Years of DIY but first attempt at cutting a 60cm wide kitchen worktop.

My 15-year-old Bosch jigsaw seems to foul up halfway through: the blade has
jumped out of its guide roller and is bending sideways. I'm using a straight
edge clamped to the top of the workpiece but below the surface the blade has
wandered enough to ruin the cut. And the jigsaw is protesting etc.

I use this as an excuse to buy a new Bosch gst100bce jigsaw. Lovely smooth
and easy cut until about halfway through; then the same thing happens - this
time with more smoke and drama, I suppose because of the higher power of the
new tool (blade is smoking hot and bent to hell before I notice).

New blades, downward-cutting, pendulum off (on the new one - the old one
doesn't have it), very slow steady and careful all times etc etc. No
problems with chipping of worktop etc: very neat on all cuts so far. No sign
of anything which would make the chipboard worktop suddenly toiugher to cut
halfway in from the front edge.

I'm not stuck for cutting the basic lengths. I can use a circular saw or a
handsaw and if necessary finish the edge with a power planer or router. But
WHY can't I do it with a jigsaw? And - more to the point - how will I be
able to cut out a 95x48cm hole for the sink if the jigsaw fails to cut
properly after 30cm?

All advice gratefully received.

"rrh" wrote in message


My 15-year-old Bosch jigsaw seems to foul up halfway through: the blade has
jumped out of its guide roller and is bending sideways. I'm using a straight
edge clamped to the top of the workpiece but below the surface the blade has
wandered enough to ruin the cut. And the jigsaw is protesting etc.

I use this as an excuse to buy a new Bosch gst100bce jigsaw. Lovely smooth
and easy cut until about halfway through; then the same thing happens - this
time with more smoke and drama, I suppose because of the higher power of the
new tool (blade is smoking hot and bent to hell before I notice).

If you have to cut the units on a concrete floor, try raising them up a
little more than the travel of the blade with some 3 x 2s.


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

"rrh" wrote in message
...
Years of DIY but first attempt at cutting a 60cm wide kitchen worktop.

My 15-year-old Bosch jigsaw seems to foul up halfway through: the blade
has
jumped out of its guide roller and is bending sideways. I'm using a
straight
edge clamped to the top of the workpiece but below the surface the blade
has
wandered enough to ruin the cut. And the jigsaw is protesting etc.

I use this as an excuse to buy a new Bosch gst100bce jigsaw. Lovely smooth
and easy cut until about halfway through; then the same thing happens -
this
time with more smoke and drama, I suppose because of the higher power of
the
new tool (blade is smoking hot and bent to hell before I notice).

New blades, downward-cutting, pendulum off (on the new one - the old one
doesn't have it), very slow steady and careful all times etc etc. No
problems with chipping of worktop etc: very neat on all cuts so far. No
sign
of anything which would make the chipboard worktop suddenly toiugher to
cut
halfway in from the front edge.

I'm not stuck for cutting the basic lengths. I can use a circular saw or a
handsaw and if necessary finish the edge with a power planer or router.
But
WHY can't I do it with a jigsaw? And - more to the point - how will I be
able to cut out a 95x48cm hole for the sink if the jigsaw fails to cut
properly after 30cm?

All advice gratefully received.

My only thought is crap blades. I had a similar worktop disaster
(documented in another thread here) some time ago but on Andy's advice
bought the same jigsaw as you and breezed through the work. However I did
find the B&Q downcutters were useless whereas the ones from my local wood
merchant were excellent.

"rrh" wrote in message
...
Years of DIY but first attempt at cutting a 60cm wide kitchen worktop.

My 15-year-old Bosch jigsaw seems to foul up halfway through: the blade
has
jumped out of its guide roller and is bending sideways. I'm using a
straight
edge clamped to the top of the workpiece but below the surface the blade
has
wandered enough to ruin the cut. And the jigsaw is protesting etc.
..

Is there any chance that the cut slot is closing up - being forced
back together? This would grip the blade and give your symptoms. I can't
think
of any other reason for it starting when half-way across. Try wedging the
cut open.

Peter Scott

"rrh" wrote in message
...
Years of DIY but first attempt at cutting a 60cm wide kitchen worktop.

My 15-year-old Bosch jigsaw seems to foul up halfway through: the blade
has
jumped out of its guide roller and is bending sideways. I'm using a
straight
edge clamped to the top of the workpiece but below the surface the blade
has
wandered enough to ruin the cut. And the jigsaw is protesting etc.

