MurphC Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 I have a single speed Black & Decker jigsaw that I just bought new DeWalt blades for (It had a blade but it wasn't long enough). Should this work for cutting out my ash blank or should I use something else? I know I will not get the 90 degree edges, that isn't as important to me because I like to sand, but the saw will get the job done right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 Yes, it will get the job done, but leave yourself a pretty wide margin (3/4 to 1") outside your pencilled outline. Jigsaw blades will 'waunder'...as you go around an outside curve, the blade will cut wider at the bottom than the top as the stress deflects the blade outward. The real danger are on the inside curves, where the blade will cut closer (Danger Will Robinson!) to your outline than you are guiding it at the top. Ash is hard too, and the blade reacts to stress, the more stress, and the thicker the piece you're cutting, the more it will 'pull', or 'waunder' past your intended line, so go slow and don't push the blade too much...don't force it thru the piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted June 22, 2004 Report Share Posted June 22, 2004 Listen to Drak.. he's exactly right about the jigsaw. It's a get by tool.. until you can afford a bandsaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis P Posted June 22, 2004 Report Share Posted June 22, 2004 thought you could do something with a router, correct me if i am wrong, but thought you outlined the shape of it with the router and then cut the rest out by saw? Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott from _actual time_ Posted June 22, 2004 Report Share Posted June 22, 2004 thought you could do something with a router, correct me if i am wrong, but thought you outlined the shape of it with the router and then cut the rest out by saw? close, you just got it backwards -- if you outline the shape with a jigsaw, leaving room as mentioned above, you can do the final smooth square cut with a router and a template-following bit [once you have a template for the body shape]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis P Posted June 22, 2004 Report Share Posted June 22, 2004 ohh, oops, hmm, that might be the way i will go, Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted June 22, 2004 Report Share Posted June 22, 2004 I wuz jez ribbin' ya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Jabsco Posted June 22, 2004 Report Share Posted June 22, 2004 Im going to put the template on the body. and outline with the router a few times, and get a nice deep cut, then flip the board over and put the template on that side, and get the template in the same spot (on reverse side) and get a deep router cut there, then finish off with a jig saw . Following the outter part of the rout. Then clean up with more router and belt sander, and sand paper. got my work cut out for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DannoG Posted June 22, 2004 Report Share Posted June 22, 2004 I think it will be virtually impossible to get the template aligned well enough on the other side. Do it all with the one side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Jabsco Posted June 22, 2004 Report Share Posted June 22, 2004 Im using a small bit on my drill press and putting a hole through around the sides of the template, on certin spots. Then putting wire (the same size of bit) through and fitting the template right in. then take wire out. no margin for errors (and if there are any, hell.. its a cheap peice of pine) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar_ed Posted June 22, 2004 Report Share Posted June 22, 2004 From personal experience trying to cut body blanks on a jigsaw, make sure you have extra blades available and that you know how to change them. Guitar Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Jabsco Posted June 22, 2004 Report Share Posted June 22, 2004 Im using some heavy dutie hardwood blades that I got from lows. (I broke my other blade cutting the TEMPLATE, so... that tells you how careful you have to be on the body) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litchfield Posted June 22, 2004 Report Share Posted June 22, 2004 Im using a small bit on my drill press and putting a hole through around the sides of the template, on certin spots. Then putting wire (the same size of bit) through and fitting the template right in. then take wire out. no margin for errors (and if there are any, hell.. its a cheap peice of pine) Listen to what danno said. You will inevitabley screw it up like that. Also, if youwant to do itlikethat, get a bittom bearing template bit. THEN cut form the back. Otherwise the "no margin for errors" becomes a guarantee for them to happen PS. Pine is not reccomended for a body. Hell, I dont reccomend it for anyting but firewood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fidgec94 Posted June 22, 2004 Report Share Posted June 22, 2004 For practice, i made a pine blank using several pieces of 3"x2" (once planed, more like 2.75"x1.75"). Tried roughing the body shape with a jigsaw, i gave up after a minute.....the jigsaw didnt sound happy and it was reeeeally slow. I then used a router on the topside until i reached the max depth (only using a 3/4" bit), fixed the template to the underside (like Dylan) and did the same, its only pine so i didnt mind drilling holes all the way through. I had about 1/4" of wood that the router bit couldnt reach, so i used the jigsaw and cut 1/4" from the body line. While the jigsaw cut fine, i will certainly agree with Drak's 'blade wandering' comment. I cleaned the 'lip' up with a rasp and sanding. In hindsight.....what a god-awful method!! Talk about unnecessary, innaccurate, hard work. Only reason i posted all that is to illustrate how pointless 'making do' is. I will be buying a much more competant router bit and do all the routing in one go, from the topside. I cant afford a bandsaw, so its either find someone who does or just use the router with shallow passes. There are plenty of more experienced guys here that have already discouraged the use of 'make-do' methods, but one more couldnt hurt. Im just glad i wasnt stupid enough to try all that out on the good wood first go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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