The art of sawing with a jigsaw is familiar to many from the school bench. Everyone can master such an activity, regardless of artistic abilities, and this is probably its main advantage.
In addition, having mastered some skills with a jigsaw, you can create simply gorgeous carved decorations, which will serve to decorate the interior of the premises or the facade of the house.
Jigsaw Sawing: Tools
The first thing you need for cutting plywood figurines with your own hands is a jigsaw.
Such a tool for domestic market presented quite extensively and in several main forms:
- Manual . A tool familiar to many from labor lessons at school. As the name suggests, all sawing work will need to be done manually. The best choice to create small things or teach children the skills of this exciting process;
- Electric . It works much faster than manual, but at the same time, it has a significant mass (1-3 kg), and therefore it is quite inconvenient to keep it “on weight”. Yes, and a thin pattern cannot be created, since the saw blade is too large for such jewelry work;
Advice. If the choice fell on an electric tool, then you need to do all the work very carefully, otherwise you can get an uneven cut line.
Children should not be trusted to work with such a tool at all, because there is a high probability of injury.
- Stationary. The only drawback of such a tool is its price - it is much higher than that of an electric or handheld device. Nevertheless, the device is very convenient for the carver, it does not need to be kept on weight, and the cutting line, although it will turn out to be rougher than that of a manual “colleague”, is still several times faster.
The choice of one or another tool for creating various designs from wood raw materials depends only on the amount of work and personal preferences of the master himself. If, for example, working with a jigsaw on plywood is just a hobby, then a hand tool will be quite enough.
Tip: If such an activity brings money and is put on stream, then you simply cannot do without an electric or stationary “assistant”.
Preparation of raw materials and stencil
Those people who have skillful hands and extensive experience with the tool, sawing plywood with a jigsaw will not be difficult. First you will need to take a piece of material on which the drawing will be applied, sand it to smooth surface fine sandpaper.
After such preparation, it will be enough to apply the desired drawing and begin the process itself. 
All that needs to be done after downloading the drawing is to print it, transfer it to a sheet (you first need to prepare it with sandpaper) and start working with the tool along the contour.
Wood sawing process: features
The very process of creating decorative parts from wood is even simpler than drawing a pattern on a sheet of material. It is enough just to first insert the file into the previously made hole (for this you can use a manual brace or an electric drill) and start working along the drawn contour. 
However, if the work is done hand tool, then all movements must be necessarily smooth, without jerks, otherwise you can simply break the fragile jigsaw file.
If everything is done correctly, then in the end you can get a uniquely beautiful drawing, transferred exactly to the material, a detail that can advantageously decorate any room or building facade.
Additional finishing
To make a product created from a sheet of material using a jigsaw look even more beautiful and original, it can be further finished. First you need to sand all surfaces with sandpaper, eliminating all minor irregularities and roughness.
After that, you can varnish or stain the entire surface of the plywood product, cover it with paint or other finishing materials. 
It should be noted that sawing with a jigsaw from plywood allows you to get not only solid, but also prefabricated structures. In the latter case final finishing will also be accompanied by the connection of several elements together with the help of special glue or clapboard nails.
The main thing in the process of creating a prefabricated product from several parts is still in the process of work Special attention to give the cut line, it should be located so that the notch is somewhat smaller than always.
Tip: Several pieces of plywood, cut with a jigsaw, after completing work with the tool, it is important to “fit” and sand it properly with sandpaper.
Only in this way can high surface quality and the most attractive appearance of the finished product be guaranteed.
Conclusion
There is nothing complicated in the process of creating figures from plywood - just pick up a jigsaw, prepare the material and start working. In the presented video in this article you will find additional information on this topic.
Similar content
Try to cut out such an Eiffel Tower.
The work is difficult.
Such a craft will surely appeal to your loved ones by placing it in a conspicuous place, for example, on a shelf. To make this craft, you will need the following:
Sawing tools.
Preparing your desktop
First of all, you need to prepare your table on which you will work. It should not have unnecessary things and every tool should be at hand. Not everyone has their own desktop and probably already thought about creating it. Making a table is not difficult - it is difficult to choose a place for it in the house. Perfect option- this is a warmed balcony on which you can do crafts at any time. I already wrote about table preparation in a separate article and tried to describe the whole process of its creation in as much detail as possible. If you don't know how to prepare your workplace then read the following article. After you have completed the process of creating a table, try to start choosing your future craft.
