Lately, we often come across new saw blades, when used, the cut is uneven, the cutting angle varies - instead of 90 degrees, the file goes to 45-60. Another sign that it’s time to sharpen the file is an uneven cut edge - the file “tears.” The reason is the development of the manufacturer's stamps. If you have used a sharp, high-quality file, you will immediately understand the difference.
To sharpen fine-toothed files (a thankless task, it’s easier to buy a new one) a diamond needle file is used 
Or you can sharpen it using sandpaper with a diamond cup.
Try to adhere to the factory sharpening angle and direction; if you sharpen the file incorrectly, it will begin to tear and crumble the edge.
To sharpen files with medium and large teeth, it is more convenient to use a medium metal file or a diamond file. 
So for a crosscut file you will need a triangular file with a fine notch and an angle of about 60 degrees. If the tool is longitudinal, then you should use a diamond file or roughly cut needle files. The conditions for correct sharpening are the same, the angle and direction are best from the factory.
File markings
No. 1. The first letter of the marking indicates the type of shank, such as T-shape or U-shape.
This is followed by a number indicating the length of the canvas:
1 – short, up to 75 mm
2 – standard, 75-90 mm
3 – extended, 90-150 mm
7 – long, over 150 mm
After the numbers, a letter indicating the size of the teeth:
A – small (for cutting laminate),
B – medium (for cutting wood, plywood, fiberboard, chipboard),
C and D – large (for rough cutting).
The last letter means the extended marking of the file:
F – bimetallic sheet (considered the strongest and most durable),
O – narrow blade (for figured cutting),
P – thick blade (allows sawing strictly perpendicular to the surface),
R – with reverse tooth,
X – with variable tooth size (universal blade, suitable for cutting any materials).
No. 2. The purpose of the file can be determined by the color of the shank:
gray – for wood,
blue – for metal,
white – for wood and metal,
red – for plastic,
black – other materials.
No. 3. The purpose of the saw blade is determined primarily by the grade of steel from which it is made. The letter designation of the steel grade can be found on the neck of the file, i.e., on the border of the shank and the blade itself:
CV – chrome vanadium steel (for wood and wood boards),
HCS – high carbon steel (for wood and wood-based panels, as well as plastic),
HSS – high-speed steel (for ferrous and non-ferrous metals),
HM – hard alloy based on tungsten carbide (for ceramics, fiberglass, etc.)
BM (or BIM, or Bi-Metal) is a highly elastic combination of HSS and HCS (professional saw blades for wood and metal).
No. 4. The purpose of the file is also indicated by the marks on the canvas itself:
Wood – for soft wood and fiber boards,
Hardwood – for hardwood and laminated panels,
Inox – for stainless steel,
Alu – for aluminum,
Metal - for tin, metal profiles and pipes,
Fiber&Plaster – for fiberglass,
Soft-material – for soft materials (rubber, foam, cardboard, etc.),
Acrylic – for polycarbonate and plexiglass.
No. 5. Sometimes the canvas also has an inscription specifying the type of work:
basic – standard blades for high-quality cutting,
speed – saw blades for fast cutting,
clean – blades for clean cutting (without setting teeth),
progressor – universal files with variable tooth sizes,
flexible – blades with wavy layout for cutting metal,
special – saws for cutting ceramics, plastic and other highly specialized work.
Sharpening jigsaw blades is a simple job, however, it requires care and attention. The quality of the final result, and even the performance of your instrument, depends on this.
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A tabletop jigsaw is an indispensable item for any owner who is used to doing household work on his own. Electric jigsaws are especially good for residents of the private sector, lovers of manual labor and country holidays. The desktop electric model has gone quite far from its prototype, an ordinary manual jigsaw. A desktop jigsaw makes it easier and faster to cut, not to mention improving quality.
Concept of a tabletop jigsaw
A jigsaw is a saw, which is characterized by reciprocating movements of the saw blade, which acts as a working body. It has a ski designed to guide the saw blade when moving along the surface that is being processed, and makes movements at a frequency of up to 3000 vibrations per minute.
This instrument was invented in 1946. Its creator is Albert Kaufman, who replaced the needle in sewing machine on the blade. The instrument went on sale already in 1947. A manual jigsaw has a body with a flat platform and a handle. The main difference between an electric jigsaw and a manual one is its greater functionality and cutting quality.
Inside there is an electric motor and a special mechanism that drives the blade. In stationary jigsaws there is no handle, and the platform is located on top. At the front of the mechanism there is a guide, at the bottom there is a retractable blade that moves and makes cuts.
