Jigsaw machine – special device, which is intended for performing work on sawing wood, its derivatives, as well as other materials (for example: plastic, plasterboard sheets, polystyrene foam, and so on) along curved contours and straight lines.
Depending on the power of the electric drive, it can be divided into two types:
- power up to 150 W;
- power over 150 W.
Machines with a power of up to 150 W are used mainly at home, for manufacturing work. various crafts from materials of medium and low density and thickness.
Machines with drive power over 150W are mainly used in industrial environments, when working with hardwood and other materials. Such jigsaw machines allow you to work with material thicknesses up to 10 centimeters.
For home and semi-professional use, in order to save money, you can make homemade jigsaw new machine. In this case, you will need to have basic knowledge in plumbing and electrical engineering, as well as a small amount hand tools.
Making a homemade jigsaw machine
In order to make jigsaw machine with your own hands, you will need:
- eight wooden planks for making a frame;
- a sheet of thick plywood for the countertop;
- several metal corners, welding machine;
- electric jigsaw;
- accessories for fastening, drill.
1) We start designing the machine from the frame. For the frame you will need wooden blocks square section 50*50 mm. For the support posts, four 250mm long beams are used.
For longitudinal connecting beams, bars 380 mm long are used. The end connecting beams are 250mm long. All bars are connected to each other using ordinary wood screws.
2) We make the tabletop. For the countertop we take plywood, in this situation we should be guided by the principle: the thicker, the better. A sheet of plywood 10mm thick can be considered normal. The sheet is cut to the dimensions of the frame so that the edges and corners protrude 5 centimeters beyond the edge.
After this, on the plywood board you should mark the attachment points for the legs and the jigsaw itself. Holes are drilled according to the markings so that the self-tapping screw is in the center of the leg.
The attachment points should be transferred to the markings for the jigsaw and holes should be drilled. A hole for the saw blade is also cut in advance. We screw the tabletop to the frame using self-tapping screws.
3) The next step is to install the jigsaw under the tabletop. To do this, the entire structure of the rack is turned over onto the table top.
The electric jigsaw is installed according to the markings and screwed to the tabletop with bolts. On at this stage We must not forget that the canvas must already be installed and occupy the position provided for it with a margin of the hole.
At this stage you will need a welding machine to make a fixing structure. It will require four corners. Bottom strip 50*50mm with two holes for bolts. A 200mm long corner is attached to it. Next is a corner measuring 230mm (selected for each case individually depending on the distance from the edge of the tabletop to the canvas).
The descent to the canvas is made from a 150mm long corner to which a jigsaw wheel is attached. This design absorbs all the vibration from the canvas and prevents breakdowns. The entire structure is attached to the tabletop with two bolts. They should not weaken from vibration.
The work on manufacturing the jigsaw machine is completed, the machine is ready for full operation.
Video: DIY jigsaw machine.
What if you need to use a jigsaw, but have no desire to purchase one? Experienced craftsmen They will answer that in this case the easiest way is to make a jigsaw with your own hands.
There are multiple ways to make and repair such a tool yourself. Below is a list of options for using the simplest and most accessible of them.
Making a manual jigsaw using simple technology
Before making a jigsaw, you should prepare inexpensive and available materials. Let's present them in the form of a list:
- sheet plywood - 12 mm;
- sheet plywood - 5 mm;
- sheet steel - 2 mm;
- set of bolts and nuts;
- drill (manual or electric);
- chisel;
- sanding paper;
- files.
As a base for a manual jigsaw, you must use a bracket, which is made from a sheet of plywood (12 mm).
After this, you should thicken the handle using a thinner plywood sheet(5 mm). This thickening is glued evenly on both sides of the handle, which ensures its comfortable position in the hand during subsequent work with a jigsaw. At the same time, the bracket and handle must be carefully processed using sandpaper and files of different classes.
The steel plate must be cut out using a chisel and the clamping jaws must be cleaned using a file. Next, you will need a drill to make slits in the jaws. Having taken this step, we begin to cut out notches on them with a sharp chisel. The left clamping jaw must be modified in such a way that a threaded hole is made for the bolt. We attach the jaws to the bracket, and then screw in the bolts on the left clamp, securely securing it with a nut.
Options for making a tabletop jigsaw
Desktop devices of this type can be made either from scratch or by modifying existing devices.
Option 1
To make a new tabletop mechanical jigsaw, you must first acquire the following tools and consumables:
- duralumin pipe;
- plastic base;
- screws;
- copper sheet;
- drill.
First, we prepare the frame; a duralumin pipe is well suited for this purpose. During the manufacturing process of the frame, a passage must be provided through which an electrical wire is laid, which will provide the tool with power. Using a copper sheet, a U-shaped frame is made, which is then attached directly to the frame. In the area where the frame connects to the jigsaw handle, the frame is screwed in with screws.
