The jig saw is used
predominantly when cutting material that go
under door casings after they are undercut
with a jamb saw. Other uses include cutting
hardwood flooring around electrical floor
outlets. More uses for this tool include
making dual cuts on the same board with two
different angles or scribed lines that are
not straight. The list goes on with larger
layouts.
For those that may have small layouts, the
jig saw can also be used for ripping down
full length boards if you don't want to
include the cost of a table saw on your tool
list. This occurs near the end of the
installation against the wall parallel from
your staring point. For thin engineered
hardwoods, lower priced jig saws can handle
the work, but using harder exotic hardwoods,
more power and quality is needed, unless you
can settle for a jagged cut.
Baseboard or quarter
round will cover the last board wall rip
cut, so there's really no need for a precise
straight line cut. However from my
experience, you may run off your scribed
line on the last board if you're not patient
or don't have the power to make a good cut.
Occasionally once you fit the last board(s)
into place while using a scrap piece of
molding checking for coverage, a few gaps
will appear. Trim does not cover.
This is directly related to the cut made.
Tool Tips
Use care when cutting
prefinished floors with a jig saw by not
allowing too much pressure on the saw
itself. The underside carriage of the saw
that glides over the work can mar or ding
prefinished hardwoods and their finishes.
When choosing a jig saw you may want to look
at the length of the cord. Cheaper lower
price saws have minimum lengths. Often
you'll need to buy an extension cord.
The more preferred jig saws have variable
speed options that can improve your cutting
appearances. Other options include an
oscillating feature that allows the tool to
either cut through the material quicker or
slower, without the need for precision. This
could be an option for smaller layouts that
require very little rip cutting.
Blades available for these kinds of tools
are numerous. From fine wood scroll like
cuts, to cutting thinner metal and
tubing. |