The tool works as follows: a tabletop jigsaw file is securely secured with clamps in the slide. The reciprocating movements have a frequency of up to 3000 strokes and can be adjusted. The support platform allows the jigsaw to focus on the part being cut, so the work is carried out very accurately.
The purpose of a desktop jigsaw
A jigsaw is an integral part of every workshop and every hobbyist. Its thin file can successfully cut plywood, copper, iron, thick boards, brass, and steel. The tools come with motor, foot or hand drive and are more productive. An electric jigsaw is simply indispensable for carpenters, wood workers, furniture decorators, and drywall workers who produce complex parts.
An electric jigsaw can make straight and curved cuts on workpieces with complex shapes and various sheet materials without disturbing the external contour. Most often, tabletop jigsaws are used for cutting wood and wooden boards, figures with complex outlines made of laminate and plasterboard, plastic blanks, and also for cutting sheet metal.
The tabletop electric jigsaw makes clean cuts in complex shapes and works on small
details. Due to the stable and fixed position during operation, high cutting accuracy is achieved. The file has a stable motion thanks to the tension system and guides, which manual jigsaws lack. The large size of the table makes it stable, so the precise sawing direction is maintained.
Types of jigsaws
Today, the power tool market offers a wide variety of jigsaws, which differ in the nature of their application, technical specifications, type of power supply and design features. In construction stores you can buy a tabletop jigsaw for every taste and budget.
It is difficult to classify by design features, because each manufacturing company strives to provide its products with features that are designed to facilitate and improve the operation of the tool. In this regard, the shape of the handle is a significant parameter.
There are two established types of handles - mushroom-shaped and D-shaped. A jigsaw with a staple handle requires one-handed operation. This increases the possibilities of using a jigsaw, but has a somewhat negative effect on the quality of cutting the material.
Mushroom-shaped handles allow for more accurate cuts when holding the jigsaw with both hands, having previously secured the workpiece to be cut. The choice of a jigsaw with a certain handle shape depends on the financial capabilities and personal preferences of the buyer. You should choose the jigsaw that will be more convenient to work with.
Household jigsaws are not intended for intensive use, but the low price of a desktop jigsaw and the power that is enough for household needs make them indispensable in the household.
Professional jigsaws are characterized by high wear resistance and the possibility of daily long-term (up to 8 hours) use. The significant power of such jigsaws allows processing of materials of large thickness. Expanded equipment and improved characteristics are reflected in the price.
Among professional jigsaws, industrial jigsaws also stand out, which are characterized by greater adaptability to complex operations and drive features - for example, increased power supply voltage. Industrial models are machines that are designed for the woodworking industry.
Depending on the type of power supply, there are mains and cordless jigsaws. Network models are powered from a power supply network with standard voltage. If productivity is important to you, then you should choose a corded power tool.
Cordless jigsaws provide independence from the presence of sockets and greater mobility during operation. When purchasing a battery model, you should pay attention to the type of battery. Increased performance characteristics are inherent in lithium-ion batteries. The battery capacity is responsible for the operating time without recharging.
Advantages of desktop jigsaws
A tabletop electric jigsaw is a stationary design, so this type of cutting tool has many advantages. Modern models can work with wooden materials 40-50 millimeters thick. The working body is a narrow saw, which makes vertical translational and reciprocal movements. Due to the peculiarities of the notching of the teeth and the mechanics of the movements of the saw, the material is cut out by moving upward.
A tabletop jigsaw allows you to cut out complex decorative parts, make longitudinal, straight, inclined and transverse cuts. The wide tabletop allows you to process large parts and make cuts inside wide workpieces. Reliable fastening protects the housing from unnecessary vibrations and allows the material to be well positioned, so the motor can operate without overload.
The advantages of desktop jigsaws include good accuracy and clarity of cuts, high safety and ease of use, wide customization options depending on the material and the required detail of the cut workpieces.
If you need to cut small parts, a manual jigsaw will not be very convenient. It is quite heavy, so you will have to hold it with one hand and guide the workpiece with the other. A table jigsaw does not have this drawback. Perhaps the inconveniences are too large sizes and the difficulty of working with large parts.
A tabletop jigsaw is a kind of mini-machine for cutting workpieces. If you purchase a jigsaw in a store, most likely it will provide the ability to select power and adjust the frequency of saw strokes. However, you can make a simple homemade tabletop jigsaw, and very quickly. You will need a hand jigsaw, a few screws, a small piece of plywood and just an hour of work.