Then we take plastic base for drilling holes and mounting slots in it. We fix the jigsaw on the prepared base so that the file can pass freely through the hole. We attach with clamps ready-made device on a flat surface, such as a table.
Option 2
To make a jigsaw you can use sewing machine, the repair of which is not necessary. To make such a tool you will need following materials and tools:
- foot or manual model sewing machine;
- hacksaw blade;
- needle file;
- electric drill.
We unscrew all the bolted fasteners from the lower parts of the machine structure, and the entire working system with thread is completely removed. We remove the metal fastening rod by knocking it out and remove the drive shaft. We unscrew 2 more bolts and disassemble the panel that covers the sewing machine; removing it is quite simple. Using gentle movements, remove the sewing needle and get to work.
First of all, we carry out work with the slot for the needle. We expand it to such a size that the file can fit there. A needle file will help you cope with this task. It should be selected based on the size of the hacksaw blade. Try to adjust the size of the slot for the file as accurately as possible. Having bored out the connector, you can install the blade in place of the former needle holder. And finally, when turning the wheel, you need to check a few things to:
- there was no contact between the saw, the panel and the presser foot;
- there was free passage of plywood under the saw in the upper position;
- the materials were drawn in a smooth motion without jerking.
These jigsaws are suitable for use with plywood, balsa wood and plastic, and when using an electric machine, such a device can be converted into a jigsaw.
Video “Jigsaw. Choosing a tool and working with it"
If it is not possible to repair the jigsaw
If using a manual jigsaw is not up to the task, and electric jigsaws cannot be repaired, then you should use the options presented below that will allow you to make a jigsaw. Electric jigsaw table type:
- electric jigsaw for manual use;
- sheet plywood;
- set of clamps;
- 10 pieces of screws;
- electric drill.
We make markings for the slots in the plywood and carefully cut them out. If there is a pendulum stroke, it must be turned off. Then we place a hacksaw blade in the slot and attach it there. We also make several slits on the plywood by drilling holes with a drill and connecting them to each other. Screws are placed in the slots made. As a result, securing the tool with clamps on flat surfaces will not be difficult. The device is ready.
Jigsaw from an electric drill:
- steel sheet (4 mm);
- steel sheet (1.5 mm);
- steel sheet (1 mm);
- steel rail (2 mm);
- spring rail (0.9 mm);
- steel rod (7 mm cross-section);
- electric drill.
Using sheet steel (4 mm), we make a product in the form of a C-shaped frame, which will be the base of the jigsaw. Next, attach it to an electric drill. For this purpose, it is necessary to create a special clamp from a steel sheet (1.5 mm), which will ensure fastening. We attach spring slats to the edges of the base. We will need a steel sheet (1 mm) to make clamps with which the saw will be attached. Clips like these on the edges will also help strengthen the C-frame. And from a steel rod you can make a crank that will power the saw. For the connecting rod we need a steel strip, which will allow us to create a crank mechanism.
At this point, the work on making the jigsaw can be considered complete. Due to its massive size, for safety reasons it is better to clamp the drill in a vice while working. And it’s best to place working materials on flat surfaces.
Video “Jigsaw. Modernization"
How to make a jigsaw with your own hands? A jigsaw is a saw blade that makes a reciprocating motion. Currently, this tool can be motor-driven, hand-driven, or foot-driven. It is difficult to unambiguously classify jigsaws. Let's look at their main varieties.
The jigsaw is designed for cutting various parts made of metal, wood, plastic, ceramics.
A manual jigsaw consists of a saw blade and an elastic frame (bracket). The frame has special clamping devices for fixing the canvas. The frame has a horseshoe shape.
The advantages of this jigsaw are the accurate and clean cut of the workpiece, the ability to cut out various shapes (multi-beam snowflake). However, such a tool requires high professionalism and a strong hand.
A machine-type jigsaw (desktop) is an evolutionary continuation of a manual jigsaw. It has all the advantages of a manual jigsaw and none of its disadvantages. It allows you to cut complex internal holes without cutting the outline.
The only downside is that this quality tool costs a lot of money. Structurally, it consists of a base (the workpiece is attached to it), and levers are installed at the top and bottom, at the ends of which there is a thin file.
The levers are driven by a pendulum with electric motor. A manual jigsaw consists of a housing in which a motor, mechanisms, a speed controller and a pendulum mechanism (on some models) are installed.
A motor, a speed controller and a gearbox are installed in the housing to convert rotational motion into reciprocating motion.
There are two common types of housing: D-shaped (silhouette similar to an iron) and L-shaped. These tools can be used to cut thick and hard workpieces.
Every master who respects himself and his time has this device in his arsenal. The advantage is that access to back side blanks. The disadvantages include the impossibility of cutting out complex parts of small shapes.
