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 The video “What type of saw do I need for which
job?” provides a comparison of reciprocating saws, jigsaws, combi
saws, circular saws and multi saws, showing which one works best for
various cuts.
Reciprocating saws are ideal for rough cutting and sawing
hard-to-reach areas, and for pruning and demolition jobs.
Jigsaws work well for sawing curves, sawing accurately and sawing
along short and straight lines.
Combi saws are used to do the same jobs as reciprocating saws and
jigsaws.
Circular saws are ideal for sawing fast, straight and accurately.
Multi saws work well for sawing plastic, aluminum, wood, laminate
and tiles.
Watch "What
type of saw do I need for which Job?" to see demonstrations of
each tool.
Jigsaws, circular saws and table saws are some of the more common
saws used for projects. So it is important to know how to use the
saws and what blades will work best for your materials
Trevor of Woodie’s TV discusses how to use a jigsaw.
When using a jigsaw, choosing a blade is the most important part
since it determines the finish and type of materials you can cut.
The size of the blade’s tooth is also important.
For cutting timber, the rule is the bigger the tooth, the rougher
and faster the cut, the finer the tooth, the cleaner and more
accurate the cut.
For cutting through rough wood, a rough tooth wood blade or riblet
is used. Just work slowly and let the blade do the work.
When cutting smooth wood, a fine-tooth wood blade is ideal for a
neat finish.
By using a tenor fine-tooth wood blade on a smooth piece of lumber,
you can make a curved cut without breaking the blade.
Woodie says basic jigsaws have reciprocating blades that cut on the
up stroke while laminate blades cut on the down stroke and keep
laminate from chipping on the surface.
Metal blades can cut through metal as their name indicates.
Straight edge guides help ensure a straight edge when you are
cutting and work well for working with laminate flooring.
Adjusting the jigsaw’s soleplate allows you to make beveled or
angled cuts on any type of material.
Settings on the jigsaw’s pendulum action mean the blade will not
only go up and down but also enter the wood at an angle similar to a
handsaw.
To adjust the speed of cuts, use the variable speed dial. The speed
needed depends on your material. For wood, use a faster setting and
for metal, a slower setting.
See more of
How to use a jigsaw.
If you are looking for a saw that can do many jobs, circular saws
are one of the most versatile saws around and can be used to build
almost anything.
Circular saws can do about any straight cuts, rip cuts and cross
cuts across the wood’s grain just to name a few.
In addition, circular saws are great for breaking down sheets of
plywood without having to wrangle a huge sheet through a table saw,
and their portability means you can do cuts at a job site.
Many features on circular saws make them versatile.
For instance, the saws have two handles: a rear handle with a safety
switch and trigger, and a front handle that provides added stability
when you are cutting.
The shoe or baseplate of the circular saw rests on top of the lumber
you are cutting and is used to set the depth and angle of the cut
surrounding the blade.
One lever sets the cut depth. Your blade should just extend a small
amount below the depth of your material.
For 45- and 90-degree cuts, there are positive stops on the circular
saw.
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When the shoe is set up for making bevel cuts, a
notch on the shoe indicates the blade’s location.
For shoes with recessed markings, an amendment you can make is to
paint over the marking with white paint and then wipe away the
excess. This leaves paint in the recessed areas making markings
easier to read even when everything gets dusty.
To make a cut, rest the shoe flat on the lumber you want to cut with
the blade clear of the wood. Pull the trigger and let the blade spin
up to full speed, then push the blade smoothly through the material
using the notch to guide your saw.
Make sure not to move the saw too quickly. Instead,
let the blade do the work. When you push the blade away from the
material, clear the material, release the trigger and wait for the
blade to come to a complete stop.
You also need to let your off-cut fall freely since you do not want
your wood to be supported on both sides, which can cause kickback.
If a kickback happens, lift your saw door and reposition the wood
before continuing.
Extra tools that help you get more out of your circular saw are a
speed square for assisting with cross cuts and a long beam level
clamp to help guide the saw for straighter and more accurate rip
cuts.
For notch cuts, mark out the area you want to clear, set your blade
depth and make a series of cuts to clear away the wood, knocking out
any remaining material with a chisel.
Having different blades is good, too. The 18-tooth blade leaves a
rough finish on crosscut plywood and the 90-tooth crosscutting blade
leaves a nicer edge though it may bog down in longer rip cuts.
Making accurate cuts takes time and practice, but a circular saw’s
portability and versatility make it invaluable for woodworking.
See How to use
a circular saw
Table saws can be used for various parts of a project and cutting,
but its real purpose is to do cross cuts across a short area on wood
and rip cuts along the length of wood, with each using a different
fence system.
With rip cuts, you put the wood up against the fence and run it
through the saw and with crosscuts; you use a miter gauge sliding
along a groove in the saw’s table. A length gauge helps with
accuracy.
When crosscutting, always hold just one side of the wood down onto
the table and back into the fence to keep it secure.
A hand wheel moves the blade height by turning it clockwise and down
by turning it counterclockwise, but the blade should be exposed only
as much as needed to get the job done.
When rip cutting, follow tool manufacturer’s techniques to avoid
kickbacks.
See these techniques in “How
to use a table saw: woodworking”
No matter what type of saw you use, follow all the tool
manufacturer’s safety recommendations, keep all guards in place and
always wear eye protection.
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