Making a tabletop jigsaw
A carefully made jigsaw will be little inferior to one made in a factory, and in some respects even superior to it. Assembling such a jigsaw is not difficult if you have necessary materials. Next we will describe simple diagram such manipulations.
The design of the jigsaw includes the following components: handle, switch button, insulating washer, power cord, frame, heating filament, screw clamp and earring. First you need to make a frame. You will need a duralumin pipe with an outer diameter of up to twelve millimeters.
You can also use textolite with a thickness of at least ten millimeters or thick plywood for the base. But keep in mind that the lighter the frame, the more convenient the jigsaw will be to use. Be sure to provide a channel so that you can lay the power cord later. The best frame shape is one with one side tilted 45 degrees.
Next you need to make an earring. It is made of copper sheet one millimeter thick. After this, it is attached with screws to the frame where it connects to the handle. This way the screw, wing nut and shackle will form a clamp in which the heating filament can be secured. The thickness of the duralumin sheet should be up to 0.8 millimeters. It is necessary to make pressing cheeks from it, between which there is a switch button.
After this, you need to cut a gap in the plywood that the saw can fit through. It can be done using a drill. To do this, you need to drill holes along the marking line and smooth out the transitions. Instead of plywood, you can use plastic, metal, plexiglass and others. Next, you place and drill mounting holes on the plywood and jigsaw base plate.
Then you need to secure the jigsaw with screws to the plywood base so that the file can pass through the gap. You attach the structure to the table using a clamp so that the file is pointing upward. You can also secure the platform in any way possible.
The jigsaw file remains a regular one, but the possibilities for good cutting are expanded by freeing up your hands.
You can use a nichrome spiral from any household heating device (iron, for example) as a heating filament. It must be secured with tension between the ends of the frame bends. In order for the thread to heat up, you need to apply a tension of about 14 V. To control the operating mode, you can use a rheostat.
The current is determined by the thickness and length of the nichrome thread. Using a rheostat, you can set the optimal current strength (no more than 3-5 A), which will affect the temperature to which the filament is heated. Before starting work, it is necessary to determine the current strength. But keep in mind that if too high strength The material being cut can be caught by the flame, but if it is insufficient, it will not be taken. A self-made desktop jigsaw will allow you to cut shapes with complex contours from various types of materials.
Rules for using a desktop jigsaw
When working with a table jigsaw, you must adhere to some rules:
- When cutting, do not press too hard on the tool, otherwise the needle will break at best, or you will ruin the work at worst.
- Replace saw blades from time to time. An old saw can damage and destroy the surface of the material.
- If you work with organic glass and non-ferrous alloys, the surface of the product must be moistened with water. This operation will speed up the process and extend the life of the saw.
- If you are cutting a surface with a thickness of less than one millimeter, place a sheet of wood or plywood under the material being processed.
- Before cutting, it is necessary to secure the material. It is better not to make long cuts by hand; the line may turn out to be crooked.
- To cut different materials, appropriate blades with a special pitch and length are required.
- Rotate the tool by turning only the back of the tool.
- When cutting laminate, tape is applied to the cut line, which protects the material from chipping.
- If there is a need for curved cuts, set the jigsaw pendulum to minimum.
If you have not yet fully understood how to make a tabletop jigsaw, watch a video about this procedure. This tool allows you to cut complex parts from wood and other materials, make longitudinal, inclined, straight and transverse cuts. Using a jigsaw, you can process large parts, wide workpieces and small products, which is not superfluous at home.
MANUFACTURING HOMEMADE JIGSAW FILES.
Eleusizov M.Zh.
Technology teacher, secondary school No. 17
Runogo city, Kostanay region.
In my work in correctional classes,Based on the financial situation and the equipment of the workshops, equipment and machines, in the calendar plan I focused on wood processing. I increased the number of hours in the “Artistic processing of materials with elements of creative arts” section in each class by reducing the hours in other sections within 20% of the total number of hours.
Artistic wood cutting is one of the most common types of decorative and applied arts available to the masses.
Sawing with a jigsaw and carving wood with a knife as one of the types of work has, first of all, a correctional and developmental goal, since this painstaking work corrects fine motor skills, which are impaired in many students at our school. Sawing and wood carving contribute to the formation of more stable attention and influence the emotional-volitional sphere in the direction of correcting self-esteem, cultivating conscious determination and perseverance, combined with patience, perseverance and a more critical attitude towards one’s work and its results.
