# Newbie > Cutting Straight With a Jigsaw



## ryanallandorn (Dec 6, 2018)

Hello all,

This is my first post and my first attempt at woodworking. As such I only have limited tools, I don't have a workshop (I work in my apartment's balcony), and I have a limited budget. Because of the aforementioned, I started out with a jigsaw figuring that it would be a useful first buy.

I know that cutting long sheets of wood is best done with 1) tablesaw (but I'm waaayyyyy too broke for that) 2) a circular saw with a guide (also too broke for that). So, what I've done is try to set up a guide jig for my jigsaw and did some test cuts...and problems ensued:


Problem 1 - The cut wasn't square vertically.
Problem 2 - The cut wasn't square laterally (it veered to the left)...and I took a lot of pains to make sure that my guides were square.


After looking at my jigsaw I noticed that the guide bearing had a lot of play in it and the pin basically falls out. I made a video to demonstrate.

My questions: 

How much play does there need to be in a guide bearing on a Jigsaw?
Are there any obvious things that I'm doing wrong? (besides not having budget and tools)


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

That bearing does look like it needs some spacers to take out the side play, just make sure to install them so the slot is in line with the blade.

Generally when a jigsaw cut is not perpendicular it is because you are using the saw one handed and there is a naturally tendency to push the saw to the side, try using two hands on the cut.

It is difficult to make a straight cut, I prefer to use a straight edge for the shoe to follow rather than the guide that comes with the saw.

A wider good quality blade also helps.


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## shoot summ (Feb 21, 2014)

You aren't going to achieve a perfectly straight cut with a jig saw.

If you are breaking down sheet goods, have the home center do the cuts for you, both Home Depot and Lowes have panel saws. Take your cut list in, and they will cut it all up for you. I do it all the time.


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## Jim Frye (Aug 24, 2016)

The basic problem is that the jig saw (saber saw) is not designed to cut straight. It's for cutting curves. Sorry, but that's the way it is. I have a couple of jig saws, both low quality and upper quality, and none of them will cut a straight, perpendicular cut of any great length, even with a straight edge guide and a guide bearing. Having the highest quality, stiffest blade possible and cutting as slowly as possible can reduce the deflection from perpendicular, but the grain of the wood can still cause deflection. I break down sheet goods with an 18 volt cordless saw equipped with a high quality carbide blade and a straight edge guide.


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

I realize you say you can afford it but, right now you can get a 7 1/4" circular for under $40.00 which would solve your problem and make life much easier for future projects.
https://www.amazon.com/5280-01-15-A...7530&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=circular+saw&psc=1


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## sunnybob (Sep 3, 2016)

My jig saw only gets used when all else has failed and I just dont care how bad the cut is.
But its possible you might be able to improve a bit with it. Does it have a little lever on the side with three positions? This makes the blade swing forwards and back, to a greater or lesser degree. try it on position 1. But do not expect miracles. Jigsaws dont do miracles.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Here's the "why" it won't work....*

A suggestion was made to get a cheap circular saw, and that is a good idea. If your jig saw is "defective" and the guides are not working properly, can you return it? Maybe they will let you exchange it for the circular saw?

Why the narrow, thin blade won't cut straight. :sad2:
First off, it's too narrow and too thin! It will flex when under the stress of cutting IF too much feed pressure is applied. You must allow the saw to cut at the rate that it's most efficient, and not force it. The blades' width is a narrow plane when compared to the width of a circular saw blade. The amount of blade that is in the material determines how straight it will cut.

Next, your blade may have too many teeth to cut the material. Too many small teeth don't allow the sawdust to get removed, the blade heats up from friction and cutting is not efficient. You can try a blade that is wider and has fewer teeth. It will say on the package what material and thickness the blade is designed to cut.

