What a jigsaw does
The blade reciprocates — up and down through the shoe — while you guide the saw along a line on work that is clamped still. Its strengths are curves, openings and irregular shapes in boards and sheets, where a straight-cutting saw cannot follow the line. It is not a scroll saw: a scroll saw is a stationary machine whose fine blade is clamped at both ends, and the work moves while the saw stays put. A jigsaw's blade is held only at its top, which is what lets it cut anywhere on a large panel, and also why it is less precise in thick stock. Long straight cuts in sheets are better made with a circular saw or a track saw; tight curves in thick stock are band saw work. Reciprocating saws are a different tool and not covered here.
Two jigsaws by their makers' figures
| Specification | Bosch JS470E (corded) | DEWALT DCS334 (cordless) |
|---|---|---|
| Blades | T-shank only; does not accept U-shank | T-shank only |
| Stroke length | 1 in (25 mm) | Not stated in the documents reviewed |
| Speed | 500 to 3,100 SPM, six-step dial | Product page: 'Maximum Speed 3200-rpm' |
| Orbital settings | O, I, II, III | 0 (straight), 1, 2, 3 |
| Maximum capacity | Wood 3-1/2 in; aluminium 13/16 in; mild steel 5/16 in | Not stated in the documents reviewed |
| Bevel | 45° either way; detents 0° and 45°; marks 15°, 22.5°, 30° | 45° either way; detents 15° and 30° |
| Dust | Two-position chip blower; extraction kit sold separately | Dust blower; extraction shroud and chute optional |
| Surface protection | Non-marring overshoe; anti-splinter insert | No-mar shoe cover; anti-splinter insert |
Each figure is the maker's own; settings with the same number are not the same on both saws. A maximum capacity is the most the saw can cut through, not a recommended thickness for clean work. DEWALT's page gives the battery as 20V MAX, which it explains as a maximum initial voltage of 20 and a nominal 18.
Equipment notePaid link
20V jigsaw, tool only
DEWALT DCS334B
The cordless saw in the table above: T-shank blades only, four cutting actions and a shoe that bevels 45° each way, by DEWALT's DCS334 manual.
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Blades and tooth direction
Both saws take T-shank blades only — Bosch states its saw does not accept U-shank blades — so check your own saw's manual before buying blades. Fit a blade with the saw unplugged or the battery out, push the shank fully into the clamp, and seat the back of the blade in the guide roller's groove, as both makers describe. Bosch says the blade decides how well the saw follows curves, how smooth the finish is and how fast it cuts, and recommends a narrow or scroll blade for tight curves and a test cut in scrap first.
- Teeth up (most blades): Bosch says they pull the saw against the work, reduce vibration and leave the bottom face clean, so the side that shows can go face down.
- Teeth down (reverse-tooth, such as Bosch's T101BR): the top face, under the shoe, comes out clean — Bosch's example is cutting an installed countertop from above. Press the saw down; Bosch requires orbit setting O.
- Teeth straight out: both faces clean, with downward force, and only at Bosch's setting O.
- Anti-splinter insert: both makers supply one to reduce tear-out on the top face; Bosch says its insert works only with blades whose sides are ground, naming its T301CD, T101B, T101D and T101DP. DEWALT says to remove its insert when using a flush-cut blade.
Speed, stroke and orbital action
A jigsaw's speed is counted in strokes per minute (SPM). Bosch's dial runs from 500 to 3,100 SPM over six settings and its stroke is 1 in; Bosch says the right speed depends on the material, the blade and how fast you feed, slower for denser materials and faster for softer ones, and that long running at low speed heats the motor. DEWALT says to use high speeds for soft materials such as wood. Orbital action is a separate control: in DEWALT's words, the blade moves forward on the cutting stroke as well as up and down, giving a faster but less smooth cut.
| Maker | Setting | What the manual says it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Bosch | O | Hard materials and metal; also reverse-tooth, straight-tooth, carbide and grit-edge blades |
| Bosch | I | Soft materials where a cleaner cut or delicate scrolling is wanted |
| Bosch | II | Medium-density materials such as harder woods or particle board |
| Bosch | III | Soft materials such as wood and plastics, when speed matters more than a clean cut |
| DEWALT | 0 | Straight cutting |
| DEWALT | 1 to 3 | Orbital, increasingly aggressive, for soft materials like wood or plastic; never for metal or hardwoods |
The makers disagree on harder woods: Bosch suggests setting II, DEWALT says hardwoods should never be cut in orbital action. Follow your own saw's manual and make a test cut, as Bosch advises.
Bevels
Both shoes tilt 45° to either side for bevel cuts, but they adjust differently. Bosch's footplate is loosened with a 5 mm hex key, slid and turned, with detents at 0° and 45° and marks at 15°, 22.5° and 30°. DEWALT's is unlocked with a lever and slid forward, with detents at 15° and 30°, and it will not bevel with its extraction accessories fitted. Set and lock the shoe with the saw off, as each manual describes.
Blower and extraction
Both saws have a blower that clears chips off the line so you can see it; that is not dust collection. Bosch's blower has two positions — on for wood and plastics, off for metal or when its dust collection accessory is used. Collection on both saws needs an accessory shroud and chute connected to a vacuum: Bosch's extraction kit and DEWALT's shroud and chute with its vacuum connector. Collectors themselves are covered in the dust collector guide.
