A tabletop jigsaw machine will be useful to every craftsman who cuts out thin parts. However, it is not always possible and meaningful to purchase a full-fledged machine. In that case, get down to business and make it yourself!
The structure of a jigsaw machine - what lies inside?
Jigsaw machines are more related to special tools than to devices that are needed as to an experienced master, and for the amateur who manages the garage. Their purpose comes down to a special task, namely cutting out complex curved contours from sheet materials. A special feature of such machines is the execution of cuts without violating the integrity of the external contour. Most often, sawing occurs on wooden and derivative materials (plywood, chipboard, fiberboard), although modern machines equipped with appropriate saws can also work with other materials, for example, plastic or plasterboard.
Such equipment has found application in the music industry (manufacturing musical instruments) and, of course, in the furniture room. Those who like to make things in their own workshop also buy such units. The structure of a traditional jigsaw machine, designed according to all the rules, looks like this: the working surface on which the saw is mounted hides a drive (electric motor) and a crank structure underneath. The tension mechanism can be located either below or above the machine.
To process a part, it must be placed on the workbench. Many models have the ability to rotate it at different angles to make bevel cuts. Stops and guides on the surface, as well as swivel mechanism may have markings, which greatly simplifies and speeds up the work. The length of the cut depends on the length of the work table - most models are limited to 30-40 cm. Electric motor power is an important, but still far from the most fundamental factor, since the machine has a huge reserve of unclaimed power. For example, for a home workshop or even small production, an “engine” of only 150 W is sufficient.
The crank mechanism is much more important detail, because in this case the quality of transmission of the drive torque into the translational-reciprocal motion, directed in vertical plane using a file.
Standard jigsaw machines are considered to be devices with an amplitude of movement of around 3-5 cm and a vibration frequency of up to 1000 per minute. Many models provide a change of speed mode for different materials. The jigsaw file itself is usually made up to 35 cm long and is capable of sawing material up to 10 cm thick. The width of the files can vary in a fairly wide range - from very thin two-millimeter to coarser ten-millimeter, with a thickness from 0.6 mm to 1.25 mm.
Even the thickest and widest file will easily break if you do not provide sufficient tension along the entire length of the file. Leaf and coil springs are used for this. Quite often such machines are equipped air pump, which cleans the cut from sawdust using a blower, as well as a drilling unit. The latter device is especially useful, because in this case the master does not need to be distracted by the connection electric drill and drilling a hole - everything happens on the working plane of the machine. Of course, you have to pay for convenience!
How to make a jigsaw with your own hands from a manual jigsaw?
On the Internet you will find many different designs homemade machines, but most of them come down to repurposing into this device. By using your ingenuity and watching the video, you can easily make a homemade jigsaw from this tool. The jigsaw only needs a little modification. In fact, it plays the role of a machine drive and a crank mechanism, but the rest needs to be thought out and implemented.
Of course, manufacturers are trying to please consumers in this area as well, offering their own platform options for quick and convenient remodeling, however, in reality only you can make a device that suits your needs. So, the first step is to make a support table, for which they most often use sheet metal. You need to make a beveled oblong hole in it for the saw blade and holes for fasteners (countersunk screws are recommended), and attach the jigsaw to the bottom of the support table.
This structure can only be strengthened wooden table. You can go beyond this and install guide rails. The convenience of such a device lies in the fact that in addition to performing functions that are not entirely inherent to it, you can always disconnect the drive and with a slight movement of your hand turn it back into a manual jigsaw! If you constantly need this tool for work, it makes sense specifically for the machine - it will be cheaper than spending money on a real machine.
Advantages and disadvantages - we continue to modify!
But such a unit inherits not only the advantages of the tool, but also its disadvantages, in particular, the file is too wide for filigree work, which significantly limits the curvature of the lines. If there is a need for this, there will be a way out. So far, our machine differs from the classic jigsaw unit in the absence of springs that would ensure sufficient tension on the file. But it’s quite easy to build a simple rocker, which on one side will be under the tension of springs, and on the other, fixed to a nail file.