Purpose of the jigsaw
The tool is designed for figured sawing parts from thin sheet materials, be it wood, plywood, steel, non-ferrous metals or ceramics.
Only a jigsaw can make a curved cut of a complex part. That is why it is so popular among carpenters, furniture makers and model makers. Moreover, in household This indispensable tool. A jigsaw is mainly used for sawing wooden products. It makes it easy to embed a sink or electrical panel into the tabletop.
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Methods for making a jigsaw
You will need materials and tools:
- engine;
- file;
- chipboard sheet;
- self-tapping screws;
- screws;
- table or workbench;
- clamps.
The most common are three methods of making this instrument. The first one is very primitive: you need to attach an electric jigsaw to flat surface, for example, to chipboard sheet, having previously made a hole for the file.
The power tool should be secured to the chipboard using self-tapping screws or countersunk screws. It is very important to securely fix the jigsaw to the tabletop.
The finished device is attached to a table or workbench using clamps. This device is made quickly, in about an hour.
But this design unsuitable for working outdoors or in the absence of a suitable table. Eliminating these shortcomings will lead you to the next model of a homemade electric jigsaw.
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The second method of making a jigsaw
Materials and tools:
- engine;
- box;
- jigsaw;
- additional guide for the file;
- table or workbench.
This option is quite simple. You need a box, a jigsaw, and an additional guide for the file. You can make a box 40 cm wide, 30-40 cm long and 30 cm high. The height of the table will depend on the height of the jigsaw handle. Further, the tool itself is inserted into the structure, and then you can work anywhere. For ease of storage in a small workshop, the box should be made collapsible. This will save some space.
The disadvantage of this design is the uneven cut. This is due to the fact that the blade is secured on only one side. During cutting of thick workpiece long cloth(up to 40 mm) periodically deviates along vertical plane. This defect can be eliminated by fixing the saw blade.
You can fix the saw blade with the help of an additional guide, at the end of which hard plastic with a cut or a ball bearing is installed. In addition, with such a tool it is impossible to make cuts of complex shapes with high quality. This is a consequence of using a standard electric jigsaw blade. This minus is eliminated by improving the machine now.
IN Lately I was very interested in cutting out with a jigsaw, I don’t even know why. It all started with the fact that I needed to cut out several gears from plywood...
And off we go. At first I cut out the gears by hand, then I thought, pumping the muscle with a hand jigsaw is of course good, but if you automate the process, it will be much faster!
So, first of all, let's get to know this manual jigsaw for artistic cutting.
(all photos in this article were found on the Internet)
To saw you need files, they are thin as wire, with sharp teeth. Previously, such files were sold in a pack of 50 pieces, recently I went to the store, and these “bimesmen” started selling them individually. You can break a couple of these files in an evening.
For cutting, we will also need a special table, it can be a board with a conical slot, screwed to the table with screws or a clamp.
To make it easier to attach the files to the machine, it is better to use a special device that will compress the contour of the jigsaw, so you can easily change the file without effort. With the help of a wooden eccentric, compression occurs.
And now about automation. In the next photo you see table jigsaw factory type, you can find a sea of different modifications on the Internet. This thing is not very expensive, but even if I really want it, I won’t be able to find it in my city, and in principle there’s no need. 
Industrial machines are certainly good, but I will probably use them for a couple of months and abandon this occupation, and in general, such a machine, as I found out, can be easily assembled by myself from plywood and wooden bars.
The next photo uses an industrial manual jigsaw and a spring to return the file.
So, we can easily assemble a desktop jigsaw with our own hands at home. I personally did this, but I have a special design, there are no photos of me in this article, but I will definitely post it, as well as a video in work.
A jigsaw is a tool without which it is now simply impossible to perform many works on processing wood and materials in which it is used. Being compact and light in weight, a handheld portable jigsaw is capable of cutting out products of very complex geometry from a workpiece.
The jigsaw is very convenient to use and also provides very precise and thin cut. If you don’t want to spend money on a purchased jigsaw, you can make your own at home.
The lightest product
The jigsaw table itself can be made with your own hands in a short period of an hour. The advantage of the manufactured design will be its simplicity. It can easily be mounted on a tabletop or workbench and, if necessary, can also be easily disassembled. Disadvantage homemade design can be considered its small area.
The simplest product consists of the following parts:
- Plywood.
- Mounting screws.
- Clamps.
The working basis of the machine can be laminated plywood, in which it is necessary to drill holes for installing fasteners and for the saw itself. Plywood must be at least 10 millimeters thick. At the same time, you may also have to make holes in the base of your power tool for mounting screws.
A homemade structure can be attached to the workbench using clamps. Please note that the heads of the screws for fastening must be recessed into the surface of the sheet so that they do not interfere with you while working. Such a machine can easily handle the processing of small workpieces up to 30 millimeters thick. You can easily find a drawing of this type of machine on the Internet, and then assemble it yourself at home.
