universal blade (for any materials)

Then comes the steel grade

HCS(high carbon steel) - high carbon steel, its hardness is 45-48 HRC. This steel is optimal for work on soft materials, (wood and its derivatives - MDF, chipboard, fiberboard, as well as plastics);

CV(chrom vanadium) - Chrome is vanadium steel, its hardness should be 50-52 HRC. It is more wear-resistant compared to the previous one. Used for the same materials;

H.S.S.(high speed steel) - high-speed steel, also known as high-speed steel, hardness of at least 61-65 HRC, used for processing hard materials(aluminum and other non-ferrous metals and even mild steel). Compared to HCS, HSS files are thinner, but have significantly greater hardness;

BIM(bi-metal) is a combination of HSS and HCS steels in one sheet. Files of this kind are expensive and are usually used for professional use. They take both wood and metals well;

H.M.(hard material) - the hardest grade of steel hard alloy tungsten carbide, hardness 79 HRC. Such blades are used for special types of work - cutting fiberglass, tiles and aerated concrete.

This classification is quite arbitrary and is not followed by all manufacturers. Therefore, it is worth discussing each file separately.

Files used for woodworking

T101B- this is a fairly short fine-toothed file (length 74 mm). Designed for working on soft wood, plywood up to 30 mm thick. The fine tooth allows for a clean cut.

The same thing, but with the teeth in the opposite direction. Excellent for cutting materials where chips on the front surface are undesirable (for example, table tops). When working, additional force is required to press the jigsaw onto the material, since the working stroke throws the tool up.

T101P- has a larger tooth compared to T101B (4.5 mm). Allows you to cut the same materials, but their thickness can reach 45 mm.

An even longer file (91 mm), the maximum thickness reaches 65 mm.

A narrow thin file with a fine tooth (1.4 mm) is used for clean curved cuts of wood and its derivatives with a thickness of 1.5 - 15 mm.

Short fine-toothed bimetal file. Designed for sawing laminated materials up to 15 mm thick. - the same, the nose has a larger tooth (2.7 mm), the thickness of the materials reaches 30 mm.

The same, but with a reverse tooth.

This is a file with a fairly thick blade and large teeth (4 mm). The teeth are set apart. Due to its thickness, the file is more stable in one plane and does not move to the side. Disadvantages - it is a rough cut with a lot of chips.

The same thing, but with a bimetallic blade, it is more expensive, cuts longer and has a better length of 74 mm.

This file is twice as long as the above-mentioned one - it is 126 mm.

T345XF is another long bimetal file (106 mm). Its tooth is quite large. Designed for cutting wood with nails, plastic, metals (including aluminum).

Specialized metal files

T118A- a short, fine-toothed file for metal sheets no more than 13 mm thick.

T318A- this is a longer file, great for cutting metal pipes with a diameter of no more than 65 mm.

T118G- the file has the smallest teeth (0.7mm) and is designed for cutting the most thin sheets metal (0.5-1.5 mm)

Universal files

T234X, T123X are universal files for cuts according to various types wood, plastic and metal.

Special files

File for cutting thin stainless steel (up to 2 mm)

Longer file for steel 2-5 mm thick

Fiberglass file. Thickness limit 65 mm

Drywall saw and cement particle boards up to 50 mm thick

Longer blade (106 mm), which makes it possible to cut materials up to 85 mm thick

T101A- file for plexiglass up to 20 mm thick

T113A- file for leather, rubber, cardboard up to 50 mm thick. Has no teeth, has cutting edge, similar to a knife.

Longer blade for similar materials thickness up to 100 mm. Has a wavy blade

T130Riff,T150Riff - files designed for cutting ceramic tiles. They are equipped with diamond coating. T130 is intended for rough cuts, and T150 is for finishing cuts.

T308B, T308BF - file, for cutting materials laminated on both sides. Thanks to two rows of teeth, the number of chips is minimized. This is a fairly thin file, so it shakes quite a lot from side to side.

What types of jigsaw files exist and how to choose the best option for a particular case should be known to every craftsman who has this tool in his household.

