Things You'll Need:
- Jig-saw blades of various lengths and kinds
- Saw horses or other work table
- Clamps
- Safety glasses
- Particle mask
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Step 1
Ensure you have the correct blade in your jig saw. The type of blade is determined by the medium you are cutting. The blade package will say what medium it is good for, such as wood, metal or plastic.
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Step 2
Support the piece you are going to cut on saw horses or some other sturdy surface and mark your cutting line. Cut with the finished side of your medium down, because the jig-saw cuts as the blade moves upward. If you need to ensure there is no chipping of the finished side, place masking tape over the cutting line on the finished side.
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Step 3
Adjust the base on your jig saw until it is at a 90-degree angle to the blade. Your saw may have a bevel gauge and it should be on zero.
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Step 4
Clamp the work piece to the saw horses if you can't hold it solidly against them, or have an assistant hold it.
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Step 5
Make a fence by clamping a scrap piece of straight wood to your work piece to keep the saw from drifting off your cutting line. You will run the edge of the jig saw base along this fence.
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Step 6
Don your personal protective equipment, such as safety glasses with side shields and particle mask, and pull long hair back into a ponytail or otherwise hold it back.
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Step 7
Hold the jig saw at the edge of the material with the blade at a 90-degree angle or drill a starter hole if you are starting in the middle of the piece, then place the jig saw blade down through the work piece and begin cutting.
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Step 8
Guide the saw along with firm down pressure on the handle, keeping the cord back out of the way, making sure not to cut inadvertently through something under the work piece.