Choosing quality material
The main material is plywood. Her choice is always difficult. Each of us must have faced such a problem as delamination of plywood from the end part and asked such a question, why such delamination? Well, it's mostly due to low-quality plywood. If you took the jigsaw in your hands not for the first time, then you can pick up plywood from the remnants of the previous craft. If you are new to sawing and you do not have plywood, then buy it at a hardware store. Choosing material for sawing is always difficult. You should always choose plywood carefully, more often look at the defects of the tree (knots, cracks) and draw conclusions. The complexity of choosing plywood lies in the fact that no matter how you miscalculate its flaws and shelf life. For example, you bought plywood, cleaned it, translated the drawing, and suddenly it began to delaminate. Of course, this happened to almost everyone and it is oh so unpleasant. So it's better to pay attention when choosing and choose good plywood. I wrote a special Article, which describes step by step all the principles of choosing plywood.
Stripping plywood
We clean our plywood with sandpaper. As you already know, “Medium-grained” and “Fine-grained” skins are used to clean plywood in sawing. IN construction stores You must have seen the skins (sandpaper in a different way), they are what we need. In the work you will need "Coarse-grained", "Medium-grained" and "Fine-grained" skin. Each of them has its own property, but a completely different coating, in which it is classified. “Coarse-grained” skin is used for processing rough plywood, i.e. which has many defects, chips, as well as cracks.
"Medium-grained" skin is used for processing plywood after "Large" skins and has a slight coating. "Fine-grained" or otherwise "Nulevka". Such sandpaper serves as the final process of stripping plywood. It gives plywood smoothness, and therefore plywood will be pleasant to the touch. Sand the prepared plywood in stages, starting with medium-grained and ending with fine emery. Grind along the layers, not across. A well sanded surface should be even, perfectly smooth, glossy in the light and silky to the touch. How best to prepare plywood for sawing and which sandpaper is better to choose Read here. After stripping, check the plywood for burrs and small bumps. If there are no visible defects, then you can proceed to the process of translating the drawing.
Drawing translation
For me, the translation of a drawing has always been the main process in my work. I will tell you a couple of rules, as well as tips for high-quality translation of the drawing. Many transfer the drawing to plywood not only with a pencil and copy, but also with the help of the “Black Tape”, glue the drawing with plywood, then wash off the drawing with water and the markings of the drawing remain on the plywood. In general, there are many ways, but I will talk about the most common method. To transfer the drawing to the prepared plywood, you must use a copy, a ruler, a sharp pencil and a non-writing pen. Fix the drawing in plywood with buttons or just hold it with your left hand. Check if the drawing fits the dimensions. Arrange the drawing of the clock so that the plywood sheet is used as economically as possible. Translate the drawing with a non-writing pen and ruler. You should not rush, because your future craft depends on the drawing.
Drilling holes in pieces
As you have already noticed, there are parts of the grooves in the details that need to be cut from the inside. To cut out such parts, it is necessary to drill holes in them using hand drill or, as in the old fashioned way, make holes with an awl. By the way, the diameter of the hole must be at least 1 mm, otherwise you can damage the elements of the drawing, which, alas, are sometimes difficult to restore. In order not to damage your desktop when drilling holes, place a plank under the workpiece so as not to damage the desktop. Drilling holes alone is always difficult, so ask a friend to help you with your business.
Sawing details
There are many rules for sawing, but you need to be based on the most common ones. First of all, you need to cut out the internal parts, only then along the outer pattern. There is no need to rush when cutting. The main thing is to always keep the jigsaw straight at an angle of 90 degrees when cutting. Cut out the parts along the lines you marked exactly. The movements of the jigsaw should always be smooth up and down. Also, don't forget to watch your posture. Try to avoid bevels and bumps. If you get off the line while sawing, don't worry. Such bevels, irregularities can be removed with flat files or “Coarse-grained” sandpaper.
Rest
When sawing, we often get tired. Often fingers get tired as well as eyes, which are always in suspense. At work, of course, everyone gets tired. In order to reduce the load, you need to do a couple of exercises. Exercises you can see here. Do the exercises several times during the work.
Stripping Details
It is always necessary to clean the details of future crafts carefully. At the very beginning of work, you already cleaned the plywood with sandpaper. Now you have to do a small part of plywood stripping. With a “medium-grained” sandpaper, clean the edges of the parts and the back of the plywood. "Fine-grained" skin is considered the final stage of cleaning parts. Fine sandpaper is better to clean the front of the parts. When processing plywood, take your time. You can also use a rounded file, with which it is convenient to clean inner part holes. Try to get the details without burrs and bumps.
Assembly of parts
Assembling the details of our crafts here is not so difficult. In order to carry out correct assembly Details You need to read the following Article, which details all the details of the assembly. After the parts are assembled into one common craft without any problems, then proceed to gluing them.
We glue the details
It is necessary to glue the parts of the shelf with PVA or titan glue. You don't need to pour a lot of glue. It is better to tie the assembled craft on glue with a strong thread, tighten it and put it to dry. The craft sticks together for about 10-15 minutes.
burning crafts
To decorate our craft with a pattern (for example, along the edges of the craft), you will need an electric burner. Beautifully burn out the pattern can be very difficult. To burn out patterns, you must first draw a pattern with a pencil. You can read how to work with an electric burner and add patterns to a shelf here.