I use this as an excuse to buy a new Bosch gst100bce jigsaw. Lovely
smooth
and easy cut until about halfway through; then the same thing happens -
this
time with more smoke and drama, I suppose because of the higher power of
the
new tool (blade is smoking hot and bent to hell before I notice).

New blades, downward-cutting, pendulum off (on the new one - the old one
doesn't have it), very slow steady and careful all times etc etc. No
problems with chipping of worktop etc: very neat on all cuts so far. No
sign
of anything which would make the chipboard worktop suddenly toiugher to
cut
halfway in from the front edge.

I'm not stuck for cutting the basic lengths. I can use a circular saw or
a
handsaw and if necessary finish the edge with a power planer or router.
But
WHY can't I do it with a jigsaw? And - more to the point - how will I be
able to cut out a 95x48cm hole for the sink if the jigsaw fails to cut
properly after 30cm?

All advice gratefully received.


This is extremely unlikely, but it did happen to me about 10 years ago.
Slowly cutting a worktop with trusty jigsaw and came to a grinding halt.
Eventually found the cause ~ a 3 inch nail embedded within the worktop.
Million-to-one chance but that's my luck.
just my 2p
Nick.

"rrh" wrote in message
...
Years of DIY but first attempt at cutting a 60cm wide kitchen worktop.

My 15-year-old Bosch jigsaw seems to foul up halfway through: the blade has
jumped out of its guide roller and is bending sideways. I'm using a straight
edge clamped to the top of the workpiece but below the surface the blade has
wandered enough to ruin the cut. And the jigsaw is protesting etc.

I use this as an excuse to buy a new Bosch gst100bce jigsaw. Lovely smooth
and easy cut until about halfway through; then the same thing happens - this
time with more smoke and drama, I suppose because of the higher power of the
new tool (blade is smoking hot and bent to hell before I notice).

New blades, downward-cutting, pendulum off (on the new one - the old one
doesn't have it), very slow steady and careful all times etc etc. No
problems with chipping of worktop etc: very neat on all cuts so far. No sign
of anything which would make the chipboard worktop suddenly toiugher to cut
halfway in from the front edge.

I'm not stuck for cutting the basic lengths. I can use a circular saw or a
handsaw and if necessary finish the edge with a power planer or router. But
WHY can't I do it with a jigsaw? And - more to the point - how will I be
able to cut out a 95x48cm hole for the sink if the jigsaw fails to cut
properly after 30cm?

All advice gratefully received.



Try not to push to hard and cut to quickly with the jigsaw. Let the blade cut
through by itself with just a little pressure and guidance from you. You've now
had two jigsaws burn out and do the same thing, so it's broken. But it could be
you that is thinking a jigsaw should be a lot faster than a normal handsaw and
it isn't. A jigsaw is only a labour saving device for lazy buggers that can't
pull a normal handsaw backwards and forward. It is a lot slower to cut
something as thick as a worktop with a jigsaw than it is with a good handsaw.

A good workman never blames his tools, because he uses them properly from the
start. So stop pushing to hard and trying to cut to quickly, and you might a
tool that will last the length of the cut.

Sorry, but you sound just like my heavy handed brother. He too said that it was
the jigsaw when all the time it was in to much of a hurry.


---
http://www.basecuritysystems.no-ip.com

Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.701 / Virus Database: 458 - Release Date: 07/06/04

If you have to cut the units on a concrete floor, try raising them up a
little more than the travel of the blade with some 3 x 2s.

It's a tiled floor but the worktops are raised in the way you describe.
Plenty of room underneath.

My only thought is crap blades. I had a similar worktop disaster
(documented in another thread here) some time ago but on Andy's advice
bought the same jigsaw as you and breezed through the work. However I did
find the B&Q downcutters were useless whereas the ones from my local wood
merchant were excellent.

That's a thought. Blades are Performance Power, from B&Q. I have some pukka
Bosch ones too so may try them before giving up. Thanks.

Is there any chance that the cut slot is closing up - being forced
back together? This would grip the blade and give your symptoms. I can't
think of any other reason for it starting when half-way across. Try
wedging the
cut open.

No, it's not this. At this stage I am only trying to cut off a thin strip
which is under no tension or compression.

Try not to push to hard and cut to quickly with the jigsaw. Let the blade
cut
through by itself with just a little pressure and guidance from you.
You've now
had two jigsaws burn out and do the same thing, so it's broken. But it
could be
you that is thinking a jigsaw should be a lot faster than a normal handsaw
and
it isn't. A jigsaw is only a labour saving device for lazy buggers that
can't
pull a normal handsaw backwards and forward. It is a lot slower to cut
something as thick as a worktop with a jigsaw than it is with a good
handsaw.

