So I got sick of cutting wood with my dremel tool (don't want to burn it out), and I had $35 bucks burning a hole in my wallet so I figured I would kick my wood cutting career into high speed:



Perhaps this was a bad investment for cutting 1/2' thick wood (I'm not exactly sure what kind of wood this is BTW).

It would seem like common sense to me:

• Measure exact lengths on both side of wood
• Mark the measurements on each side using your favorite pencil
• If you have a fancy strait line chalk tool (string that can be pulled tight against wood and snapped to leave chalk imprint of strait line) then use it, otherwise, a guide board is useful for this task
• Optional (but seems like a good idea), go over chalk with wood pencil since it will be easier to see (my chalk is light blue)
• Line up a board over the one you intend for a guide. This prevents a non-strait cut from occurring. Example:
  
• Check the saw entry points onto the wood then calibrate both ends of the guide wood and clamp
• Verify that your line is strait by observing any anomalies between your line and your guide board
• Double check the entry point of the saw blade to line on each side of the wood being cut for accuracy and consistency and readjust your clamped guide wood if necessary
• the rest should take no talent... OR DOES IT!?

The manual for my fine piece of hardware says I should use the "Turbo" setting and also at max speed for cutting STRAIT in wood. It seems no matter how steady I hold this thing, it always starts bending to the left and off course which makes me very sad

There are a few variables that I think could influence the results I am getting. One could be that the "shoe plate (thingy)" adjustment lock mechanism isn't locked into place, however I have verified that this is in fact locked into place and strait. Maybe the wood is really not that great? Perhaps I don't have enough information about cutting wood in a strait manner? Could be the tool I have chosen to invest in really isn't the best tool for the challenge I want to overcome (starting to think circular saw for some reason...)? A combination of one or many other things I am not aware of?

If anyone could offer any insight to this fundamental task, I would greatly appreciate it. Also, if some pictures would help describe any part of this problem, I will go get some batteries for my camera.

That really is not a tool for long straight cuts. The ideal tool is of course a table saw. If that is not an option, a circular saw is a much better option than a jigsaw. Jigsaws really are not meant for that application. I would use the circular saw with a straight edge. You can buy a proper straight edge at home depot that will clamp itself to the wood for about $15. No need for a chalk line. Just measure how far away the edge of the saw is from the blade and put the straight edge that far away from your two or three initial points.

Also I should mention that I am gently easing the saw forward as I cut as if Bob Villa would...

Bah I knew it!

Well, I suppose I can find somone to buy this baby on craigslist without too much trouble.

Thanks for the advice!

With a saw guide (straight edge) and some care, you can use your jigsaw to produce acceptable cuts. If you are on a budget and can't afford tools, the jigsaw is your main tool as it can make both straight cuts and circular/scroll cuts.

The key to good straight cuts with a jigsaw are:

Durable straight blades with excellent sharpness and sufficient thickness to make a square edge. Make sure you use the blade meant for your application. If you have a small town hardware, go there with a chunk of your wood and your saw and tell them what you want to do, the guys will know which blade you need. Buy the best blade you can.

A perfectly square deck or platform on the saw.

Always use a saw guide. There are some nice aluminum ruler type straightedges at HD for about $8 (48"). Use some clamps to hold the saw guide to the board.

Go slow with a jigsaw (high speed on saw, slow push). If you push it fast, the blade will warp causing a wave like cut.

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Are you familiar with using a saw guide? (From your post I don't believe you are.)

Here's a post describing a saw guide, try it out with the saw you just got:

http://www.lumenlab.com/forums/index.php?s...indpost&p=14115

Brain summed it up nicely. I would add the question: Does your jigsaw have an oscillation mode(s). If so, try adjusting or switching on/off completely.

Are you holding your finger on the scroll lock to make sure it isn't coming undone?

Scroll lock? I am not familliar with that term? Only two things that lock on this tool: mechanism that locks the blade in place and the lock that keeps the foot plate in place.

Actually, after reading some reviews of this tool, i've found that even the pro's arn't very happy with it either after describing simular results. It was recomended by a few other people I know and I kick myself for not doing more research.

If I was any more careful about trying to cut in a strait line, 27-28 inches, I would be an old man by the time I was done.

Haha.

The scroll lock is a button or switch that unlocks the scroll head and lets the blade turn via a knob on top of the saw. I used to have a Craftsman scroll saw similar to yours, and after cutting for a few seconds the scroll lock would come undone and the blade would go on a little journey invariably into the piece I was cutting. The only thing I could do to prevent it was to keep my thumb on the lock the whole time I was cutting.

And if the saw is hard to push through the work, it sounds like you may not have the right blade for the wood you are cutting. Is it MDF you are cutting? (Particle board)

Some results to ponder

Doesn't seem there is a scroll lock feature on this thing. Maybe you can tell what kind of wood this is by the looks of it.

Looks like CDX plywood. Judging by the cuts in the pic you are really not having much luck with that saw. What type of blade are you using? I would suggest a 6 or 7 TPI fast cut blade.
I see an Orbital mode (oscillation). Played with that at all?
You may also have better luck if you flip the blade front to back and pull the saw through.

There was a sudden turn of events that left my new jigsaw in the hands of a complete stranger and me with a brand name piece of hardware! AKA bartering.

Immediately, the results have been night and day. After cutting one piece of wood, I can asses some of it's abilities:

Pro's:
Less effort to make straiter, cleaner cuts.

Cons:
This thing is very cumbersome and loud in contrast to the Black & Decker jigsaw. However, would probably win in a fight against the jigsaw if it had to.

Thanks for the suggestion V&J. Hopefully this thread will help others troubleshoot their wood cutting problems.

Of course, I opted for the easy way out:

I took my measurements to Home Depot when I bought my sheet of MDF, they made all the cuts (except the holes for fan/triplet, etc) for me, nice and straight, and no blisters...

Good thread.

Im pretty much hopeless when it comes to cutting wood. All i have is a jigsaw and i cant even see the blade. The guide on it is bent lol.

Looks like ill be buying some new tools

For my 2nd rebuild I used Home Depot cutting, unfortunately the results were very unsatisifactory. Very crooked, uneven, etc.

For the version 3.0 (that I'm currently working on), I used a jigsaw to cut the two sides out, and then evened it all out with a randomly orbiting sander. I'll post some building pics soon, I'm taking my sweet time though, which seems to help quite a bit (since I'm doing a curved design similar to Haas_man)