Another variant
This option consists of the following parts:
- Bed made of chipboard.
- Tube for vacuum cleaner.
- Laminated plywood for the machine cover.
- Confirmants.
There is a second option for a stationary fixture for working with wood material, which is assembled from a larger number of spare parts, but it will not be difficult to make it. The frame is made of chipboard and consists of a back wall and two sidewalls. To make it easy to get to the power button, the machine has no front wall.
IN back wall do-it-yourself necessary drill holes for the vacuum cleaner tube and cord. The cover for the machine can be made from laminated plywood 10 millimeters thick. The entire structure can be tightened with confirmants. The jigsaw can be secured in the same way as described above in the first case.
On a machine made according to this option, it is possible to process more massive workpieces, however, when working with a thick workpiece, the jigsaw saw can go in both directions and lean back. At the same time, cutting accuracy deteriorates. This drawback can easily be eliminated with your own hands by installing a bracket on a homemade machine that will serve as a support.
The jigsaw blade will move between two 11mm bearings, which must be screwed to an L-shaped strip made of steel. The back of the saw will rest against the wall of the bracket itself. This design will prevent your jigsaw blade from deviating from the intended path.
The bracket must be attached to the frame, made of 50 by 50 millimeter bars. It can be lowered or raised depending on the length and thickness of the wood being processed. To do this, the frame itself, together with the stop, must not be firmly attached to the side of the machine, but pressed against it with a hardboard, steel or textolite plate. Install vertical stand frame between the hardboard and the frame.
The machine can be more convenient if you mount an additional limit bar on it, with which you can cut the material into workpieces of the same length and thickness.
The limiter is attached to the machine using clamps. His made from wooden beam , aluminum or steel corner. For convenience, you can also install a bar on the slide, which must be secured to the sides or bottom of the tabletop.
Table for a jigsaw made of chipboard
For making this jigsaw table you must have a certain carpentry skill, since when connecting its tsarg with legs, it must be made into a tenon groove. The tongue and groove itself can be replaced with a connection using dowels, wood glue and self-tapping screws.
The machine cover must be made liftable to facilitate access to the tool when replacing it. In order for the machine to be multifunctional, it is necessary to provide space for mounting a manual milling machine.
The table is assembled from the following materials:
- block 80 by 80 millimeters;
- block 40 by 80 millimeters;
- laminated plywood or chipboard measuring 900 by 900 millimeters.
Measure the distance between the legs, it should be from 60 to 70 centimeters. The bars for the legs and drawers will be obtained if you cut the bars lengthwise 80 by 80 millimeters. You can choose the height of the legs themselves at your own discretion, it all depends on how comfortable it will be for you to perform work on the machine.
At each end of the legs and drawers, it is necessary to drill two holes for dowels. The same holes must be made on the sides of the legs. Coat the dowels with glue half their length and insert them into the ends. After this, assemble the entire frame. It will turn out to be non-separable. After checking and possible corrections, it is tightened tightly.
All surfaces at contact points must be coat with glue. Use self-tapping screws for additional structural strength, which must be screwed through holes prepared in advance for them.
The lid must be attached to one of the drawers using hinges; to do this, a slot must be made in it to facilitate removal and installation of the jigsaw. In the back of the tabletop, you need to screw two strips with a pre-selected quarter into which the sole of the power tool should fit.
Holes must be made in the strips, into which bolts or clamping screws must then be installed. A jigsaw mounted under the tabletop will be able to cut thicker material if a recess is made in the lid for its sole. The easiest way to make this deepening is using a milling machine.
The resulting table will be very simple and spacious, so the necessary strength of its lid can be provided by a large thickness of chipboard or plywood. Use sheets of 20 millimeters or thicker.
Jigsaw using thin saws
Since when cutting complex patterns in plywood, a jigsaw is not well suited for this, you need to take a thin file. It can be attached to a hand-held power tool using the original tool.
We also attach the jigsaw to the tabletop, but the thin file needs to be tensioned, since it will not be enough just set on a pendulum. To facilitate the process of tensioning the file, it is necessary to make a rocker arm from a block.
The tension of your canvas is ensured by a spring. Place its lower loop on the transverse pin. The upper loop must be inserted into the adjusting screw, which changes the tension force of the damper. All wooden blanks for a homemade machine are made from hard rocks tree.
Since the jigsaw machine does not have the ability to fasten a blade with a thin section, you can remake the piece old saw, having previously drilled a hole in it and completed it with a screw with nut and clamping plate.
A vertical slot must be made in the rocker arm into which a second steel plate must be inserted. It is attached to the rocker with screws. The upper part of the file must be attached to it in the same way as the lower one. To make it easier for you, you can use scraps from an old jigsaw to make the plates.