There is another option - to clamp the nail file between two guide rollers, but the first option is still more reliable. Don't forget to turn off the pendulum action on your jigsaw before you start using your homemade machine. There is another design - if your tool is powerful enough, then it can only serve as a drive in a structure of two rocker arms, between which a nail file is stretched. The movement is transmitted through a file attached to the lower rocker.
Machine from a sewing machine - giving a second life to old tools!
If you inherited a foot or hand weapon from your grandmother or mother sewing machine, consider yourself the owner of an excellent jigsaw! Of course, for this you need to “work a little magic” on the machine. First, remove the thread weaving device, which is usually located at the bottom of the machine. There is nothing complicated about it, just unscrew two bolts. Then we knock out the cotter pin and remove the drive shaft leading to the thread weaving mechanism.
Having unscrewed the top panel that protects the mechanisms, it is necessary to expand the slot in which the needle went. Be guided by the needs and width of the nail file that you will use in your work. Files for a jigsaw machine of this kind also need to be slightly modified, namely, cut to the maximum length of the needle that could be used on this machine. Having ground off the upper teeth and sharpened the lower part to the point, all you have to do is insert the file into the needle holder and test your machine in action!
In life home handyman, periodically there is a need to make figured and simply decorative cuts, including inside the workpiece. Gasoline, circular and regular hand saws they cannot cope with this task, due to their design features. To solve this problem use manual jigsaw, specially designed to perform such operations. This tool undoubtedly copes with its task, but when working with large volumes or dimensional materials, it definitely loses to its more professional brother - a jigsaw.
Purchasing a brand new, shiny, and functional benchtop jigsaw is absolutely effortless. Store shelves are filled with products from various manufacturers aimed at professional and amateur work. At first glance, presented for sale stationary jigsaws, appear to be very complex in design and are assembled only by select expert technicians. In fact, this is quite simple devices that you can do yourself if you have the desire and step by step instructions. And if the first point depends only on you, with the second we will definitely help and provide detailed guide By self-assembly homemade jigsaw machine.
Scope of application
Special design and a thin saw blade, make the tabletop jigsaw a unique device, indispensable when performing certain types of tasks. This device has gained the greatest popularity in the woodworking industry. It is often used in fine works for the production of jewelry, souvenirs, musical instruments and furniture.One of the main features for which the wood jigsaw is so valued is the ability to carry out internal cuts on the workpiece without damaging its contour. Not the least role in usefulness of this device plays the convenience of its use when both hands of the operator are free and can best control the position of the product on work surface. To everything else, it is worth adding the accuracy of the resulting cutting line, as well as the ability to work with plastic and metal. All of the above advantages make a tabletop jigsaw the best tool for sawing decorative elements.
The working principle of a jigsaw machine
To create the clearest possible picture of the device table jigsaw, you need to understand what it consists of. Next, we will list all the design elements of an elementary apparatus of this type, without additional functionality (removing sawdust, speed control, tilting the working surface and other gadgets). So, stationary jigsaw consists of the following components:- Stable foundation
- Electric motor
- Crank assembly
- Desktop
- Upper and lower arm
- File clamping device
The whole process originates from the motor, which transmits rotation to the crank mechanism, which converts the circular motion into reciprocating motion. The connecting rod, which is part of the mechanism, transfers movement to the lower arm, causing it to move up and down. The entire structure described above is located under the desktop. The upper lever is located above the table surface and is connected to the lower spring, which serves as a saw blade tensioner. At the ends of both levers opposite to the spring there is a clamp where a saw is installed to cut the workpiece.
For greater clarity of the entire process described above, we present the following drawing of a jigsaw machine with the function of a saw blade tension regulator. Though this opportunity and is one of the main ones, we did not present it in the description of the design of an elementary device, since it is possible to work without it.
