# Jigsaw Blade Help - Fine Cutting On Padauk



## Bingo969 (Jul 5, 2012)

So I've been lurking here for months, reading and learning as I start getting more serious about woodworking.

The amount of information and knowledge around here is amazing. I've learned more in reading the past couple months than I have in the several years I've tinkered combined. Thanks for being such a great resource.

I'm currently expiramenting with making Tongue Drums. I have some gorgeous Padauk that I'll be using for the tops.

I've picked up a really nice Whiteside 1/8" double fluted straight bit for my router (After reading through many threads here on router bits) but I'll also be needing to do some cuts with a jigsaw.

Does anyone have any suggestions on a good blade to do some really nice cuts with minimum tearout or chipping on this Padauk? The gaps will have to remain about 1/8" so my ability to really get in there and clean the cuts up will be limited plus I really want to stack the deck as much in my favor as I can to not wind up with a big chip that ruins 3 or 4 bucks worth of this excellent piece of wood.

Thanks again for such a great site. It's a huge benefit to those of us just learning about this. You've no idea!!

Bingo


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## SASmith (Mar 22, 2010)

No help here with a jigsaw blade recommendation.
Do you have a scroll saw?
I get a better quality cut from a scrollsaw than a jigsaw. 
Welcome to LumberJocks.


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## MonteCristo (May 29, 2012)

Jigsaws cut on the upstoke and hence are prone to chipping. My experience is somewhat limited as to blade choice but I see the jigsaw more as a rough cut tool. Even blades they claim to be splinter free cause splinters in my experience.

I would recommend a bandsaw or scroll saw instead, the latter for very fine work, including cuts that can't be done on a bandsaw because the blade is a continuous loop (interior cut outs that have no access from the outside of the piece).


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Try these:

http://www.amazon.com/Festool-486548-Fine-Cut-Jigsaw-5-pack/dp/B002WHRPTI

Or get and idea of what you need from the Bosch website:

http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Accessories/Pages/BoschAccessoryDetail.aspx?pid=1327#specs

You might also want to put a backer board and/or a face board on each side of your work to stop tearout.

@ MonteCristo:
Jigsaw blades come built to cut either direction. I have a whole passel of Makita blades built to cut on the Downstroke, and sharper enough to slit you open just by touching your skin.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

The blade on this jig saw rides in a grove and it's like a portable band saw because
the blade deflection is minimal. The Hilti, though spendy, is worth the 100.00 I spent
on craigslist.

The thicker the lumber the harder it is to maintain a consistent 90degree cut as the blade tends 
to wander.

Get a good blade as mentioned above and use a backer board. Practice on some scrap if available.


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## Bingo969 (Jul 5, 2012)

Thanks for the responses. A scroll saw and/or bandsaw is most definitely on my wish list but for right now due to space issues it's not possible.

The Bosch list is really interesting. Thanks for that. I'm surprised to see that the blades listed as 'Fine Cut' don't actually have the highest teeth-per-inch. I always thought more teeth translated to cleaner cuts. I may have to read up a bit on that to learn more about it.

Just ordered the festool blades. I'll have fun seeing how those compare to the basic blades that I've been using. The expirimenting as I move from general building and fixing to finer finish products has been a lot of fun for me.


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## Bingo969 (Jul 5, 2012)

@waho6o9 - Wow. Now that's realllly interesting. I've never seen one like that and I really, really like it. That blade deflection is exactly one of my concerns on the areas where I can't use the router. I'll be looking out for something like that.
If this current project takes off like I think it will and I have to start pumping these out regularly that will certainly be something I can justify getting my hands on!


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## Doss (Mar 14, 2012)

Well, my first recommendation would be a good jigsaw (I use a Bosch 1591EVSL and love it). Next, good jigsaw blades. Bosch has a few (but there may be better ones out there that I don't know of):

T308B25 | T308BO | T308B

You can try tape on the side you want clean and put the face up or down depending on which stroke the blade was designed to cut on.

You can also clamp a backerboard (as mentioned above) to the piece to reduce tear out.

Control you speed and test on a few extra pieces to see how these work before you use them.

I have been cutting western red cedar (read: loves to splinter and tear out) with the jigsaw and a "cleancut" Bosch blade recently and the edge is closer to joinery readiness than I was expecting (or planning on accomplishing).


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Feast your eyes on this puppy, with dust extraction, this has different strokes and a plastic backer board
that's replaceable.

You're wise to go with Festool blades, the cuts are awesome. I haven't use them, but they are held in high regard
at the Festool forum.

http://www.festoolownersgroup.com/


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