A good workman never blames his tools, because he uses them properly from
the
start. So stop pushing to hard and trying to cut to quickly, and you
might a
tool that will last the length of the cut.

Sorry, but you sound just like my heavy handed brother. He too said that
it was
the jigsaw when all the time it was in to much of a hurry.


This is very good advice, for which thanks, but I really have been
mega-careful and slow. This is a job for myself and I don't care how long it
takes. With the new jigsaw - indeed both - I kept it very gentle. And I
finished the latest cut with a handsaw which as you say was no slower. But I
will try again, this time using proper Bosch blades after another poster's
suggestion.

On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 20:01:18 GMT, BigWallop wrote:

Try not to push to hard and cut to quickly with the jigsaw. Let the
blade cut through by itself with just a little pressure and guidance
from you.

Aye, moderate downward pressure to keep the saw from bouncing about
but virtually none in the forward direction.

Statements like "(blade is smoking hot and bent to hell before I
notice)" shows that the blade is being asked to do far more work than
it is capable of and the operator is not paying sufficient attention
to what the tool is telling him. Perhaps the operator doesn't know the
signs of compliant from the tool?

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 19:07:39 +0100, "rrh"
strung together this:

I'm not stuck for cutting the basic lengths. I can use a circular saw or a
handsaw and if necessary finish the edge with a power planer or router. But
WHY can't I do it with a jigsaw?

Because you haven't got the right technique. A jigsaw won't follow a
straight edge across a worktop, you'll need to twist the baseplate on
the way across to keep it in line. Don't force the jigsaw across, just
let it cut at its own pace. And use decent blades. Also, you'll never
get a perfectly vertical cut, it'll always wander slightly.
--

SJW
A.C.S. Ltd

On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 19:07:39 +0100, "rrh"
wrote:

Years of DIY but first attempt at cutting a 60cm wide kitchen worktop.

My 15-year-old Bosch jigsaw seems to foul up halfway through: the blade has
jumped out of its guide roller and is bending sideways. I'm using a straight
edge clamped to the top of the workpiece but below the surface the blade has
wandered enough to ruin the cut. And the jigsaw is protesting etc.

I use this as an excuse to buy a new Bosch gst100bce jigsaw. Lovely smooth
and easy cut until about halfway through; then the same thing happens - this
time with more smoke and drama, I suppose because of the higher power of the
new tool (blade is smoking hot and bent to hell before I notice).

New blades, downward-cutting, pendulum off (on the new one - the old one
doesn't have it), very slow steady and careful all times etc etc. No
problems with chipping of worktop etc: very neat on all cuts so far. No sign
of anything which would make the chipboard worktop suddenly toiugher to cut
halfway in from the front edge.

I'm not stuck for cutting the basic lengths. I can use a circular saw or a
handsaw and if necessary finish the edge with a power planer or router. But
WHY can't I do it with a jigsaw? And - more to the point - how will I be
able to cut out a 95x48cm hole for the sink if the jigsaw fails to cut
properly after 30cm?

All advice gratefully received.


Cut my mum's sink bit with my Bosch jigsaw no problems.

Brand new blade (Bosch) and took it nice and slow, stopping to keep
the blade coolish.
Even changed the blade halfway round to another new one just to be
sure and was pleased with the resulting hole. ;-)

Mark S.

On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 20:19:34 UTC, "rrh"
wrote:

Is there any chance that the cut slot is closing up - being forced
back together? This would grip the blade and give your symptoms. I can't
think of any other reason for it starting when half-way across. Try
wedging the
cut open.

No, it's not this. At this stage I am only trying to cut off a thin strip
which is under no tension or compression.

Google back a month or two; someone said something about this.

I believe it was to do with 'steering'; you steer not by using sideways
pressure, but by attempting to rotate the saw about the axis of the
blade. Sideways pressure will get the result you describe, even if very
gentle.

--
Bob Eager
begin a new life...dump Windows!

On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 21:16:53 +0100, "rrh"
wrote:

My only thought is crap blades. I had a similar worktop disaster
(documented in another thread here) some time ago but on Andy's advice
bought the same jigsaw as you and breezed through the work. However I did
find the B&Q downcutters were useless whereas the ones from my local wood
merchant were excellent.

That's a thought. Blades are Performance Power, from B&Q.

