Wandering jigsaw

[Tim Nott]

I'm trying to cut some 4" x 4" softwood using a new Makita jigsaw (the posh model) and some bfo Makita 155mm blades, billed as 'for deep cuts in softwood suitable for roofing and joinery'

Every cut veers off to bottom left. Tried a new blade and every combination of speed/pendulum to no avail. Any ideas?

 

[Paul Chapman]

I wouldn't attempt cutting 4" thick wood with a jigsaw. The blade is unsupported for most of its travel and will invariably (in my experience) end in an angled cut.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[xy mosian]

I agree entirely with Paul. If you have any chance at all it will be by moving the saw forwards very, very slowly. So slowly in fact that it will be much quicker by hand, if you have no other machine.

xy

 

[Tim Nott]

I think you're both right. So why does Makita spec the machine and the blades as having a 135mm capacity? Though to be fair, they don't mention 'straight'. Being left-handed and right-eyed my handsawing skills leave much to be desired.

We've managed a solution - cutting 3/4 through with a circular saw and doing the rest with a handsaw.

I's been a while since I did any carpentry as opposed to joinery. The last lot of 4 inch stuff I had to saw was planed oak for newel posts. But those were short enough to do on the sliding carriage of the table saw, then flip. It worked out well - http://www.timnott.co.uk/gallery/archi/target5.html

 

[Dibs-h]

I think you're both right. So why does Makita spec the machine and the blades as having a 135mm capacity? Though to be fair, they don't mention 'straight'. Being left-handed and right-eyed my handsawing skills leave much to be desired.

I think you'll find that this behaviour is exhibited by most if not all jigsaws. When I was doing my roofwork and scarfing 4" think timbers I quickly noticed the same and did them by hand.

 

[speed]

should have got a festool jigsaw.. you could try a festool blade (they are thicker) and slow the feed rate alittle may help

 

[Chems]

Just cause its green doesn't mean its not going to suffer the same consequences.

 

[speed]

but with the extra blade guides and a thicker blade helps bigtime