Jigsaw cutting station

[crustacean]

Hi all,

Jut looking for suggestions on how to clamp smallish workpieces for cutting with a Carvex. Obviously one cannot use the MFT, since there's no clearance for the blade. I've tried various things like clamping to a piece of 2x4 on top of the MFT, but there's quite a lot of vibration and it's hard to keep the whole thing still enough to cut accurately.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

[Cheese]

Clamp it over the edge and cut, then reposition it over the edge and cut again.

 

[mrboult]

Insulation Foam board can be a useful flat surface to cut tiny pieces on. Either supported with space underneath, or stacked higher than the blade depth. It obviously chews through the foam board so not a long term solution, but useful in a pinch.

Other than, need more info on the material dimensions you’re working with to come up with suggestions beyond Cheeses’ answer which is the std solution.

Solutions are different depending on the cut style and material dimensions [huh]. There are workarounds for different things, and I’ve done a lot of them, but if cutting tiny pieces is in your regular work flow then I imagine a bandsaw or scroll saw is really the solution. I’ve never seen a
“jigsaw work station”.

EDIT:
lol, I Googled jigsaw work station and found this I might buy one. .



It’s a wolfcraft jigsaw table.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Take a stout board and cut a V in one end similar to what is used for coping saws. Clamp the board to the bench so the V notch is overhanging the bench and place the small work on top of the V.

You can clamp thin boards around the workpiece to keep it still.

There is a picture in the middle of this article.

 

[Peter_C]

I have been known to clamp my jig saw under the table with the blade sticking up. Then hand hold the material and feed it to the stationary blade. Much easier for smaller pieces as everything is stabilized.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Cutting accurately with a jigsaw .... now that's an excersise in futility.

 

[Chris Cianci]

If you can lower the speed and still cut your desired material that causes you to need less hold down force. I often cut wood with a bimetal blade and lower the speed the cut is smooth and the saw jumps around less

 

[Cheese]

Maybe now’s the time to pop for a Trion/Carvex insert for the CMS table. [poke]

 

[mrboult]

Cutting accurately with a jigsaw .... now that's an excersise in futility.

lol. Def not true. But I understand the sentiment.

 

[FestitaMakool]

Maybe nows the time to pop for a Trion/Carvex insert for the CMS table. [poke]

Haha, yes! And it works.. [poke]
But the OP doesn’t have CMS I presume. The insert regularly pops up on eBay, mostly in Germany, and they don’t ship outside EU.. they don’t (even though this is not regular dealers, they are wholesale sellers who sell whatever comes a long as a part of a “deal”)
A private seller might do though.

 

[FestitaMakool]

If you can lower the speed and still cut your desired material that causes you to need less hold down force. I often cut wood with a bimetal blade and lower the speed the cut is smooth and the saw jumps around less

That sounds like something I’m going to give a try tomorrow (in the CMS) As you say the speed may work against a jigsaw sometimes. The right blade and slower speed especially at start is more stable. (That’s also why I want the Trion with D handle, because you decide the speed by the trigger and can give input as appropriate during the cut, it gives you control)

 

[Cheese]

That sounds like something I’m going to give a try tomorrow (in the CMS) As you say the speed may work against a jigsaw sometimes. The right blade and slower speed especially at start is more stable. (That’s also why I want the Trion with D handle, because you decide the speed by the trigger and can give input as appropriate during the cut, it gives you control)

I’d be interested in your findings as I have a D handle Trion, a Carvex and a Mafell P1 cc.

My thoughts have always been to obviously keep the P1 cc and stick the Trion in the CMS table insert and then jettison the Carvex.

 

[crustacean]

Thanks. That coping saw article is pretty nice.

How exactly does one mount or use a jigsaw upside down? That seems like a good idea.

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

Personally Ive only used jigsaws freehand, and rely on a bandsaw or scroll saw for any intricate stuff.

You could make a jigsaw station quite easily but, if I were choosing this option, I would go with an inverted set up.

Which is basically a box, with a hole for the jigsaw blade to protrude. You could add a fence etc.
Bosch and a few other tool manufacturers, offer jigsaw stations.

 

[Vondawg]

Or you could try those bench cookies w/extension and appreciate length blade

 

[AlexThePalex]

Cutting accurately with a jigsaw .... now that's an excersise in futility.

lol. Def not true. But I understand the sentiment.

The blade is always going to wander off.

 

[Picktool]

On a Bosch jiggie once, put tape masking on the base. Then double sided foam
1/4" plywood, drilled a hole. Stuck the jig to the ply. SCrewed the setup on a
sawhorse. Done. Worked like a charm in a pinch. Dbl sided tape can stick good, all
came off with ease from the base. Lost a 1/4" of blade.

 

[FestitaMakool]

That sounds like something I’m going to give a try tomorrow (in the CMS) As you say the speed may work against a jigsaw sometimes. The right blade and slower speed especially at start is more stable. (That’s also why I want the Trion with D handle, because you decide the speed by the trigger and can give input as appropriate during the cut, it gives you control)

I’d be interested in your findings as I have a D handle Trion, a Carvex and a Mafell P1 cc.

My thoughts have always been to obviously keep the P1 cc and stick the Trion in the CMS table insert and then jettison the Carvex.

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] and for those interested. This may apply for more than my jig saw, which in this case is a Makita barrel grip with a custom adapted Trion base mounted in the CMS module. Dust collection - well ahh.. It could be a lot worse! [big grin]

1 1/2” x 2 2/3” pine cut with a Bosch blade for curves parallel to grain. Quite good actually. Speed was low, but not lowest setting:
[attachimg=1] [attachimg=2]

6mm plywood cut at same low/medium speed, now with bimetal blade (progressor/B&D/DeWalt). Nice control, very good cut finish.
NOTE: I was using the protractor FT fence. The blade on my saw did for some reason have a toe out/toe in in about 1 1/4° - so I corrected by “calibrating” the fence (adjusted to 1 1/4° off 90°..  [big grin]) Then I was able to get square cuts with the fence. Without correction it wandered off like crazy - See the outlines drawn wich are 90° to each other. The outermost cuts made after “calibrating”.
The BiMetal blade made very fine cuts, so I’ll definitely use this frequently - coarse aggressive and still razor sharp new wood blades jumped and was scary with fingers close.. [blink]

[attachimg=3]

[attachimg=4]

So [member=28]chris[/member] Crianci you are absolutely right! Thank you!

 

[fshanno]

How about a little 9" benchtop bandsaw?  Sounds like you've got the justification.  I bet you can find a used one for less than $100.

Seems to me that no jigsaw configuration can compete with even the cheapest little bandsaw for this kind of thing. 

 

[Gregor]

Cutting accurately with a jigsaw .... now that's an excersise in futility.

lol. Def not true. But I understand the sentiment.

The blade is always going to wander off.

https://produkte.mafell.de/saegen/pendelhub-stichsaege/praezisionsstichsaege-p1-cc