DIY varnishing
If desired, you can transform our craft by coating it with varnish “On Wood”, preferably colorless. Read how best to Varnish crafts. Try to choose a quality varnish. Lacquering is done with a special brush "For glue". Take your time. Try not to leave visible streaks and scratches on the craft.
- Hand tool
- Electric jigsaw
- Stencil preparation
- Sawing process technology
- Defects in work
Wood carving with a jigsaw is rapidly gaining popularity: many people want to buy an interesting decor item to decorate their home, furniture and even clothes! carved objects from plywood of various thicknesses organically fit into any style of interior, often people buy photo frames for photos with ornaments, sawn words and letters, or order intricate shelves and others interesting products. Few people know that artistic cutting out of plywood with a jigsaw is a business accessible to any person, even an unprepared and inexperienced one. You just need to understand how to work with the tool.
What is a jigsaw: a general description
A jigsaw is a tool designed for cutting out various contours from plywood, including curved ones. It is equipped with a blade with fine teeth that can cut the plywood evenly without the formation of significant burrs.
Hand tool
The ancestor of this type of tool is a manual jigsaw. It is a metal arc in the shape of the letter "U", between the ends of which a saw blade is stretched, attached to the clamps. They securely hold the file during operation and allow you to adjust its tension. On one side of the frame is a handle.
The clamps on the tool can rotate, creating different planes for sawing, thereby providing the opportunity for woodcarving of varying complexity.
When cutting out of plywood manual jigsaw you have to be careful: its design is quite fragile, during intensive work the blade often breaks from effort and heat, so it has to be replaced. To do this, each master must have several dozen spare files.
When working with a jigsaw for carving internal contours, it is convenient to use such an auxiliary board as in the photo: it will help protect the table and solve the problem of conveniently positioning the workpiece.
Electric jigsaw
The tool is powered by electrical network. It is a case in which working mechanisms are located, a handle for control is also made on it. The sawing organ is located in the front lower part. The blade is often protected by a foot, which allows you to cut the contour exactly along the line without deviation. Advanced and professional jigsaw models have various attachments that facilitate the sawing process and level the edges of the plywood.
Blades can have different teeth in shape and size. It is necessary to select files that are appropriate for the material being processed so that damage and deterioration do not occur. plywood sheet during operation of the mechanism.
Classification of jigsaws by power and application:
In the instructions on how to use a jigsaw, or in the technical data sheet, the main parameters of the tool that must be taken into account when using the mechanism should be described.
Wood carving tools
Sawing with a jigsaw is a creative process, but it requires preparation and additional equipment. What is required for work:
Stencil preparation
Jigsaw drawings can be different sizes, depending on the scale of the manufactured product. To create a scheme for a shelf, a piece of furniture or a composite three-dimensional toy, you can take a large sheet of drawing paper A1 or A0, the wallpaper remaining after the repair is also suitable, for small figures they take plain A4 paper or another suitable format.
On the surface with a bright pencil or marker, draw the outline of the future product, adhering to the dimensions. It can be an element for assembling furniture, a shelf or other large product.
There are so many jigsaw templates on the web that choosing the right one can be difficult. It is much easier to come up with your own patterns for cutting and transfer them to paper.
Transferring the image to the surface of plywood or boards
Before you start cutting with a jigsaw, you need to transfer the image from the stencil to a wooden or plywood blank. To do this, cut out a figure from the sheet, apply it to the surface of the plywood and carefully circle it. It is desirable that the line is even and accurate. We use with a simple pencil, so that if necessary, you can correct the line by erasing it with an eraser.
We apply the contour from the back side so that on finished product no lines were visible. The inner area can be shaded so as not to cut off the excess and designate inviolable areas.
It is important to transfer the drawing in such a way as to minimize sawing along the fibers with a jigsaw - it is so difficult to get a straight line.
Sawing process technology
How to use a jigsaw, for sure, many have heard. Working with the tool will not cause difficulties if you prepare for it correctly.
Carving on plywood begins with the inner contours of the pattern. To do this, you need to make slots for inserting the tool blade:
- Plywood is often taken thin, and there will be no problems when cutting a large contour, and tension may occur in a small residue. Sawing with a jigsaw inside can damage the product - chips, burrs, dissection;
- It’s easier to work this way: you always have something to hold the workpiece for. A large sheet is much easier to handle than trying to hold a small sawn piece while the inside is being formed.
How to cut with an electric jigsaw:
Working with an electric jigsaw is much easier than with a hand tool, there is no need to exert physical effort and the process is faster.
How to saw with a jigsaw:
There is nothing complicated, as you can see, in this process.