WE all started out like you are, as beginners. My first "saw" was also a jig saw. It was "safer" that a circular saw or table saw. But, within a short time, I acquired both of those tools as well. I even used a circular saw that was held upside down in a small table as a "table" saw. It wasn't very safe. However, you may find a "quick and dirty table saw" made from a half a sheet of plywood set on saw horses on a job site where carpenters needed to make one that's light weight and cheap. HOWEVER, a table saw must have a good fence to be safe, and that where the "quick and dirty" saw is lacking. You Tube has many example of DIY table saws and you might find some ideas there? 
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=DIY+table+saw


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## johnep (Apr 12, 2007)

My first two tools were a drill and a circular saw. Still have the saw after 50 years. Learnt from the forum how to make a guide and then was able to use the saw to make a cabinet. Bought a jig saw for cutting out a sink space in a worktop.
johnep


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

ryanallandorn said:


> Hello all,
> 
> This is my first post and my first attempt at woodworking. As such I only have limited tools, I don't have a workshop (I work in my apartment's balcony), and I have a limited budget. Because of the aforementioned, I started out with a jigsaw figuring that it would be a useful first buy.
> 
> ...


It doesn't matter who runs a jigsaw or how good the saw is you are going to experience these problems. You are just not going to get great results with a jigsaw. You might tinker with different blades to get a little better cuts but don't expect much. The sharper the blade with the biggest set on the teeth the saw would struggle less so would tend to cut a little more true and give you more control.


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## sunnybob (Sep 3, 2016)

The only jigsaw I have ever seen that does what a jigsaw should do, is a MAFELL.
But its almost as expensive as a table saw.
Check it out (ignore the spooky commentator)


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I use a jig saw to make a cut when only a Jig saw is capable of making the cut. ie a round hole inside of the wood perimeter. (if he hole is larger than a hole saw) or a square(or other shape) that is too small for a circular saw.


It has been years since I used the jig saw.


George


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

A handheld jigsaw is a useful tool. It can do many things, but cutting a long, straight line is not one of them. You can't perform surgery with a chainsaw either. You could try either one, but it won't go well, no matter how much skill you have.

I have an old jigsaw. For woodworking, I use it to cut rough curves in the waste part of the wood, following just "outside" the desired curve. After that, I use sanding to clean up the cut and refine the shape to match the curve that I drew on the wood. In most cases, that means using a sanding cylinder on the drill press, followed by hand sanding. Jigsaws are versatile tools that can cut many different materials. Many different types of blades are available for jigsaws. There is a place for a handheld jigsaw in many workshops, but they aren't used to cut long straight lines. (Off topic: I got a bandsaw last year, and it has taken over many tasks that used to be done with a jigsaw, but the jigsaw is still the perfect tool for certain cuts.)

I really tried to think of a way to use a jigsaw to make long straight lines. You make the cut, then find a way to clean it up so that it is joint-ready. The best I could come up with is this:

Materials: 
* Handheld jigsaw
* A new, good, sharp jigsaw blade for rip cutting. That blade will have big teeth, far apart, with "big" gullets, around 6-10 teeth per inch. 6 TPI will cut easier and probably straighter, but rougher. A wider blade is better than a skinny blade (which are made for cutting curves with less binding). A thick blade would be better for stiffness, but the thickness is limited by the saw itself. 
* Two "reference" boards with straight edges that are longer than the cut.
* A small, flat piece of wood to use as a sanding block. 
* Sandpaper

Procedure:
* Clamp one of the boards to the work and use it as a guide to make the straightest cut possible with the jigsaw.
* Clamp the cut in a "sandwich" made of the straight edges of the two boards, with the cut protruding very slightly from the middle of the "sandwich."
* Use a sanding block to sand the newly cut edge flat so that it is square with the two "reference" boards.

The problem with the solution above is that you will spend money on sandpaper and the extra reference board. That is money that should be saved to buy a circular saw. Every other solution I came up with required another tool, such as an orbital sander or a hand plane.

As others have pointed out, you need a circular saw to cut long, straight lines in wood.