Making the cut
A cut to a line
Secure the work
Clamp it to a stable support — both manuals require it; Bosch suggests clamps on a bench or sawhorses for larger panels. Keep the line clear of the bench and clamps. See clamps and workbenches.
Start at full speed
Rest the front of the shoe on the work with the blade clear, switch on and let the blade reach full speed before it meets the wood; Bosch warns that too slow a start can make the saw chatter or kick back.
Feed without forcing
Keep the shoe flat and move only as fast as the blade cuts. Both makers say not to force the saw; Bosch adds that forcing will not make it cut faster.
Steer curves gently
Follow the line by turning the saw, using a narrow blade for tight curves; on a tight inside curve, cutting in from the edge to the line first removes waste so the blade does not bind.
Finish and wait
At the end of the cut switch off and let the blade stop before lifting the saw or the offcut, as DEWALT instructs.
Unlike a scroll saw, whose blade is unclamped and threaded through the work, a jigsaw enters an opening either through a drilled starter hole or by a plunge cut. Bosch gives a plunge cut for rough openings in softer materials only, with the footplate at 0°, a blade no longer than 3-1/8 in and never a scroll blade; DEWALT gives a similar pocket cut and says the blade must stop before it comes out of the cut. If your saw's manual gives no plunge method, drill a starter hole. Straight cuts are possible with a jigsaw, but for long, accurate ones see how to cut wood straight.
Limits
- Thick stock. The blade is held only at the top, with a roller behind it, so in thick material the bottom of the cut need not follow the line on top. Neither maker gives a figure for how far; a sharp, suitable blade and an unforced feed help.
- Capacity is not a recommendation. Bosch's 3-1/2 in in wood is a maximum, not a thickness for clean, square work.
- Tight, delicate work. For fine fretwork and inside cuts with tiny starter holes, a scroll saw is the tool; for curves by hand, a coping saw.
Safety— The blade you cannot see
Bosch warns that the blade below the work is hidden from sight: keep hands out of the cutting area and never reach under the material, and keep fingers away from the moving blade holder. Unplug or remove the battery before changing blades; never use a bent or dull blade; hold the saw by its insulated surfaces where it could meet hidden wiring. Eye protection and dust masks are covered in woodworking safety equipment; general rules in woodworking safety rules.
Before a jigsaw cut
- Blade of the shank type the saw takes, fully seated, back in the roller
- Tooth direction chosen for the face that must be clean
- Orbital setting suited to blade and material, per the manual
- Shoe set and locked at the bevel wanted
- Work clamped, the line clear of the support
- Blade at full speed before it meets the work
Choosing a saw is covered in how to choose a jigsaw; the whole saw family in the saw guide.
Sources
Every figure is the named maker's for its own saw. Bosch numbers its orbit settings O to III and DEWALT 0 to 3, and the two are not equivalent; where they disagree, as on orbital action in hardwoods, both are shown. DEWALT's product page lists its speed as 3,200 'rpm', while its manual defines SPM for strokes per minute; the figure is given as the page states it. Neither maker gives a deflection figure, so none is given here. No saw was tested.
- 1.
JS470E / JS470EB Jig Saw operating/safety instructions. Bosch, 2020.
Used for: The JS470E and JS470EB: T-shank blades only, not U-shank, held in a tool-less clamp with the blade's back in the guide roller; a 1 in (25 mm) stroke; maximum capacities of 3-1/2 in in wood, 13/16 in in aluminium and 5/16 in in mild steel; 500 to 3,100 SPM on a six-step dial, slower for denser and faster for softer materials; orbit settings O, I, II and III by material; a two-position chip blower, off with a dust collection accessory; an extraction kit sold separately; a non-marring overshoe; an anti-splinter insert for blades with ground sides; a footplate that tilts 45° either way with detents at 0° and 45° and marks at 15°, 22.5° and 30°; teeth pointing up leaving the bottom face clean, reverse teeth the top, teeth pointing straight out both, the latter two needing downward force and orbit O; a narrow or scroll blade for tight curves; a plunge cut in softer materials with the footplate at 0°, a blade no longer than 3-1/8 in and no scroll blade; the jigsaw safety rules.
- 2.
DCS334 / DCS335 20V Max* Brushless Jig Saw instruction manual. DEWALT.
Used for: The DCS334 and DCS335: T-shank blades only; four cutting actions, 0 straight and 1 to 3 orbital, the blade moving forward on the cutting stroke in orbital action for a faster, less smooth cut, and metal or hardwoods never cut in orbital action; a shoe bevelling 45° either way with detents at 15° and 30°; a dust blower and an optional extraction shroud and chute; a no-mar shoe cover and anti-splinter insert; higher speeds for soft materials such as wood; a pocket cut with the blade stopped before it leaves the cut; flush-cut blades; supporting the work and not forcing the saw.
- 3.
DCS334B 20V MAX* XR Cordless Jig Saw (Tool Only), product page. DEWALT.
Used for: The DCS334B's page: 20V MAX, a maximum initial voltage of 20 with a nominal voltage of 18; 'Maximum Speed 3200-rpm'; 45° bevel; assembled weight 5.07 lb as a tool only.
About this guide
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