Jigsaw machine from electric jigsaw
Not everyone has a need to regularly carry out decorative figured cuts. Often, to solve such problems, home craftsmen only need a regular hand-held electric jigsaw. Not everyone wants to purchase a bulky and rather expensive device for one-time use and further collection of dust. Still, in everyday life, sometimes there is a job that requires the most accurate and accurate cutting. In this case, you can assemble a fairly simple jigsaw machine with your own hands, using a minimal set of materials and a little imagination.
Today, the network offers many different options for desktop jigsaws, with varying degrees of complexity and efficiency. After reviewing dozens of products, we settled on the most interesting and at the same time simple assembly that meets the main requirements for cutting quality. Even a beginner who has at his disposal can assemble such a jigsaw machine from a manual jigsaw with his own hands necessary tool. For assembly you will need:
- Chipboard sheet (3 pcs): 600x400x20 (length, width, height)
- Spring
- Profile pipe (1.5 m): 30x30x2 (length, width, thickness)
- Jigsaw
- Flat washers (4 pcs)
- Bolts for washers and connections
- Self-tapping screws for countertop assembly
Required tools:
- Welding machine
- Grinder with a metal disc
- Screwdriver
1.First of all, you should assemble the base of the future machine. To do this, take 3 prepared chipboard sheet or other fairly thick wood material and make a structure out of them that looks like the letter “p”. We fix it at the edges with self-tapping screws. For greater reliability and stability, you can make a back wall.
2. In the center of the surface of the assembled tabletop, we outline future holes for a file and several fasteners for a jigsaw. To do this, remove the sole from the jigsaw, apply it with the opposite (not flat) side to the future attachment point and make several points through the grooves of the sole. On at this stage it is necessary to maintain accuracy, since the jigsaw installed from below must have the most accurate, perpendicular location to the side edges of the table, in order to avoid distortion of the file during further work. We drill the marked points with a drill 3-4 mm, and the central one (for the file) by 10 mm. As in the photos below.
3. After fixing the jigsaw under the tabletop, we proceed to assembling the upper arm from square pipe, serving as a saw blade tensioner. As a fixed base, we cut off a part of the pipe, 300 mm long, and weld fixation elements (corners or ears) at one of the ends. The moving part should be slightly longer (about 45 cm). The connection of the two elements is carried out using a bolt with a nut and a U-shaped metal element welded to the end of the rack, as in the photo below.
A washer is welded to the end of the movable lever, which will be located directly on the file, which will serve as the upper fastening element.
4. Before installation assembled structure tensioner to the surface of the tabletop, be sure to make sure that the end of the arrow is located directly above the hole drilled for the file. If the top fastening moves too far to the side, the file will often tear, complicating the cutting process. When the ideal location of the tensioner has been verified, we fasten the structure to the tabletop with bolts.
5. Since the jigsaw is not suitable for working with thin files, we make a simple adapter fastener for it. To do this, take an old saw blade, grind off the teeth with a grinder, cut them to 3-4 cm in length and weld a regular nut to the end, into which the saw blade will be clamped using a second nut and bolt.
When making such an adapter, pay attention Special attention to its length. If it is too large, the nut will hit the bottom of the tabletop, which may cause the tool to break.
6. When the file is clamped in both fasteners, all that remains is to tension it and start working. The implementation of such a function is simple. We attach the spring to the back of the movable lever using a bolt and nut, and fix the opposite part to the tabletop to the required length. Determining the tension is very easy. To do this, just run your finger along the file, like a guitar string. A high sound will indicate that the device is operational.
At this stage, the assembly of the elementary device is considered complete. To more clearly understand how to make a machine from a jigsaw, we recommend watching the following video.
Homemade jigsaw from a drill
A screwdriver and a drill are among the most common power tools in any household. These devices are quite powerful, have a wide range of applications and are sometimes even used as drives for various mechanisms. The author of the following manual on assembling a tabletop jigsaw with his own hands uses a drill as a motor.
