Many people have been familiar with the art of sawing with a jigsaw since school. This activity can be mastered by anyone, regardless of artistic abilities, and this is probably its main advantage.
In addition, having mastered some skills with a jigsaw, you can create simply magnificent carved decorations, which will serve to decorate the interior of premises or the facade of a house.
Sawing with a jigsaw: tools
The first thing you need to cut out plywood figures with your own hands is a jigsaw.
Such a tool domestic market presented quite extensively and in several main types:
- Manual. A tool familiar to many from labor lessons at school. As the name suggests, all cutting work will need to be done manually. The best choice for creating small gizmos or teaching children the skills of this exciting process;
- Electric. It works much faster than a manual one, but at the same time, it has a significant mass (1-3 kg), and therefore it is quite inconvenient to hold it “in weight”. Yes, and it will not be possible to create a thin pattern, since the blade of the file is too large for such jewelry work;
Advice. If the choice falls on an electric tool, then you need to do all the work very carefully, otherwise you may end up with an uneven cutting line.
Children should not be trusted to work with such a tool at all, as there is a high risk of injury.
- Stationary. The only drawback of such a tool is its price - it is much higher than that of an electric or hand-held device. Nevertheless, the device is very convenient for the cutter; it does not need to be held suspended, and although the cutting line will be rougher than that of a manual “colleague,” the speed of work is still many times higher.
Choosing a particular tool to create various designs made 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.
Advice: If such an activity brings in 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 working with the tool, cutting out plywood with a jigsaw will not be difficult. First you will need to take a piece of material on which the design will be applied, sand it until smooth surface fine sandpaper.
After such preparation, it will be enough to apply the desired drawing and begin the process itself. 
All you need to do 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.
The process of sawing wood: features
The process of creating decorative parts from wood is even simpler than applying a design to a sheet of material. It is enough to simply insert the file into the pre-made hole (for this you can use a hand brace or an electric drill) and start working along the drawn contour. 
Moreover, if the work is carried out hand tools, then all movements must be smooth, without jerking, otherwise you can simply break the fragile jigsaw file.
If everything is done correctly, then in the end you can get a uniquely beautiful design, transferred exactly to the material, a detail that can advantageously decorate any room or facade of a building.
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 trimmed. First, you should sand all surfaces with sandpaper, eliminating all small irregularities and roughness.
Afterwards, 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 cutting out plywood with a jigsaw allows you to obtain not only solid, but also prefabricated structures. In the latter case final finishing will also be accompanied by the connection of several elements together using special glue or shingled nails.
The main thing in the process of creating a prefabricated product from several parts is still in the process of work Special attention pay attention to the cutting line, it should be positioned so that the notch is slightly smaller than always.
Advice: After finishing work with the tool, it is important to “fit” several plywood parts cut with a jigsaw and sand them correctly with sandpaper.
Only in this case can we guarantee high surface quality and the most attractive appearance of the finished product.
Conclusion
There is nothing complicated in the process of creating figures from plywood - you just need to pick up a jigsaw, prepare the material and start working. In the video presented in this article you will find additional information on this topic.
Similar materials
Try cutting out an Eiffel Tower like this.
The work is difficult.
Your loved ones will surely like this craft by placing it in a visible 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. There should be no unnecessary things on it and every tool should be at hand. Not everyone has their own desktop and has probably already thought about creating one. Making a table is not difficult, but choosing a place for it in the house is difficult. Perfect option- this is an insulated balcony on which you can do crafts at any time. I have already written about preparing the table in a separate article and tried to describe in as much detail as possible the entire process of creating it. If you do not 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.
We choose quality material
The main material is plywood. The choice is always difficult. Each of us has probably encountered such a problem as delamination of plywood from the end part and asked the question, what causes this delamination? Well, of course, this is mainly due to low-quality plywood. If this is not the first time you have picked up a jigsaw, then you can select plywood from the remnants of a previous craft. If you are new to sawing and you don’t have plywood, then buy it at a hardware store. Choosing material for sawing is always difficult. You should always choose plywood carefully, often look at the defects of the wood (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 has happened to almost everyone and it’s oh, how 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've probably seen sandpaper (or sandpaper), and that's what we'll 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” sandpaper is used for processing rough plywood, i.e. which has many defects, chips, and cracks.
“Medium-grained” sandpaper is used for processing plywood after “Coarse” sandpaper and has a slight coating. “Fine-grained” or otherwise “Nulevka”. This sandpaper serves as the final process for stripping plywood. It gives the plywood smoothness, and therefore the plywood will be pleasant to the touch. Sand the prepared plywood in stages, starting with medium-grain sandpaper and ending with fine sandpaper. Sanding should be done along the layers, not across. A well-polished surface should be flat, completely smooth, glossy in the light and silky to the touch. How best to prepare plywood for sawing and which sandpaper is best to choose Read here. After stripping, check the plywood for burrs and small irregularities. If there are no visible defects, then you can proceed to the process of translating the drawing.