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

you received great advice above. one thing I might add is that some tools allow us to apply "English" (some amount of side force) during the cut. we typically apply English as we are trying to stay on the cut line, when we really should be turning or guiding the saw. when we do this the top face may have a relatively straight line, but the lower part of the blade has to keep trying to correct itself as we applied the English, thus the angled cut below the surface. this happens on any blade that can flex (scroll saws). 


after you have trued the saw, slow your cut down, guide the saw through the cut trying to only apply a forward force.


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## _Ogre (Feb 1, 2013)

buy a used circ saw on craigslist or yard sale for $10


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## Pineknot_86 (Feb 19, 2016)

First, welcome to the forum. My complements on coming here with a valid question. I have looked through the replies and you have been given a lot of great information. In fact, I learned a few things- old dog, new tricks. A circular saw would be best for what you are doing or get the big box store to cut the sheets for you. I think at Lowe's, one cut was free and the others were like 25 cents a cut. I bought a two piece saw guide at Lowe's, I believe, many years ago. Don't use it a lot but handy when needed. I'll see if I can find it on their website and post the link. Edit- No luck!


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## ryanallandorn (Dec 6, 2018)

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies. Some comments:

RE: Circular Saw - I live abroad so “good” saws are imported and quite expensive…I was holding off for a mitre saw but with a jig I guess a circular saw is going to be good enough to accomplish basic stuff like cutting beams.

RE: Bigbox cuts - I totally get this one and wouldn’t be opposed to it, but want to learn how to do things myself. 

RE: @Tool Agnostic @TimPa - Thanks for the insights. I noticed as well that when I changed a the blade it was just easier to free-hand it and hand sand/plane the wonky bits. I'm also thinking that the side-force I was trying to apply to correct the cut might've released a piece from my jigsaw's side bearing (the bearing pin was/is very loose).

So, looks like I’m getting a circular saw….any things to look for?

Thanks again everyone!


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## johnep (Apr 12, 2007)

My CS came with an 8 toothed rip blade. I bought a 60 tooth Bosch blade and this cuts like a dream.
johnep


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## ajdragon (Jul 26, 2017)

Hi


You can always try making one of theses for making straight cuts.


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

ajdragon said:


> Hi
> 
> 
> You can always try making one of theses for making straight cuts.
> ...


That guy seems to have a shop full of tools he has built, interesting video shows what you can do when you have to, reminds me of my father and some of the things he did just after WW II when not much was available yet.


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## ryanallandorn (Dec 6, 2018)

Hi all, just looping back on this.

First off, thank you all for the massively useful feedback.

An update: I've since bought a circular saw (Skil 5200) and, honestly, it's made all the difference.

In case this helps anyone:

*What I did wrong:*
- Well, using a Jigsaw to cut straight lines 
- My Jigsaw's guide bearing was defective...this caused a lot of lateral wobble
- As such, despite my damndest...no matter what jig I set up both the intended cut and cut angle went all wonky

*What I've learned:*
- Sometimes, the tool dictates what you can do. I wanted to do "the quick/dirty/cheap"...but the fundamentals are so for a reason...as a hyperbolic example you can't cut a tree down with a coping saw I guess 
- Clamps, clamps, clamps: for those of us that don't have a dedicated workspace, trying to freehand anything is (maybe some pros can do it, I certainly can't)...difficult
- Check the squares of your squares: when I made cuts I made multiple measurement points, but if the relative reference veered, then it all got messed up. Having at least one corner with a true right angle made everything else easier.
- I now use my jigsaw for "tricky" cuts (i.e. curves/angles)...I cut outside my guidelines and sand down.

Thanks again everyone!


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## sunnybob (Sep 3, 2016)

You can quickly check the square of your square with just a pencil, at any time during the build if you think you have dropped or jogged it.


Use the square against one flat edge and draw a line the length of the arm. flip the square over so you are coming at the same line from the other side. start at the same point and draw another line over the first one. Check the lines.
If you have one clear line the square is... square. if you have two lines moving away or towards each other, its not square.


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