The manufacturing process of a classic machine presented below does not require welding and cutting metal with a grinder, but at the same time perfectly demonstrates the principle of operation of such a device. The device is based on a simple crank mechanism, which can be made in a couple of minutes, having at your disposal a piece of plywood and a short steel rod with a diameter of 6 mm. Unfortunately, the author did not provide detailed drawing jigsaw machine, but answered many questions by editing a visual video instruction.
The entire assembly process includes quite a lot small parts, easy to understand and do not require additional comments. For this reason, we decided not to explain basic things in words, but to touch only on the basic details of the design. By tradition, we begin the instructions by listing the required materials.
- Wooden slats (2 pcs): 500x40x20 (length, width, thickness)
- Chipboard for base: 400x350x20
- Chipboard for work surface: 320x320x20
- Chipboard strips (2 pcs): 350x50x20
- Aluminum sheet: 400x400x1
- Drill (screwdriver)
- PVC pipes (4 pcs): 300 mm in length
- Self-tapping screws, bolts, washers and nuts
- Wood glue
- Steel rod, 6mm diameter (for crank assembly)
- Spring
Required tools:
- Screwdriver or drill
- Pliers
- Metal scissors
- Hammer
In place of the presented saw tension mechanism, you can install a small lanyard with a fixing nut. This way, the tensioning process will be more convenient and efficient.
The author uses steel wire as a file for survival in the forest. Of course it's perfect straight cut such an element cannot be obtained, therefore, at the ends of the upper and lower arms, you should make fastener. You can clamp the file between two washers, tightened with a screw and a pair of nuts.
For the most durable and convenient fixation of the crank, it is better to use a drill chuck with a key. If you have this element, you can quickly remove the drill or screwdriver when you need it in another place. You can just as easily tighten it back.
We hope that the presented manual was useful and clearly conveyed the principle of operation and manufacture of the device. More visual instructions You can see how to make a homemade jigsaw in the video below.
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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 device for working with wood material, which is assembled from a larger number of spare parts, but making it will not be difficult. 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 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 homemade machine bracket that will serve as a stop.
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. We install a vertical frame post 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
To make this jigsaw table you must have a certain carpentry skill, since when connecting its frame to the legs, it must be done in a tongue-and-groove manner. 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.
Having made a jigsaw with your own hands, you will not only be able to purchase practical tool, but also save cash: it will be much cheaper than the factory analogue, while possessing a full range of functions. A homemade jigsaw will allow you to create products of complex shapes from wood, plastic and other materials, the production of which with hand tools under normal conditions would take a lot of time and effort.
A homemade jigsaw allows you to make cuts of complex shapes.
You should consider the structure and sequence of manufacturing a simple tabletop electric jigsaw, assembly features and the procedure for working with it.
How does a tabletop jigsaw work?
As the name suggests, this tool is designed to be placed on the surface of a desktop or workbench. Compact dimensions allow you to work with a jigsaw both in a workshop or garage, and at home. The electric jigsaw is an indispensable tool for making complex wood decorations, figured plywood carvings and similar works.
Kinematic diagram of the jigsaw drive.
It is necessary to take a closer look at the structure of a factory-produced desktop jigsaw. This will allow you to understand the main features of the device and apply them in a homemade model.
The components of an electric jigsaw can be divided into 3 parts:
- movable frame with saw;
- fixed base;
- Electrical engine.
The operating principle of the tool is as follows: an electric motor rotates a crank mechanism, which converts rotational movements into reciprocating movements. The movements are transmitted to a movable frame on which the saw is tensioned.
The homemade device works using the same principle. To simplify the design, the movable frame can be replaced with a regular hand jigsaw.
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Parts for electric jigsaw
When assembling an electric jigsaw, it is important to find a suitable motor that will drive the working tool - the saw. A motor from a drill, blender, etc. is perfect for this purpose. food processor or other equipment of the same type.