Translation of the drawing
For me, drawing translation 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 a drawing. Many people transfer the drawing onto plywood not only using a pencil and copying, but also using “Black Tape”, glue the drawing to the 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 tell you about the most common method. To transfer the drawing onto prepared plywood, you must use a copy, a ruler, a sharp pencil and a non-writing pen. Fasten the drawing in plywood using buttons or simply hold it with your left hand. Check if the drawing fits the dimensions. Arrange the clock drawing so that you can use a sheet of plywood as economically as possible. Translate the drawing with a non-writing pen and ruler. There is no need to rush, because your future craft depends on the drawing.
Drilling holes in the parts
As you have already noticed, the parts contain parts of the grooves that need to be cut out 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. To avoid damaging your work table when drilling holes, you must place a board under the workpiece so as not to damage the work table. It is always difficult to drill holes alone, so ask a friend to help you in your task.
Sawing parts
There are many rules for cutting, but you need to stick to 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 a 90-degree angle when cutting. Cut out the parts along the lines you precisely marked. The movements of the jigsaw should always be smooth up and down. Also, do not forget to monitor your posture. Try to avoid bevels and unevenness. If you go off the line while cutting, don't worry. Such bevels, irregularities can be removed with flat files or “Coarse-grained” sandpaper.
Rest
When sawing, we often get tired. Fingers and eyes, which are always tense, often get tired. When working, of course, everyone gets tired. In order to reduce the load, you need to do a couple of exercises. You can view the exercises here. Do the exercises several times during work.
Cleaning Parts
You should always clean the parts of a future craft carefully. At the very beginning of the work, you already sanded the plywood with sandpaper. Now you have to do a small part of stripping the plywood. Using medium-grain sandpaper, sand the edges of the parts and the back of the plywood. “Fine-grained” sandpaper is considered the final stage of cleaning parts. It is better to clean the front part of the parts with fine sandpaper. 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 ensure that the parts come out without burrs or irregularities.
Assembly of parts
Assembling the parts of our craft is not so difficult here. In order to carry out correct assembly details You need to read the following Article, which describes in detail all the details of the assembly. After the parts are assembled into one common craft without any problems, then start gluing them.
Gluing the parts
The shelf parts must be glued using PVA or titan glue. You don't need to pour a lot of glue. It is better to tie the assembled craft with glue with a strong thread, tighten it and lay it out to dry. The craft glues together in about 10-15 minutes.
Burning out crafts
To decorate our craft with a pattern (for example, along the edges of the craft), you will need an electric burner. It can be very difficult to burn a pattern beautifully. To burn patterns, you must first draw the pattern with a pencil. You can read how to work with an electric burner and add patterns to a shelf here.
Varnishing crafts
If desired, you can transform our craft by covering it with Wood Varnish, preferably colorless. Read how best to varnish a craft. Try to choose a quality varnish. Varnishing is carried out using a special brush “For glue”. Take your time. Try not to leave visible marks or scratches on the craft.
- Hand tool
- Jigsaw
- Preparing the stencil
- Sawing process technology
- Defects in work
Wood carving with a jigsaw is rapidly gaining popularity: many people want to purchase an interesting decorative item to decorate their home, furniture, and even clothes! Carved items from plywood of varying thicknesses fit organically into any interior style; people often purchase photo frames for photographs with ornaments, cut-out 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 task accessible to anyone, even the untrained and inexperienced. You just need to understand how to work with the tool.
What is a jigsaw: general description
A jigsaw is a tool designed for cutting various contours from plywood, including curved ones. It is equipped with a blade with fine teeth that can make an even cut of plywood without the formation of significant burrs.
Hand tool
The ancestor of this type of tool is a manual jigsaw. It consists of a metal arc in the shape of the letter “U”, between the ends of which a sawing blade is stretched and attached to clamps. They securely hold the file during operation and allow you to adjust its tension. On one side of the frame there is a handle.
The clamps on the tool can rotate, creating different planes for sawing, thereby providing the opportunity for wood carving of varying complexity.
When cutting from plywood with a hand jigsaw you have to be careful: its design is quite fragile; during intensive work, the blade often breaks from force and heat, so it has to be replaced. To do this, each master must have several dozen spare files.
When working with a jigsaw to carve internal contours, it is convenient to use such an auxiliary board as in the photo: it will help both protect the table and solve the problem of convenient placement of the workpiece.
Jigsaw
The tool runs on electrical network. It is a housing in which the working mechanisms are located, and there is also a handle for control on it. The sawing organ is located in the lower front 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 cutting process and straighten the edges of plywood.
Blades can have different teeth in shape and size. It is necessary to select files that match the material being processed to avoid damage and damage. plywood sheet when operating the mechanism.
Classification of jigsaws by power and application:
The instructions on how to use a jigsaw, or the technical data sheet, should describe the main parameters of the tool that must be taken into account when using the mechanism.
Wood carving tools
Sawing with a jigsaw is a creative process, but it requires preparation and additional equipment. What you will need for work:
Preparing the stencil
Drawings for cutting with a jigsaw can be different sizes, depending on the scale of the product being manufactured. To create a diagram of a shelf, a piece of furniture or a composite three-dimensional toy, you can take a large sheet of whatman paper A1 or A0; wallpaper left over after renovation will also work; for small figures, use regular A4 paper or another suitable format.