Defects in work
If you did not follow the technology, held the tool incorrectly, the saw may simply move off the line. Why does the jigsaw saw crookedly:
- tilted the tool during operation;
- saw blade tension loosened;
- with an electric saw, it is possible to loosen the fastening of the saw.
To avoid such problems, be sure to check the tension of the saw and the fastening of all working elements before starting sawing. If the blade is beveled and stuck, it's best to start over and make the line parallel to the faulty one.
A little about safety
Safety precautions when working with a jigsaw for sawing plywood and wood are simple:
- Use protective equipment - goggles, gloves, gown. These things will protect you from dust and small chips.
- Sawing with a manual jigsaw should be done carefully so as not to damage the fingers with a saw. Keep the distance between the body and the instrument.
- If you are a beginner, carefully read the instructions on how to use a jigsaw, the main characteristics of the tool. This information will help to avoid accidental injury and damage to the unit.
Wood carving with an electric jigsaw requires accuracy and attention. Both your health and the integrity of the finished product depend on these qualities.
What can be made from plywood: interesting ideas and drawings
Sawing wood with an electric jigsaw or hand tool is a creative process. You can create many decorative products in different directions:
Drawings of plywood crafts do not have to be made in exact dimensions. Even taking an example from the Internet and changing its silent proportions, you will get a unique product that no one else has in this form.
Do-it-yourself plywood crafts can be painted or left in natural color, you can stick buttons, beads, ribbons and other decor on them to revive the product. To do this, it is worth involving children in the work, their imagination is a bottomless storehouse of interesting ideas.
We offer you diagrams with photos for cutting plywood with a jigsaw.
You can figure out for yourself what you can cut out using a hand or electric tool, make your own sketch and transfer it to paper, then to a canvas of wood or plywood.
Carving plywood with a jigsaw requires certain knowledge and skills. If you don't have them, consider the following rules:
One of the interesting hobbies is artistic sawing with a jigsaw. Beginners look for drawings, drawings and descriptions for them on the pages of numerous printed and electronic sources. There are artists who realize their creative ideas on plywood, drawing a picture yourself. This process is not too complicated, the main thing in the work is the accuracy of the actions.
Some use this type of handmade just for fun, creating wall art or photo frames. Others use artistic sawing with a jigsaw according to drawings, drawings and descriptions to decorate furniture or as additional income.
Skeptics may say that with the advent of the laser, this type of creativity is outdated. Yes, indeed, the developers of industrial lasers have made this task much easier by performing large volumes of thread quickly. But this is for an industrial scale, maybe suitable option, and if you want to have an object in which the soul of a master, a real artist, is invested, then you will still get a unique thing, created in a single copy.
And besides, artistic sawing with a jigsaw according to drawings, drawings and descriptions will definitely captivate you, you only need to try it once.
Necessary materials
For such a delicate and accurate work, you will need good jigsaw. If you decide to speed up the process and use a jigsaw, then be prepared for the fact that he can cope with radii up to 2.5 cm. Small parts will have to be completed with hand tools. The saw must be fixed firmly so that there is no vibration, which will lead to uneven cuts.
It is better to do artistic sawing with a jigsaw according to drawings, drawings and descriptions on plywood from 3 mm to 5 mm. This best option. It will not bend during operation. It is better not to spare money and buy plywood good quality so as not to subsequently have problems with chips or knots found on it.
Think in advance how you will cover the product - with varnish or paint. You will also need sandpaper (large and small).
Beginning of work
Having prepared necessary materials, you need to find or draw a drawing on paper yourself. A vector image will do. For the first time, try something simple with a little twist.
Then a large sandpaper is taken and the material is well processed. For convenience, use wooden block. After removing the dust with a dry cloth, treat the surface again, but with fine sandpaper.
Then they transfer the drawing to plywood with a simple pencil. A sheet of paper can be attached with buttons or tape so that it does not move. Then the paper is removed. If necessary, correct the contours by eye.
To start artistic sawing with a jigsaw from plywood according to drawings, drawings and descriptions, you need to drill a hole for the file. Then carefully guide along the contours. Plywood must be well fixed.
Samples of artistic sawing with a jigsaw
Vector drawings, pictures and descriptions can be printed on a printer. If the diagram is large and divided into several A-4 sheets, then make sure that the scale is the same, then the individual details of the pattern will be comparable without drawing deformations.
If you like this kind of art, then your house will change beyond recognition over time. After all, with the help of a jigsaw, you can beautifully decorate the doors of cabinets, make carved shelves. And how original will look like a carved tabletop covered with glass! In private houses, craftsmen decorate the shutters, window frames, roof ridge, gate, etc. And how happy will your daughter be if she is made toy furniture or a whole castle! The list is endless, because there is no limit to human imagination.