It is better to make the jigsaw frame from aluminum pipe.
The movable frame is made from metal profiles, wooden slats or slats made of durable plastic. It is most convenient to work with aluminum tubes of square section, since they are easy to process, have low weight and a significant margin of safety.
To fix the jigsaw in the desired position, you should make a reliable frame for it from wood or metal. The dimensions of the frame do not have much impact on the operation of the jigsaw. They depend only on which version of the tool you need - a compact tabletop or a full-size one installed on the floor.
The jigsaw table is made from a thick sheet of plywood, in which a small diameter hole is made where the saw will move (Fig. 2).
A gasket made of elastic material - rubber or leather - is placed between the body and the table, which will dampen vibration.
There is also a simpler option on how to make homemade jigsaw. It consists in the fact that a hand-held electric jigsaw is mounted in a vertical position on a table-stand, while its file is attached tightly to movable guide bars - levers.
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Assembling a table jigsaw
Construction homemade jigsaw begins with assembling the body, which can be made of plywood, chipboard or metal. The most simple model This tool can be used without a housing, but in this case strong vibrations occur, which can significantly affect the ease of use. In this case, two holes are made in the jigsaw - one for attaching the crank to the tool, the second for movably fixing the jigsaw itself to the table. After starting the engine, the jigsaw begins to produce reciprocating movements that facilitate sawing of the material.
Such a spring will provide the necessary tension on the jigsaw saw.
A more sophisticated model includes two separate strips with wing nuts installed at the ends. At the opposite end, the planks are pulled together by a strong spring, ensuring constant tension on the saw. Such a device operates from a separate motor or, for example, from a drill.
There is a vertical bar running inside the case, which is fixedly attached to its bottom or one of the walls. Two holes are made in it, the distance between which should be 2-3 cm less than the length of a standard file. Bolts or pins are inserted into the holes, onto which strips are placed that hold the file.
The engine is built into the housing and is attached to the bottom bar by means of a disk with a connecting rod mechanism. A table with a hole for a file acts as a cover for the case.
The main disadvantage of a jigsaw with a separate motor lies in its most intricate part - the crank mechanism. The file with it makes not only vertical, but also oblique movements, which cannot but affect the cutting accuracy. If you need to get a precise tool, then it is better to replace the engine with an inexpensive factory-made manual jigsaw. It is secured under the surface of the body and a file is passed through the table, clamping it with one end in the jigsaw and the other in top bar designs. This design ensures sufficient cutting accuracy, bringing this parameter closer to factory models.
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Advantages of using an electric jigsaw
A jigsaw allows you to make complex cuts very accurately.
Unlike hand tools, an electric jigsaw has clear advantages, including:
- higher operating speed;
- the ability to work with two hands, which increases accuracy;
- safety - with proper organization A stationary labor tool is much safer because it cannot break out of your hands.
Besides, self-production An electric jigsaw will save money, since factory machines of this type are quite expensive.
An electric jigsaw is an extremely useful tool, without which many operations on processing wood and wood-based materials are simply impossible to imagine today. Possessing a relatively small weight and compactness, a manual jigsaw allows you to cut out products of quite complex configurations from workpieces, but still, sometimes it would be more convenient to use a stationary tool. It is often more convenient for them to work, and the machine also provides more accurate cutting. True, such a machine costs several times more than a manual jigsaw. Anyone who doesn’t want to spend extra money on this equipment can make a jigsaw table with their own hands and end up with an inexpensive and effective hybrid of a hand tool and a machine tool.
Figure 1. Diagram of a jigsaw table.
The simplest device
Some kind of table for a jigsaw can be made in a few minutes. The advantage of this design is its simplicity. It is easily mounted on a workbench or tabletop and can be easily disassembled if necessary. The disadvantage can be considered its small area.