Sling them because they are garbage.

I have some pukka
Bosch ones too so may try them before giving up. Thanks.

This is a good saw and will do a lot better with decent blades.

To be honest though, I wouldn't cut worktop end joints with a jig saw.
Even with a decent one like this, the results are not going to be
superlative.

For these joints it is better to go and hire a router and jig and do
it that way.

THe jigsaw should be OK for the sink hole, because the lip of the sink
should cover the sins - or is it undermounted?

You can also use a router to cut sink holes but it will need guide
rails or a template to do it.


..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 19:07:39 +0100, rrh wrote:

Years of DIY but first attempt at cutting a 60cm wide kitchen worktop.

My 15-year-old Bosch jigsaw seems to foul up halfway through: the blade has
jumped out of its guide roller and is bending sideways. I'm using a straight
edge clamped to the top of the workpiece but below the surface the blade has
wandered enough to ruin the cut. And the jigsaw is protesting etc.

I use this as an excuse to buy a new Bosch gst100bce jigsaw. Lovely smooth
and easy cut until about halfway through; then the same thing happens - this
time with more smoke and drama, I suppose because of the higher power of the
new tool (blade is smoking hot and bent to hell before I notice).

New blades, downward-cutting, pendulum off (on the new one - the old one
doesn't have it), very slow steady and careful all times etc etc. No
problems with chipping of worktop etc: very neat on all cuts so far. No sign
of anything which would make the chipboard worktop suddenly toiugher to cut
halfway in from the front edge.

I'm not stuck for cutting the basic lengths. I can use a circular saw or a
handsaw and if necessary finish the edge with a power planer or router. But
WHY can't I do it with a jigsaw? And - more to the point - how will I be
able to cut out a 95x48cm hole for the sink if the jigsaw fails to cut
properly after 30cm?

All advice gratefully received.

The down cutting blades are IME not all that helpful as they tend to wear
out very quickly indeed (even if you do all the right things).
In fact IME sharp fine normal blades will up-cut the top of the laminate
quite well and they work so much better. Try them out on an off cut to
gain confidence.

The stroke on cutting 38mm worktop is very near the stroke length of most
jigsaws so there can be issues to do with the bottom of the blade not
cutting right through. The above is certainly true if you try to cut
through the top rails of the unit carcass at the same time as the
work top.

HTH

--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html

I use a circular saw to cut the straight edges of a sink/hob cut out, I only
use the jig saw for the curves & corners.

Simply retract the guard, lower the front of the saw baseplate on to the
work top, & align the blade on the line, switch on & lower the blade into
the top, pressing down on the front of the baseplate

It helps to be left handed here, remember the saw wants to move back, so
hold on tight.

Wood blades are useless for worktops, I use a Bosch 127 or 227D ali blade

If you are not happy with this method, DONT DO IT.

Pay some one who knows what they are doing.
--
regards
dave batter
www.kitchenman.co.uk
www.sxmitres.info
www.marks-family.co.uk
www.essex-sandivers.info
http://oneandone.co.uk/xml/init?k_id5568652
"Michael Mcneil" wrote in message
news:0d7182444ae5aba71d5c31cc723cc466.45219@mygate .mailgate.org...
"rrh" wrote in message


My 15-year-old Bosch jigsaw seems to foul up halfway through: the blade
has
jumped out of its guide roller and is bending sideways. I'm using a
straight
edge clamped to the top of the workpiece but below the surface the blade
has
wandered enough to ruin the cut. And the jigsaw is protesting etc.

I use this as an excuse to buy a new Bosch gst100bce jigsaw. Lovely
smooth
and easy cut until about halfway through; then the same thing happens -
this
time with more smoke and drama, I suppose because of the higher power of
the
new tool (blade is smoking hot and bent to hell before I notice).

If you have to cut the units on a concrete floor, try raising them up a
little more than the travel of the blade with some 3 x 2s.


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

Ed Sirett wrote in message ...
The stroke on cutting 38mm worktop is very near the stroke length of most
jigsaws so there can be issues to do with the bottom of the blade not
cutting right through. The above is certainly true if you try to cut
through the top rails of the unit carcass at the same time as the
work top.
Did the OP say what the work surface was made of? In solid wood you can
always hit a resinous strip. Ikea beech is a sod in that respect.
I always use the blade with the widest set (sold for rough cutting). This
has worked fine for everything other than *really* intricate cuts

rrh wrote:

Years of DIY but first attempt at cutting a 60cm wide kitchen worktop.

