Jigsaws information

Updated December 2008

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In this report

Jigsaws links

Buying and using a jigsaw

Taunton Press has an online excerpt on jigsaws from Sandor Nagyszalancy's 2001 book, "Power Tools," in which the author describes types of jigsaws and their features (including pneumatic jigsaws and bayonet saws).

In "Shopping for a Jigsaw," Hugh Foster gives a brief overview of the four basic orbit-action settings.

The "This Old House" website also has a nice jigsaw buyers' guide, including useful information on selecting blades.

"Getting Jiggy" by Matt Weber covers basic instructions for using a jigsaw.

Troy Sexton's well-illustrated article, "Master Your Jigsaw," tells how to use a jigsaw for precise "finish cuts," not just rough ones. He suggests choosing a barrel-grip jigsaw to improve accuracy. The article includes quite a few advanced tips, as well as photos and instructions showing how to make both tight cuts and plunge cuts. If you can't find the October 2006 issue of Popular Woodworking in your public library, you can purchase it via the website (*est. $8).

Using a jigsaw is covered in Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Using Woodworking Tools, which is available through the publisher or at Amazon.com.

A brief, interesting history of the jigsaw is Leon Frechette's article, "Celebrate the Jigsaw."

Cutting molding

Woodworker Jim Tolpin reviewed the Collins Coping Foot (*est. $30) for Fine Woodworking in October 1997. He says the curved baseplate enables you to direct the blade through the wood at any angle, providing more versatility and control. Note that it doesn't fit on all jigsaws, however. For example, it fits on the older Bosch 1587AVSP (*est. $100), but not on the top-rated Bosch 1590EVSK (*est. $145). The review is available on the Collins site.

Woodworker's Journal eZine recommends the EasyCoper jig (*est. $35), which fastens to a workbench. An October 2006 review in Workbench magazine notes that it can handle crown molding up to 5.5 inches wide. Another review at WoodworkingNews.com says "the jig forces you to cut at the correct angle every time and provides good visibility of the piece while working it. It can't get much easier than that."

Bosch RotoZip

For rough cuts, especially in soft materials such as drywall, the Bosch RotoZip tools use spiral blades that can cut in any direction. A jigsaw handle attachment, the RotoZip RZ-JSH (*est. $40), keeps the blade at 90 degrees to the surface being cut. The basic tools range from 5 to 5.5 amps, starting with the simplest RZ01-1100 (*est. $30). You can find more information on the RotoZip website. Several reviews are also available from the Journal of Light Construction.

An 18-volt cordless model is also available. The Bosch RZ18V RotoZip (*est. $160 with battery and charger) uses 2.4-amp-hour Bosch Bluecore batteries. We found a brief review of it in the June 2006 issue of Workbench magazine that says it "cuts many materials with ease," but it's not clear whether this conclusion is based on tests.

Safety and recalls

Experts recommend registering any power tool with the manufacturer right away, so you'll be notified promptly about any problems or recalls. (In some cases, as with Ridgid, this also gives you a longer warranty.) For information on recalls, see the Consumer Products Safety Commission website.

Jigsaw Manufacturers

Black & Decker

Bosch

Craftsman (Sears)

DeWalt (owned by Black & Decker)

Festool

Firestorm (owned by Black & Decker)

Milwaukee (owned by TTI)