# Older Craftsman jigsaw blade help.



## renraw9002 (Mar 19, 2016)

My dad gave me an old jigsaw of his, maybe 20 years old? Anyway I have no idea what shank it takes. The only thing I know is there's a screw on the side that holds the blade in place. Probably a U-shank I'm guessing? figured I'd ask before I went and bought some.


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

I suggest you take the Saw with you to make the blade purchase. You know Sears will have the blades.


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## holtzdreher (Jul 20, 2016)

jig saw or saber saw?


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## renraw9002 (Mar 19, 2016)

holtzdreher said:


> jig saw or saber saw?


jig saw


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## holtzdreher (Jul 20, 2016)

never saw a U shank for a jig saw blade.


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## holtzdreher (Jul 20, 2016)

Aha. Did some research. What was called a jig saw back in the 1950's and 1960's is now called a scroll saw. What was called a sabre saw back then has been combined with what used to be called a scroll saw and is now called a jig saw. Clear as MUD. When i cut out puzzles in the 1960's, I used a bench top jig saw. When I use the same machine now, it has magically transfigured into a scroll saw, even though it says "jig saw" on the side. What I used to cut plywood props for the school play in the 1960's was a saber saw even came in a box labeled saber saw, but is now a jig saw. Kind of ironic and stupid.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

My very old ( 40 years?) old Craftsman jig/saber saw had two screws that hold the blade. One in the front and one on the side. 

Have no problem finding blades at Sears.

George


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## renraw9002 (Mar 19, 2016)

GeorgeC said:


> My very old ( 40 years?) old Craftsman jig/saber saw had two screws that hold the blade. One in the front and one on the side.
> 
> Have no problem finding blades at Sears.
> 
> George


hmmm maybe it's missing another screw cause when I used it last time the blade was tilted as far back as it could be and it was just a small cut and I thought I was going plenty slow. I thought maybe the blades my dad left in the case were just the wrong shank. I'll have to take a look at it.


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## renraw9002 (Mar 19, 2016)

It's not missing another screw. The blades my dad had in the case were for a different jigsaw that used the T-shank type blade so that's why they didn't work. I put in a U-shank and now it works just fine. Just getting in my daily dose of feeling like an idiot.


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## Jig_saw (May 17, 2015)

holtzdreher said:


> never saw a U shank for a jig saw blade.


U-shank jigsaw blades were standard until the mid 1980s when the T-shank was first introduced by Bosch.

https://www.boschtools.com/ca/en/boschtools-ocs/u-shank-jig-saw-blades-22544-c/


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## holtzdreher (Jul 20, 2016)

unfortunately, when I first read the post, a "jigsaw" was a bench top tool that was used for cutting puzzles and things. I still have an operating jig saw from the 1040's that is labeled "Jig saw" I now know that over the past 50 years the names have switched. At the time, I did not know that saber saws and scroll saws are now called jig saws and jig saws are now called scroll saws. To me, a jig saw blade was about 5 inches long and had little pins on each end.


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