You could with the right jigsaw such as the Bosch 1590 but that is around
$160. Sears is clearing out the Bosch clone [ model 27719] of their old
jigsaw which still is an excellent jigsaw and many Sears have them for $39
in their clearance center down from $149. Having said that a circular saw is
a great tool and user's need to understand how to use them safely including
using a good sharp blade, only using as much blade as needed for the depth
of cut, respecting the tool until the blade is stationary, clamping your
work, using a stance that has a good balance and firm support, supporting
the work properly, and working in a clear work area, etc. As others have
mentioned a miter saw is another great tool to have for crosscutting. You
can get a decent miter saw for under $150 such as the Hitachi models sold at
Lowes. Bosch has a circular saw [CS20/CS10] that will stop spinning the
blade if the blade pinches instead of causing kickback. The CS10 goes for
around $119 regular price. --- Steve



wrote in message
oups.com...
I currently have a reciprocating saw that I've used to rebuild a fence
with, but I just received a circular saw as a gift. It's a low-end Skil
saw (so there is no electric brake), and I'm thinking about exchanging
it for a jigsaw instead. I want to repair the soffit & fascia on my
house, and occasionally make small blocks of wood. However, I'm not
really comfortable with spinning objects (years ago I witnessed a
handyman lose a finger trying to saw plywood on my lawn, he could have
gotten his foot sawn off as well...). Can I do what I want to do with
just my reciprocating saw and an orbital jigsaw?

Thanks for any replies.

Jan