The working surface of the machine will be laminated plywood, in which holes are drilled for sawing and for installing fasteners. The thickness of the plywood should not be less than 10 mm. You may also need to prepare holes in the base of the power tool for mounting screws. The structure is attached to the workbench with clamps. The heads of the mounting screws must be flush with the plane of the sheet. Such a machine can easily cope with cutting small workpieces up to 30 mm thick. What the device looks like is shown in Figure 1.
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Second option
Another stationary device for working with wood consists of more parts, but it is also not difficult to make. The table frame consists of 2 sidewalls and a back wall made of chipboard. The machine does not have a front wall to make it easy to reach the button. Holes for the cord and tube of the vacuum cleaner are drilled in the back wall. The machine cover is made of laminated 10 mm plywood. The entire structure is tightened with confirmations. The jigsaw is attached in the same way as in the first case.
Figure 2. Diagram of a frame-support for a jigsaw.
Using a homemade machine, you can saw larger workpieces, but when working with thick wood, the jigsaw blade may tilt back and in both directions. This degrades cutting accuracy. The disadvantage is eliminated by installing a stop bracket on a homemade machine (Figure No. 2). The jigsaw blade will move between 2 11mm bearings, which are screwed to the L-shaped steel strip with screws. The back of the file will rest on the wall of the bracket. This design will not allow the jigsaw working blade to deviate from the specified plane.
The bracket is attached to a frame made of birch bars 50 x 50 mm. It can be raised or lowered depending on the thickness of the material being processed and the length of the file. To do this, the frame with the stop is not tightly attached to the side of the machine, but is pressed against it with a steel, hardboard or textolite plate. Vertical stand The birch frame is located between the frame and the hardboard, into which 4 clamping bolts are inserted.
The area of the countertop depends on the size of the workpieces you are going to work with.
The machine can be made more perfect by installing a limit bar on it, which will help cut wood into pieces of the same thickness.
The limiter can be attached to the machine with clamps. It is made from wooden block, steel or aluminum corner. If desired, the bar can be installed on a slide attached to the bottom or sides of the table top. You can make 2 parallel slots in the tabletop along which the slats will move. Holes are drilled in it. Studs or screws with wing nuts are passed through them and the slots. Tape measures are attached to the ends of the tabletop.
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Table made of bars and chipboard
Figure 3. Diagram of a tabletop for a jigsaw.
The manufacture of this table requires certain carpentry skills, since the connections between its frame and legs are made in a tongue and groove manner. However, you can use dowels, wood glue and screws instead. The machine cover will be liftable to provide easier access to the tool when dismantling it. Figure 3 shows what the countertop looks like. If desired, you can provide space for installing a manual milling machine, then the machine will become multifunctional.
The table is made from:
- bars 80 x 80 mm;
- bars 40 x 80 mm;
- Laminated chipboard or laminated plywood 900 x 900 mm.
The distance between the legs can be from 600 to 700 mm. The bars for the drawers and legs are obtained after longitudinal sawing of the 80 x 80 bars. You can choose the height of the legs yourself, based on how convenient it will be to work on the machine. At each end of the frame and legs, 2 holes are drilled for dowels. Corresponding holes are made on the sides of the legs. The dowels are coated with glue half their length and inserted into the ends. After this, the frame is assembled in rough form. After correcting possible shortcomings, it is finally tightened. All contact surfaces are lubricated with glue before assembly. Additional strength of the structure will be given by self-tapping screws, which are screwed through holes prepared in advance for them.
The lid is attached to one of the drawers on hinges; for this purpose, a slot is made in it to facilitate installation and removal of the jigsaw. 2 strips with a selected quarter are screwed to the back of the tabletop, which will include the sole of the power tool. Holes are made in the strips into which clamping screws or bolts will be installed. A jigsaw mounted under the tabletop will be able to process thicker workpieces if a recess is made in the lid for its sole. The easiest way to make it milling machine. The table turned out to be quite spacious, so a large thickness of plywood or chipboard can provide sufficient strength to its lid. Use 20mm or thicker sheets.