There are many factors that influence the choice of cutting blade: the material that will be sawed, its thickness and density, the required cut quality, etc. To avoid making mistakes when purchasing, you should consider specifications files, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of one or another model.

Material for making cutting blades

The first thing you need to pay attention to when choosing a file is the material from which it is made. Each cutting blade well-known manufacturers have their own labeling. Knowing how to decipher it, you can easily determine whether the file is suitable for you for the upcoming work.

The marking indicating the material used to make the canvas is as follows:

1. HCS. These files are classified as woodworking tools. They are made of high-carbon steel, which has ductility and elasticity. They can cut wood, chipboard, plywood and plastic. When choosing such a fabric, you should pay attention not to its hardness, but to its flexibility.
2. H.S.S. Hardened steel products that can be used at high speeds. Used for processing durable materials, including metals of varying densities. Despite all its rigidity, hardened steel is a rather brittle substance that must be used very carefully.
3. BIM. Bimetallic blades, which are made from a mixture of high-carbon and hardened steel, due to which they have all the advantages of the first two types. Depending on the shape and size of the teeth, they can be used for both wood and metal work.
4. HIM. They are made from high-strength alloys, due to which they are characterized by high strength and rigidity. Mainly used for cutting ceramic tiles.

The color of the file can also indicate the material of manufacture and purpose of the file:

• white (BIM) - for cutting wood and metal;
• gray (HCS or BIM) - for processing wood and wood-based materials;
• blue (BIM or HSS) - for cutting metal;
• black (HIM) - for performing special tasks (sawing ceramic tiles, durable steel, etc.).

Marking of jigsaw files

Files intended for working with wood are marked with the letters HCS.

On the tail of any jigsaw cutting blade there is a marking consisting of letters and numbers. The first is the letter “T” or “U”, which indicates the type of attachment of the blade to the tool: T-shaped or U-shaped. It is followed by numbers indicating the length of the file:

• 1 - short blade (up to 7.5 cm);
• 2 - standard cutting element (7.5-9.0 cm);
• 3 - extended file (9-15 cm);
• 7 - long file (more than 15 cm).

The longer the product, the thicker the workpiece it can cut.

After the numbers there are again letters that indicate the size of the teeth:

• A - the smallest teeth (perfect for cutting laminate);
• B - larger teeth (used for processing wood, fiberboard, chipboard and plywood);
• C and D are the largest teeth used for rough cutting.

Some manufacturers use two letters at the end instead of one (for example, T101BR). The second letter means:

• O - for figured cutting;
• R - with reverse tooth (improves cut quality);
• F - bimetallic products (considered the most durable and reliable);
• X is a universal blade (it can cut both wood and metal);
• P - thick files (used for corner cutting).

For example, the T118AF marking means that the selected model has a T-shaped mount and fine teeth, its length is up to 7.5 cm, and the material of manufacture is bimetal.

Choosing a file for its intended purpose

When choosing a cutting blade for a jigsaw, you need to know what material it will work with. This tool capable of cutting not only wood and wood-based materials (chipboard, fiberboard, plywood, etc.), but also plastic, slate, brick, metal and even tiles. Moreover, for each material being processed there is its own type of saw with which the jigsaw will work with best efficiency. There are also universal cutting blades that are equally suitable for wood and metal, for example.

Wood files. Depending on their purpose, such products are divided into two groups:

• for quick cutting;
• for a clean cut.

If you are faced with the task of sawing a large number of wood, spending a minimum of time, then the best option would be a cutting blade with large teeth.

How more teeth, the faster the cut takes place. However, as the speed of work increases, the cleanliness of the cut decreases, so here you need to choose between speed and quality.

If speed of work comes first, then the best option would be a blade marked T101D. With its help you can quickly cut wooden blank up to 7.5 cm thick, for thicker material you can purchase model T244D or T344D.

For a clean cut good option is the file T101B. It is often used for professional purposes when assembling furniture and other work that requires high-quality cutting. This product can also cut thick workpieces, but you will spend twice as much time on this as when using, for example, the T244D model.