A jigsaw is widely used in lessons and club activities.
The files for them break very quickly in the inept hands of schoolchildren.
It’s very expensive for the teacher to buy it every time, so at school we started making our own files. I offer several options for making jigsaw files with your own hands.
1page
Making a jigsaw file.
To make homemade files you will need to prepare the following:
two steel bars 120...150 mm long (old cutters are suitable for lathe); chisel made of high-speed steel grades P6, P9, P18; hammer weighing 200...250 g; vice; metal scissors. The blade of the future saw is placed between the bars and clamped in a vice, as shown in Figure 1.
Fig 1.
Fig 1. This is how a metal strip is clamped in a vice to cut the teeth:
1 - metal bars; 2 - tape.
If the saw blade is too wide, you should cut the blade to the required size using scissors. Then, stepping back from the end of the blade by about 8...10 mm, they begin to cut the teeth. The chisel is held at an angle of 45° relative to the edge of the strip. After the first blow to the chisel, the first cavity (notch) of the tooth is formed on the workpiece. Then, at the same angle, place the chisel close to the edge of the sinus and again strike with a hammer with the same force as when forming the first sinus. And then with the same light and uniform blows we pass the entire section of the strip that has fallen into the jaws of the vice. Then the strip is re-clamped and processed again with a chisel. Having completed the notching of the strip (tape, spring), it is cut into separate files. It takes an average of 3...5 minutes to cut one jigsaw file. And although such a homemade file, for example, made from a spring, does not always look “elegant,” it can last a long time, allowing you to create patterns not only from thin plywood, but also from lumber up to 50 mm thick. By the way, the teeth of jigsaw files are formed by etching the blade in appropriate places in a solution of copper sulfate and table salt.
2page
And a few more ways to make homemade files.
The starting material here will be steel wire with a thickness of 1...2mm. Of course, it can be evenly flattened and scored in the manner described above. However, it is better not to flatten the wire, but simply make a notch on it with light blows of a chisel (without using a hammer). In this case, the wire is not clamped in a vice, but simply placed on a metal plate (anvil, piece of rail). Having made one row of notches along the entire length of the wire, it is turned and processed again with a chisel. Continuing the work in this way, a notch is applied to the wire on “all sides”. True, cuts are formed slowly with such a file, but still such a file will work reliably.
Sawing parts of complex configurations from plywood and metal is carried out using a manual or electromechanical jigsaw.
Various types jigsaw files are shown in Fig. 2. You can make them yourself.
Rice. 2. Files for jigsaws: A - for wood; B - for metal; B - round universal for wood and plastics.
To do this, a straightened and slightly annealed clock spring of the required thickness and width is clamped in a vice between two metal plates and a sharp chisel, and the teeth are cut.
3 pages
Homemade jigsaw files can be made using a simple device. The file is made by a die used to make threads on a rod. Cut a groove in a rod with a diameter of 12 mm; the depth of the cut is equal to the width of the metal strip inserted into it. And the latter is also easy to obtain - by rolling or beating with a hammer a wire of a suitable diameter. (Fig. 3.)
Fig 3.
One of the reasons for saw blade breakage is one-sided notching of teeth on a narrow blade. When cutting sharp corners with such a file, it is necessary to perform a complex of manipulations, as a result of which students often break the blade. For a jigsaw, you can use homemade files with a double-sided notch. The main parameters of such a saw are shown in Figure 4. The double-sided notch allows you to saw in two directions without rotating the workpiece. When sawing along curved lines, this saw allows you to make the necessary turns at small radii. The processing speed of workpieces, especially along the internal contour lines, increases approximately 3 times. Old hacksaw blades for a small hacksaw can be used as a material for homemade files with double-sided notches.
Fig 4.
4 pages
Instead of a jigsaw file, a guitar string can be used. A piece of string No. 5, 6 or 7 must be freed from the braid, inserted into a jigsaw and notched at the required angle with a diamond or triangular file. To prevent the string from springing, you should place it on a support, wooden or metal. The saw obtained in this way cuts not only plywood or plastic, but even thin sheet metal- aluminum or electrical iron up to 1 mm thick. The convenience of a string saw is also that when cutting out complex parts it is easy to make turns almost on the spot.
A piece of a hacksaw blade for metal will still serve if you insert it into a jigsaw machine. It is especially convenient to cut straight lines along plywood with such a “short one”: the cut is smooth and neat. If the width of this blade is reduced to 3-4 mm on a sharpener, then it is convenient to use such a file to make figured cuts in chipboard.
