woodworking help

[Yander]

How do you guys make your cuts so smooth. When I used my jigsaw for the first time it occasionally drifted which screwed up the board that shared the same cut. I tried using a a piece of wood as a "fence" but it didn't work to well. My circular saw is crap and I'm afraid to cut the sides have to buy more mdf. Also what blades to you guys use on your jigsaw when cutting MDF?

[Rawker]

use your skill saw (circular saw) as a jigsaw isn't going to do much to any sort of material thicker then 1/4 inch. get a straight edge, long flat straight piece of steel or wood, as long as it has one factory edge then your good to go.

if you have to use your jig saw then make sure you have plenty of (wood) blades and use a straight edge. wood blades btw have less teeth that are larger.

but hey if you got some filler and sand paper there's nothing you can't fix.

[jimmyjet]

For long straight cuts use a circular saw and fence guide.  Buy a brand new blade, carbide tipped.  Expect to spend $10 or more for quality.  Avoid nails and screws as they are the death of saw teeth.

As to jig saw blades, the width (from front to back) determines how sharp a radius you can cut.  A thinner shanked blade (again from front to back) will cut a sharper radius than one that is thicker.  Again, buy a new blade (or blades).  Bosch makes the best jig saw blades in my opinion and they are pricey.
jimmyjet

[Yander]

Ok I have the right blades for the jig saw I guess Ill try the wooden fence guide again.

[flampoo]

I cut my minimame entirely with a jigsaw. It's fine if you have a steady hand. Although in most cases a little bit of sanding will be necessary.

[mahuti]

Hasps are nice too, for finishing, and grinding out wood REALLY fast. You have to do touch up work with some type of finishing sander, but if you want to take a little extra wood off of a wavy line, a good hasp can make that happen for you really quick.

[tivogre]

I rough cut (leave about 1/4"  outside the line) with a jig saw.  Then Trim up with a router and pattern bit.

After you've rough cut, you can screw down a straight edge right on your line.  One pass with the pattern bit, and the line is as perfect as your straight edge;  no wandering.

If you're not familliar with a pattern bit, it's essentially a straight cutting bit with a bearing at the TOP (near the shank).

I would buy one with 1-1 1/2" diameter... that way your inside radii will be large enouth to accept t-molding.

Here's a picture of the bit:

Let me know if you want more info.

[shmokes]

I did the same thing as tivogre (pattern bit in router), but to clarify, you need a pattern to follow.  

Either rough cut one side panel and then sand the hell out of it until it's perfect and use that as a pattern to follow to make an exact duplicate for the other side panel, or pick up a sheet of 1/8" or 1/4" hardboard (A.K.A. Masonite or Fiberboard) and cut/sand that first to use it as a pattern to cut out both side panels from MDF, Melamine, Plywood, etc.  

Hardboard cuts and sands really easily.  It's the stuff commonly used as peg board in workshops to hang the tools on.  A 4'x8' sheet is about $10 for 1/8" or $15 for 1/4" thick.  The 1/8" is way easier to sand, but it's a little harder to follow with the router than 1/4".  Either would be a good choice, though, and probably preferable to sanding down 3/4" MDF after a rough cut.  Personally, I'd go with 1/4" hardboard and spend a little extra time to sand, rather than risk messing up my expensive wood because the 1/8" didn't provide enough surface for the bearing on the pattern bit to follow.

Good Luck

[jsomethin]

The single most important thing I learned (the hard way) regarding using a circular saw to cut MDF (or probably anything else for that matter) is to properly set the blade depth. When I first started, I didn't even look to see what the depth was. Essentially, you want to set the depth so that your blade is about 1/4" deeper than the wood you're cutting. The object is to get the least amount of blade going through the wood, so that it will cut easier.

If that didn't make any sense, let me know and I'll try to explain better.

Trust me...this makes a WORLD of difference!!!!!!

[rockhopper]

Hasps are nice too, for finishing, and grinding out wood REALLY fast.

Hasp or Rasp?

you mean the really rough files yeah, I'm pretty sure it's Rasp.

[Tilzs]

Go buy one of those alum Fences from Home Depot. Make sure you measure twice and use a square to make sure it's square before you cut. You also need some clamps to make sure it's not going to move on you when you cut. You'll get really straight cuts useing that and a circle saw.

[Edgedamage]

Get one of these:
Straightedge Tool Guide
This clamp is a 5/8" thick anodized aluminum channel with a full-length tensioning rod built in. You place the clamp on your work, slide the tailpiece along until it is snug, and then flip the cam to lock the channel in position.
The cam has two pressure positions and the tailpiece has a side-squeeze release. Jaws are 1/2" high by 1-1/2" wide.

Useful as a clamp, it is invaluable as a tool guide since the low profile lets a router or hand-held circular saw pass by unimpeded. It can even be used as a fence when needed.

[hyiu]

Edgedamage tool is very good...

I use a cheap version...

I went to HD to buy a 4 ft metal ruler.... (a nice straight thick one..., not a wimpy skinny one....)

then with like 2 spring clamps... I can clamp the ruler on the wood... and use that as a guide for the saw....

from that, you should be able to use jigsaw for quite straight cuts.....

remember..... buy a pack of new, good blades for the jigsaw....

install the blade.... (and wear all your safety googles... etc)...
and then start your blade for a couple of seconds....

watch that blade pumps up and down.... the blade should be VERY steadily going up and down... no sideway motion....
(or else... your saw is bad....)

and when you cut..... go high rev... but don't push your blade too hard.... cut slow.....

you should be able to do good cuts....

now... there's something else to watch out for if you're using jigsaw.... you might screw up a cut if that cut is too close to the edge of the wood..... because as you are cutting, the piece that is close to the edge will start sinking as you're finishing the cut, and the saw will be at an angle... (making the blade also cutting at an angle...) and that will ruin your cut...

for those near the edge cut.... a circular saw is a better choice....

hope it helps...  

[xcalibur]

We used the factory side of a piece of scrap MDF, full length. We clamped it down with a couple of quick clamps, the kind with the squeeze handle. No problems getting long or short straight cuts.