Canvas on laminate. When laying laminate flooring, it is important that the cut does not have burrs. This can be achieved using the T101BR file, which is equipped with a reverse tooth. However, if you don’t have this model at hand, and you need to cut the laminate with something, you can get by with the regular T101B blade. Only in this case, before starting work, it is recommended to paste over the place of the intended cut. regular tape, which will protect the processed material from chips, burrs and other defects.

Metal files. They have fine teeth and a blue tail. If you will be working with metal 3 mm thick, buy a T118A file. It is also suitable for cutting plastic. For thicker material, it is recommended to use a T123X cutting blade, and for aluminum - T227D.

Files for tiles. They are marked T150RIFF or T130RIFF. Instead of teeth, their cutting part is carbide coating. You need to know that using a jigsaw to cut tiles is recommended only in extreme cases, since the work will be slow and high level dustiness. For lack of specialized tool To cut tiles, it is better to use a regular glass cutter.

Blade shape

For various tasks fits definite shape teeth, which differs not only in the type of sharpening, but also in the method of setting:

1. Milled set teeth. This blade is perfect for cutting wood. Divorce is carried out by analogy with ordinary hand hacksaw. This allows you to slightly widen the cut, thereby preventing overheating and jamming of the tool in the thickness of the wood.
2. Milled teeth with wave setting. In this case, not a single, but a group setting is performed (for example, 4-6 teeth). Similar files are used for cutting metals.
3. Ground teeth without setting. The best option for finishing cutting. This canvas allows you to achieve high quality cuts in wood, laminate and plastic.
4. Set teeth with grinding. This product is used for quick cutting when there are no special requirements for the quality of the cut.

Standard blades for hand-held jigsaws have a length of 130 mm, with a variety of modern manufacturers You can find options with a length of 150 and 160 mm. Types of files are classified according to two main parameters: their size and tooth configuration.

IN general outline blades for manual jigsaws are similar to, but have one important difference: pinless files with flat ends are always chosen, which can be secured in tool clamps and easily threaded into thin holes when creating small patterns.

The dimensions of files for a manual jigsaw are similar to those for machine tools: from #2/0 to #12. But practice shows that the most optimal options for manual sawing there are numbers from #3 to #9.

Which files are better?

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

Let's understand the basic concepts

The marking of saw blades for a manual jigsaw contains basic information that allows you to choose the blade that is optimal for a specific type of wood and the project as a whole. To decipher this marking, it is important to become familiar with the key concepts.

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

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

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

Classification of files

Based on the characteristics of the teeth configuration, blades for manual jigsaws are classified into the following types:

1. Standard (Standard Tooth) - classic files whose teeth have the same size, direction and distance from each other.
2. Files with a missing tooth (Skip-tooth Blades) – the absence of teeth ensures effective removal of chips from the surface of the workpiece and increases sawing speed. Unlike classic options They heat up less and jam less often.
3. Double tooth files (Double-tooth Blades) – these blades cut a little slower, but leave a perfectly smooth cut line. They also effectively remove chips and overheat less.
4. Reverse files (Reverse Skip-tooth) - blades, part of the teeth of which are directed upward. They cut the wood during the return motion of the jigsaw, which reduces the number of chips by back side blanks.

Dimensions table

The table presented contains basic information regarding the size and marking of modern files for manual jigsaws. By referring to it, you will know how to choose the correct blade number for sawing wood of a specific thickness.

Despite the varied palette of options, the gold standard for sawing with a hand jigsaw are the blades number #3 , #5 And #7 .

At first, it can be difficult for beginners to control the file, which constantly moves to the side. Without gaining the necessary experience, it is advisable to use canvases With great value TPI: They cut slower but allow for better control of the cutting line.

Working with saws with reverse teeth is not the best The best decision for a beginner. In order to master this blade you need some experience. Otherwise, the workpiece will jump up and the sawing itself will be very slow.

What to choose for thin plywood?

When working with thin material use canvases with maximum number teeth per inch. Thin blades with a high TPI value cut less aggressively, put little stress on the fragile edges of the workpiece, and do not pull the jigsaw to the side. These characteristics make them optimal for sawing small parts and patterns made of thin plywood.