Chris Mercado said:
- Trion Jigsaw... Now this is a gripe. I know others have talked about how they've learned to use it (Love you Per, but...) but this tool is ridiculous. Cuts awesome just not always cutting where you want it to cut. I guess this is an area where it really depends on what you are trying to do. Christian... I would love to see a video of you or another festool guy trying to cut a toe kick out of a cabinet end panel. I know you guys in germany don't build'em the way we do here in the states but there has to be times where you might use a jigsaw to cut a notch, don't you think? Go ahead and rig that thing up with dust collection, chip prevention and cut me a 4" X 3" notch in a piece of plywood. It needs to look nice, be a 90 degree notch with no over cut from either line. After you get over the frustration of lining the saw up to even start the cut let's count how many times you move the saw forwards and backwards to make this simple notch cut. I do a lot of these on the road so setting up a bandsaw with a bunch of stops, etc. isn't an option. I could make a guide template that I clamp to the panel and just hold my saw against but that's not really fair is it. How about making the saw to where I can use it to cut on a couple of small lines that I've taken my precious time to draw out. I really do expect to see a reply from you on this Christian.
Chris...
Hi Chris. I've got a Trion and have been using it to make precise notches in ply. I always use a fence that I attach to the ply to guide the Trion (I don't have a guide rail, but that would be even better). I'm pretty sure it's an effective method; I'm not a woodworker but these are very precise cuts. But obviously this only applies to straight cuts.
If you get more specific about what's not precise enough, maybe I can help, though I suspect I'm
stating the obvious, as everyone here knows way more than I do. Anyway, here's how I do it:
make sure your saw is calibrated/setup properly: the blade
*must* be both straight AND centered.
use a fence/guide.
know the exact distance from the fence to both the near side and the far side of the cut,
so you can align the edge of the cut with the desired cutting line. NOTE: these
measurements will change with each blade type; I do tests with each new blade
type I use, and record the measurements.
make sure the blade is vertical when you start the cut, when the support is the least.
use the no-orbit setting, otherwise it will overcut at the bottom of the cut.
use the thickest blade possible, with the finest teeth. This will reduce flex in the blade,
and leave the sharpest edge.
Finally, I don't know much about wood, but the wood you are cutting is a "participant" and
has an effect on the accuracy. The sum total of what I know I print here:
marine-grade ply == great cuts
baltic birch == OK cuts
exterior-grade ply == bad cuts
Good luck!