Using a bright pencil or marker, draw the outline of the future product on the surface, following the dimensions. This could be an element for assembling furniture, a shelf or another large product.
There are such a wide variety of templates for cutting with a jigsaw that it can be difficult to choose the right one. It is much easier to come up with your own cutting patterns and transfer them to paper.
Transferring an 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 piece of wood or plywood. To do this, cut out a shape from a sheet, apply it to the surface of the plywood and carefully trace it. It is desirable that the line be smooth 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 outline from the back side so that finished product no remnants of the lines were visible. The internal area can be shaded so as not to cut off excess and to mark untouchable areas.
It is important to transfer the design in such a way as to minimize cutting along the grain with a jigsaw - it is so difficult to get an even line.
Sawing process technology
Many people have probably heard how to use a jigsaw. Working with the tool will not cause difficulties if you prepare for it correctly.
Plywood carving begins with the inner contours of the design. To do this, you need to make slots for inserting the tool blade:
- The plywood is often taken thin, and when cutting a large contour there will be no problems, but tension may arise in a small remainder. Sawing with a jigsaw inside can damage the product - chips, burrs, cuts;
- It’s easier to work this way: you always have something to hold the workpiece by. A large sheet is much easier to handle than trying to hold a small sawn piece while shaping its interior.
How to saw with a jigsaw:
Working with a jigsaw is much easier than using a hand tool; there is no need for physical effort and the process goes faster.
How to saw with a jigsaw:
As you can see, there is nothing complicated in this process.
Defects in work
If you did not follow the technology or hold the tool incorrectly, the saw may simply move off the line. Why does a jigsaw cut crookedly:
- tilted the tool while working;
- the tension of the file has weakened;
- With an electric saw, the fastening of the saw may become loose.
To avoid such problems, before starting sawing, be sure to check the tension of the saw and the fastening of all working elements. If the blade is beveled and stuck, it is better to start over and make a line parallel to the defective one.
A little about safety
Safety precautions when working with a jigsaw for cutting plywood and wood are simple:
- Use protective equipment - glasses, gloves, gown. These things will protect you from dust and small chips.
- Sawing with a hand jigsaw should be done carefully so as not to damage your fingers with the saw. Maintain a distance between your body and the tool.
- If you are a beginner, carefully read the instructions on how to use a jigsaw and the main characteristics of the tool. This information will help avoid accidental injury and unit breakdown.
Wood carving with a jigsaw requires care 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 a jigsaw or hand tools is a creative process. You can create many decorative products of 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 proportions, you will get a unique product that no one else has in this form.
DIY plywood crafts can be painted or left in natural color, you can glue buttons, beads, ribbons and other decor on them to liven up the product. To do this, it is worth involving children in the work; their imagination is a bottomless well of interesting ideas.
We offer you diagrams with photos for cutting out of plywood with a jigsaw.
You can come up with your own idea of what you can cut using a hand or electric tool, make your own sketch and transfer it to paper, then to a piece 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 cutting with a jigsaw. Novice craftsmen look for drawings, pictures and descriptions of 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 accuracy of actions.
Some people use this type of handmade just for fun, creating wall pictures or photo frames. Others use artistic cutting 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 has become obsolete. Yes, indeed, the developers of industrial lasers have greatly simplified this task by quickly performing large volumes of threads. 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 acquire a unique thing, created in a single copy.
And besides, artistic cutting with a jigsaw according to drawings, drawings and descriptions will definitely captivate you, you only need to try it once.
Necessary materials
For such 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 it can handle radii up to 2.5 cm. Small parts You will have to finish it with hand tools. The saw must be mounted firmly to prevent vibration, which will lead to uneven cuts.
It is better to do artistic cutting 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’s better not to waste money and buy plywood good quality so as not to subsequently have problems with chips or knots found on it.
Think in advance about how you will coat the product - varnish or paint. You will also need sandpaper (coarse and fine).
Beginning of work
Having prepared necessary materials, you need to find or draw a picture on paper yourself. A vector image will do. For the first time, try something simple with slight bends.
Then take coarse sandpaper and process the material well. For convenience, use wooden block. After removing the dust with a dry cloth, treat the surface again, but with fine sandpaper.
Then the drawing is transferred to the plywood with a simple pencil. The sheet of paper can be attached with thumbtacks or tape to prevent it from moving. Then the paper is removed. If necessary, correct the contours by eye.
To start artistic cutting out of plywood with a jigsaw according to drawings, drawings and descriptions, you need to drill a hole for the file. Then carefully follow the contours. Be sure to secure the plywood well.
Samples of artistic cutting 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 deformation of the drawing.
If you like this type of art, then over time your home will be transformed beyond recognition. After all, with the help of a jigsaw you can beautifully decorate cabinet doors and make carved shelves. And how original a carved tabletop covered with glass will look! In private houses, craftsmen decorate shutters, window frames, roof ridge, gate, etc. And how happy your daughter will be if you make her toy furniture or a whole castle! The list can be endless, because there are no limits to human imagination.
