A jigsaw helps you make a variety of cuts in different materials such as wood, metal, tiles, and pipe with optimal efficiency. A jigsaw is an electric hand-held power-saw that operates easily with just one hand. Here we’ll mention different uses of a jigsaw.
About Jigsaws tool/saw
A jigsaw is a saw which uses a reciprocating blade to cut irregular curves, such as stenciled designs, in wood, metal, or other materials.
Jigsaws were first invented in the 19th century when Albert Kaufmann replaced his wife’s sewing machine needle with a saw blade.
It was first employed as a treadle to operate the blade.
In 1947, a portable version of this machine was introduced by the company called Scintilla AG, which is nowadays a modern design. The company was later acquired by Bosch.
Source: Wikipedia
A Jigsaw is an electric saw used for making a variety of cuts in wood, metal, and tile. It is a hand-held power-saw that operates easily with just one hand.
Almost all jigsaws usually come with several different blades that you can use for different kinds of cuts, but for more specialized work, you need to get a better jigsaw blades pack.
Due to its easy use and different ways to operate, jigsaws are very popular in the construction industry, carpentry, and hobbyists.
Jigsaws are very versatile and can be used for a variety of cutting purposes. It is very useful for cutting shapes in wood, cutting plywood, cutting up furniture, cutting metal, cutting tiles, cutting paper, cutting cardboard, and cutting sheet metal.
You can use a jigsaw for making long cuts, short cuts, and rough cuts.
What are the uses of a jigsaw?
You can use a jigsaw to cut many different things. In this article, I will share the best of them. OR check the video below for a better visual. Believe me, you’ll love it.
1. Cutting Patterns
Cutting patterns are a way of arranging shapes of a given size. You can use a jigsaw to cut patterns in wood, metals, or plastics. The jigsaw can be used to cut a pattern of a shape that you want to cut in many materials.
2. Cutting Moldings
Moldings are used to cover the corners and edges of a wooden surface. You can use a jigsaw to cut moldings.
3. Cutting Baseboards
Baseboards are used to frame the opening of a wall. You can use a jigsaw to cut baseboards for your interior walls.
4. Cutting a Hole
Holes are needed in a number of places in the house. You can use a jigsaw to cut holes in wood, metallic sheets, ceramics, and plastic. Please be aware, I am not talking about those tiny holes, that you’ll often do with a drill, but larger ones, like countertop holes.
5. Cutting Planks
Planks are used to make things such as floorboards, roofing, and furniture. You can use a jigsaw to cut planks.
6. Cutting Tile
Tile is used to make things such as countertops and flooring. You can use a jigsaw to cut different types of tiles. E.g. marble, normal ceramics, or porcelain tiles, can be easily cut by a jigsaw.
7. Cutting Fencing
Fencing is used to protect your house or other types of property. You can use a jigsaw to cut these fencing, especially the one made from wood. You can also cut other fencing types, like those made from thin metal wires. But for strong metallic fencing, use any other specialized cutter, as that will save you a bunch of time and effort.
8. Cutting Steel
Steel is used to make things such as chairs, and poles. You can use a jigsaw to cut steel as well. But that would be very slow and may result in damaging your jigsaw blade faster. But occasionally, you can use a jigsaw to cut it, as it has the ability to do so.
9. Cutting Pipes
Pipes are used in many things such as air conditioners, water hoses, and sinks, etc. You can use a jigsaw to cut pipes easily. These pipes can be metallic, plastic, or made of other materials.
10. Cutting Plants
Plants are used to make your house beautiful and clean the air around them. But sometimes, you’ll need to prune your plants to increase their growth rate or regularize their shape. You can use a jigsaw to prune large stems of your plants.
11. Cutting Wallpaper
Wallpaper is used to cover walls in your house. You can use a jigsaw to cut these wallpapers.
12. Cutting Signs
Signs are used to announcing the visitors or customers of your business. You can use a jigsaw to cut signs.
13. Cutting Boards
Cutting boards are used to cut meat, vegetables, and other food items. You can use a jigsaw to cut these boards.
14. Cutting Tops
We are talking about women’s tops or other dresses. Yes, a jigsaw can be used to cut tops or other fabrics in bulk. To do so, you’ll need a special kind of blade and a special setup for your working area. Mostly, bulk cuttings in factories are done by specific machines rather than jigsaws. But, you can use a modified jigsaw set up for this work.
15. Other Cuttings Work
As you can see, a jigsaw can be used for a variety of cuttings. Basically, you can use a jigsaw to cut through wood, metals, plastic, ceramics, and fabric, etc.
How to Use a Jigsaw, Step-By-Step Beginner’s Guide
A jigsaw is a type of tool that is used for cutting wood and other materials. They are designed to work in either a vertical or horizontal orientation, depending on the style of the jigsaw you have purchased.
Using a jigsaw is simple and easy. You need to grab it from its handle, align its blade to the cutting surface (but still not touching it), press the button on the handle to start it, then start cutting through the material after it speeds up.
Check the how to use a jigsaw for a more in-depth guide. It has a video tutorial as well. OR straight check this video 😉
But, before using a jigsaw, you need to ensure that you follow a few safety precautions.
First of all, always read the instructions on the jigsaw you intend to use. Some jigsaws have a larger safety feature built into the handle of the jigsaw which you can use to help protect yourself when using the tool.
Jigsaw Safety
A jigsaw is a versatile tool, but it can also be a dangerous tool, and accidents do happen if you don’t understand how to handle it properly OR if you don’t care about safety precautions.
Here are some tips to help you reduce the risk of injury while using the tool:
- Read the instructions before using the jigsaw.
- Always read the instructions that come with the jigsaw you intend to use.
- Always wear eye protection when using a jigsaw.
- Use a stable and level work surface.
- Never leave the plugged-in tool unattended.
- Never place the tool on a soft surface, like carpet.
- Always read the instruction manual before starting any job.
- If you are using the tool for the first time, always check that you are using the correct blade for the job.
- Never leave the tool in an unsupervised place.
- Never touch the blade with your bare hands.
Check the Pro Safety tips for Woodworking, it’ll also help you if you are working in a workshop, with any other material.
Conclusion
As you can see, a jigsaw is a versatile cutting tool, that can be used for almost any type of cutting. For some cuttings, like cutting patterns in sheets, it is faster and accurate. But it can be used for cutting a lot of other materials too. For most types of cuttings, you can use a jigsaw.
If you want to buy a jigsaw, you can visit a local tool store. Or, you can buy it online. You can find a variety of jigsaws on Amazon as well.
Check our best budget jigsaws and best jigsaw blades review post.