My 15-year-old Bosch jigsaw seems to foul up halfway through: the blade has
jumped out of its guide roller and is bending sideways. I'm using a straight
edge clamped to the top of the workpiece but below the surface the blade has
wandered enough to ruin the cut. And the jigsaw is protesting etc.

I use this as an excuse to buy a new Bosch gst100bce jigsaw. Lovely smooth
and easy cut until about halfway through; then the same thing happens - this
time with more smoke and drama, I suppose because of the higher power of the
new tool (blade is smoking hot and bent to hell before I notice).

New blades, downward-cutting, pendulum off (on the new one - the old one
doesn't have it), very slow steady and careful all times etc etc. No
problems with chipping of worktop etc: very neat on all cuts so far. No sign
of anything which would make the chipboard worktop suddenly toiugher to cut
halfway in from the front edge.

I'm not stuck for cutting the basic lengths. I can use a circular saw or a
handsaw and if necessary finish the edge with a power planer or router. But
WHY can't I do it with a jigsaw? And - more to the point - how will I be
able to cut out a 95x48cm hole for the sink if the jigsaw fails to cut
properly after 30cm?

Are you supporting the free end of the worktop? If this is hanging
loose, it will start to droop as the amount of uncut worktop reduces
eventually closing up the bottom of the cut. If you're cutting off more
than a few centimetres, the weight and the leverage effect will be more
than enough to stop the blade.

Roger.

"Ed Sirett" wrote in message on.co.uk...
On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 19:07:39 +0100, rrh wrote:

Years of DIY but first attempt at cutting a 60cm wide kitchen worktop.

My 15-year-old Bosch jigsaw seems to foul up halfway through: the blade has
jumped out of its guide roller and is bending sideways. I'm using a straight
edge clamped to the top of the workpiece but below the surface the blade has
wandered enough to ruin the cut. And the jigsaw is protesting etc.

I use this as an excuse to buy a new Bosch gst100bce jigsaw. Lovely smooth
and easy cut until about halfway through; then the same thing happens - this
time with more smoke and drama, I suppose because of the higher power of the
new tool (blade is smoking hot and bent to hell before I notice).

New blades, downward-cutting, pendulum off (on the new one - the old one
doesn't have it), very slow steady and careful all times etc etc. No
problems with chipping of worktop etc: very neat on all cuts so far. No sign
of anything which would make the chipboard worktop suddenly toiugher to cut
halfway in from the front edge.

I'm not stuck for cutting the basic lengths. I can use a circular saw or a
handsaw and if necessary finish the edge with a power planer or router. But
WHY can't I do it with a jigsaw? And - more to the point - how will I be
able to cut out a 95x48cm hole for the sink if the jigsaw fails to cut
properly after 30cm?

All advice gratefully received.

The down cutting blades are IME not all that helpful as they tend to wear
out very quickly indeed (even if you do all the right things).
In fact IME sharp fine normal blades will up-cut the top of the laminate
quite well and they work so much better. Try them out on an off cut to
gain confidence.

The stroke on cutting 38mm worktop is very near the stroke length of most
jigsaws so there can be issues to do with the bottom of the blade not
cutting right through. The above is certainly true if you try to cut
through the top rails of the unit carcass at the same time as the
work top.

HTH


From personal experience...As soon as the blade gets the least bit
blunt - after circa 30 cm+ of cutting worktop chipboard i changed it
and had no problems..When i didn't change it, i had to push harder,
the square cut was soon squint, there was scorching on the wood and
then the blade snapped... You can almost hear the difference in cut as
the tone changes a little when the blade is getting blunt

The glue in chipboard seems to blunt the blades a lot more quickly,
similarly to cutting mdf etc. I also tended to use " brand " names
such as bosch and B&D as opposed to B&Q Performance Pro blades..For a
few quid more i wanted a clean and accurate cut.

I used a makita circular saw to cut the worktops in half
etc...Brilliant!! Dead straight, no chipping

Roger Wareham wrote in message ...
rrh wrote:

Years of DIY but first attempt at cutting a 60cm wide kitchen worktop.

My 15-year-old Bosch jigsaw seems to foul up halfway through: the blade has
jumped out of its guide roller and is bending sideways. I'm using a straight
edge clamped to the top of the workpiece but below the surface the blade has
wandered enough to ruin the cut. And the jigsaw is protesting etc.

I use this as an excuse to buy a new Bosch gst100bce jigsaw. Lovely smooth
and easy cut until about halfway through; then the same thing happens - this
time with more smoke and drama, I suppose because of the higher power of the
new tool (blade is smoking hot and bent to hell before I notice).

