Hand jigsaw is a universal tool for working on wood and metal. They can cut the product into pieces of the right size, even into the thinnest fragments - the place of cutting will remain even and accurate. For materials with different densities and structures, suitable blades are required, therefore, every home craftsman should have in stock a variety of files for a hand jigsaw.
General classification
The blades for the manual jigsaw are divided into 2 main groups according to the purpose:
- for woodwork;
- metal thread.
Blades differ in the material of manufacture, its technical properties, quantity, location and frequency of the teeth. Accordingly, each type of file cuts metal or wood differently, leaving behind itself a slice of different quality.
Woodworking Files
Blades for working with wood are also divided into groups:
- The blade for quick cutting is equipped with powerful large cloves with a frequent arrangement in one row, not more than 7 pieces per 1 centimeter. The blade allows you to saw wood of different densities and thicknesses at high speed, but the cut needs additional processing due to unevenness (sticking fibers remain).
- For quick and direct cuts, blades with double teeth located in pairs at a small interval are suitable. They can quickly cut wood or plastic.
- A file for clean sawing is distinguished by small and frequent teeth (about 10 pieces per 1 centimeter), which leave an even, almost smooth cut. Such a blade is used for cutting building and decoration materials during facing works.
- A file for a manual jigsaw on a laminate can be special with reverse teeth, but you can do fine wood. Laminate consists of several layers of different densities, which must be cut without the formation of defects. When using blades for finishing cutting, the formation of chipping 1–2 mm is possible, but this is not critical: the cut end is hidden under the baseboard. Joining the panels in the middle of the room is carried out end-to-end with factory sections. The use of a special saw on the laminate almost eliminates the risk of chips and cracks, but such a product costs a lot.
- Spiral files have an unusual blade, the teeth on which are located along the entire diameter of the central rod. With this product, it is convenient to cut small fragments from plywood and boards. The blade does not get stuck in the workpiece.
Files for working with metal
A manual jigsaw can cut metal sheets using a special file. Her canvas is equipped with small cloves, located strictly one after another. Durable steel is used to make the blade.. You can recognize the file by the blue tail - this is how all metal files are marked.
The frequency of cloves in a metal file is 9–10 per 1 centimeter.
Universal Blade: True or Fiction
Saws for a manual jigsaw are sold in sets of 10 or more pieces, since they often break in work, you have to insert new ones. Packages may not contain information about the purpose of the products, because they are used mainly for working with wood.
There is no universal blade, you can cut a product from wood and metal with any nozzle. Another question: how the problem is solved, and what will be the place of the cut. It is not possible to get quick and smooth sawing at the same time. You have to choose: either fast or beautiful.
Work with plastic and polymers
If necessary, cut a plastic product, for example, shorten a window sill, cut a sheet of polycarbonate and in other cases, it is better to give preference to a file with small cloves. She will cut the material evenly, the cut point will remain flat, and the structure of the material near the cut will not be affected.
Homemade Nail Files
Blades for a manual jigsaw on wood can have different shapes of teeth, the frequency of their location. Different manufacturers offer standard forms of nail files, so craftsmen are constantly looking for new solutions both in order to save money on ready-made jigsaws and to improve the quality of their work.
We will consider 2 workshops on the production of different files for a manual jigsaw.
Option 1. Normal blade with teeth
The blade blade often breaks during operation, which significantly complicates the manufacturing process of products from different materials. The cost of a high-quality canvas can be very high (from 50 rubles apiece). Cheaper products are made of fragile metal. To solve the problem and reduce the cost of jigsaw attachments, craftsmen figured out how to make a blade with teeth yourself.
Need to work:
- strong wire of large diameter;
- installation for forging;
- a hammer;
- drill with nozzles.
Procedure:
- To get started, we take the usual blade for a jigsaw and cut off the wire along its length, you can make a small margin for the convenience of work.
- On the anvil we beat off the blunt side of the hammer to a flat strip. Do not flatten the metal very much, we try to maintain the usual thickness of the finished file by eye.
- You can put the finished strip in a jigsaw. Clamp it into the tensioners like a regular file.
- We take a drill with a diamond disk and saw the teeth with the right frequency and size. The hand should move confidently, observing the chosen step.
Homemade ready to go. A description of this process is presented in the video.
Option 2. Spiral file
This finished product is often criticized by the craftsman: a magazine spiral blade is often ineffective, and the installed blade does not work as expected. The cost of a quality product is from 50-60 rubles apiece. The craftsmen figured out how to save on the purchase of a spiral file and make it really effective.
What is required for work:
- metal tin can (not aluminum);
- pliers;
- a hammer;
- installation with an anvil.
The master in the video shows the process of making a spiral file.
Work Stages:
- We cut the bottoms from the can and roll out rolled metal.
- We cut off narrow strips of the same width (1.5–2.0 mm).
- Clamp the ends of the strip into pliers and twist evenly.
- After twisting, we tighten the twist well to straighten.
At this stage, work can be completed. The product can be installed in the tool. If the blade thickness turned out to be more than necessary, we correct the situation with a hammer and anvil - slightly flatten the twist. Done!