A “notcher” is made from a triangular file. To do this, grind a notch on the sandpaper so that the edges are sharp. Rigid steel wire is cut into pieces of 140 mm. For small work, use a wire of 0.3-0.5 mm, for coarse work - 0.8-1.5 mm. The workpiece is clamped into a jigsaw with the same tension as a regular file. The jigsaw is placed flat on a smooth metal plate and the wire is evenly flattened along its entire length using a light hammer with a flat head. Small irregularities can be smoothed out with a file. After this, the plate is moved to the edge of the table and a jigsaw is hung on it with a wire. With light blows of the “notcher”, a notch is made obliquely along the end of the wire, trying to make it even and the blows do not fall in one place. After just a few trials you will have good files.
The article was prepared by: teacher of technology of the highest category, Marat Zhaugasharovich Eleusizov.
Address: Kostanay region.
Rudny, Lenin Street 163/15.
S.Sh. No. 17.
5 pages
Making jigsaw files
Eleusizov M.Zh.
Technology teacher, secondary school No. 17
G. Rudny. Kostanay region
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The path to perfection begins with the choice of files
Choose a file with the appropriate number of teeth for each case. For aggressive sawing of structural timber, saw blades with a tooth pitch of 4 mm (6 tpi) work well, but they are too coarse for carpentry work. In these cases, use saw blades with a tooth pitch of 2-2.5 mm (10-12 tpi) for large radius fillets and 1 mm (20 tpi) for small radius fillets (25 mm or less) in hardwood, as well as any radii in plywood and melamine-coated particle boards.
In addition to the number of teeth, the design of the files should also be taken into account. For decades they have been set with the teeth alternating to the right and left, as shown. This arrangement ensured fast and efficient sawing, but there was a deterioration in quality. To solve this problem, non-set teeth are now being produced, as shown, which do not tear the wood fibers, but cut it like a surgical scalpel. The result is a smoother cutting surface. That's why we now use Clean-For-Wood and Xtra-Clean-For-Wood files from Bosch. Please note that these saws can scorch the wood in cases where the setting is too high frequency their moves or the feed is too slow. We advise you to first practice on scraps of wood of the same species and find the best ratio of saw speed and tool feed. Remember that the cost of saw blades is only a small fraction of the cost of the material being cut. You should catch the moment when it’s time to replace the file. If it begins to scorch (burn) the wood, tear fibers where this did not happen before, or suddenly requires more feeding force, you should stop work and change the saw.
Set up your jigsaw for efficient cutting
To cut coniferous wood and soft hardwood (poplar, mahogany, alder, etc.), as well as sheet materials, set the jigsaw to the maximum frequency of saw strokes. If the material is resistant, reduce it slightly. Dense woods such as cherry, maple, bast and walnut require a slower blade speed to avoid scorching. For sawing plastics and metals, the most low frequency. If your jigsaw has a pendulum motion, in which the saw simultaneously with the vertical movement also carries out horizontal movement, then to obtain a fast, albeit rough cut, set the maximum swing of the pendulum oscillations. When cutting curved cuts with a radius of less than 75 mm, the pendulum stroke should be turned off, and when sawing large and smooth arcs, this mode with a small swing of oscillations helps sawing.
You can reduce the likelihood of chips on the front side of the workpieces by using an additional anti-splinter sole. Make it from hard hardboard 6 mm thick and attach it to the standard jigsaw sole with screws or double-sided tape. Lightly round the corners and sharp edges of the sole with sandpaper to prevent scratches on the workpiece.
Choosing a file
1. Files with a semicircular notch on the shank vibrate and flex, producing a more jagged cut than files with a T-shank. Having a jigsaw with such blades narrows down your choice. For a cleaner cut, choose files with the highest number of teeth.
2. Progressive blades have teeth with a positive rake angle at the end, which provides aggressive cutting of material over 25 mm thick exactly where needed. Less aggressive teeth on the shank, coming out of the cut from below, leave a smooth surface.
3. Standard saw blades with a tooth pitch of 4 mm (6 tpi), having an even larger rake angle and a wide gap between them, ensure quick removal of sawdust from the cut. They are good when they work quickly more important than quality cutting, for example when cutting building materials.
4. Reverse-tooth blades cut material in a downward motion, minimizing chipping on the top side. When cutting, for example, cutouts in table tops, use these types of files.