New blades, downward-cutting, pendulum off (on the new one - the old one
doesn't have it), very slow steady and careful all times etc etc. No
problems with chipping of worktop etc: very neat on all cuts so far. No sign
of anything which would make the chipboard worktop suddenly toiugher to cut
halfway in from the front edge.

I'm not stuck for cutting the basic lengths. I can use a circular saw or a
handsaw and if necessary finish the edge with a power planer or router. But
WHY can't I do it with a jigsaw? And - more to the point - how will I be
able to cut out a 95x48cm hole for the sink if the jigsaw fails to cut
properly after 30cm?

Are you supporting the free end of the worktop? If this is hanging
loose, it will start to droop as the amount of uncut worktop reduces
eventually closing up the bottom of the cut. If you're cutting off more
than a few centimetres, the weight and the leverage effect will be more
than enough to stop the blade.

Roger.

Apart from cutting out sink holes, you should just forget the jigsaw
and use a handsaw for all other worktop cuts, learn to cut straight
and then finish with a block end plane for a nice finish on wood or to
give a good surface to iron on the edging strip. To be honest I
generally only use a jig saw where the cut surface can't be seen and I
don't care about the blade wander. If you must use a jigsaw the first
thing to do is to get the blade guard out of the way so you can see
what you are doing. If you take care then with the blade guard out of
the way you should still manage not to remove any fingers or larger
limbs/extremities.

Fash

Apart from cutting out sink holes, you should just forget the jigsaw
and use a handsaw for all other worktop cuts, learn to cut straight
and then finish with a block end plane for a nice finish on wood or to
give a good surface to iron on the edging strip. To be honest I
generally only use a jig saw where the cut surface can't be seen and I
don't care about the blade wander. If you must use a jigsaw the first
thing to do is to get the blade guard out of the way so you can see
what you are doing. If you take care then with the blade guard out of
the way you should still manage not to remove any fingers or larger
limbs/extremities.

Thanks to you and all other posters for the advice. I have now made a couple
of near-perfect straight cuts with a handsaw, and cleared up most of mess
from the jigsaw failures with a router. I'll use the jigsaw only when
essential, with proper blades, eg for the sink cutout.

rrh wrote:
Apart from cutting out sink holes, you should just forget the jigsaw
and use a handsaw for all other worktop cuts, learn to cut straight
and then finish with a block end plane for a nice finish on wood or
to give a good surface to iron on the edging strip. To be honest I
generally only use a jig saw where the cut surface can't be seen and
I don't care about the blade wander. If you must use a jigsaw the
first thing to do is to get the blade guard out of the way so you
can see what you are doing. If you take care then with the blade
guard out of the way you should still manage not to remove any
fingers or larger limbs/extremities.

Thanks to you and all other posters for the advice. I have now made a
couple of near-perfect straight cuts with a handsaw, and cleared up
most of mess from the jigsaw failures with a router. I'll use the
jigsaw only when essential, with proper blades, eg for the sink
cutout.

Why not giive the circular saw a go? You should get absolutely perfect cuts
with that.

Bob

Why not giive the circular saw a go? You should get absolutely perfect
cuts
with that.

Bob

May do. But what I ended up with today was just fine. And I need the
exercise...

(Lurch) wrote in message ...
On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 19:07:39 +0100, "rrh"
strung together this:

I'm not stuck for cutting the basic lengths. I can use a circular saw or a
handsaw and if necessary finish the edge with a power planer or router. But
WHY can't I do it with a jigsaw?

Because you haven't got the right technique. A jigsaw won't follow a
straight edge across a worktop, you'll need to twist the baseplate on
the way across to keep it in line. Don't force the jigsaw across, just
let it cut at its own pace. And use decent blades. Also, you'll never
get a perfectly vertical cut, it'll always wander slightly.


This one's it. Jig blades will always bend a little, its the nature of
a jigsaw with a small unsupported blade. When that happens, if you
dont steer the saw correctly, what you describe will occur. To be
honest jigs are about the worst choice of saw for any job where you
can use any other kind.


Regards, NT

"rrh" wrote in message
...

Why not giive the circular saw a go? You should get absolutely perfect
cuts
with that.

Bob

May do. But what I ended up with today was just fine. And I need the
exercise...



just remember to always cut with the worktop face down when using a circular
saw and cut from front to back to avoid/reduce chipping of the laminate