Making clean cuts with a jigsaw. Impossible?

[erictrumpet]

A jigsaw is designed to do curves and other intricate cuts. I realize this. But sometimes when you need to cut a simple straight line it's the best tool because of the size and shape of the thing. For example today I cut an opening in my cab project for a keyboard drawer, cutting the front panel of the donor cab. Had to cut a straight line, but between the side panels. No way to use a circular saw or table saw. Jigsaw was the only option. I used a guide board and the cut came out perfectly straight.... but that damn flexible blade means the edge surface is NEVER and I mean NEVER absolutely perpendicular to the surface when I make a jigsaw cut. Not a big deal for one or two isolated cuts, just requires cleanup/tweaking/adjusting with a sander or other tools. So..... is it even possible to make a perfect cut with a square edge using a jigsaw? Do they make blades of varying stiffness perhaps? I am 25% looking for help and 75% just venting

Eric.

[Slippyblade]

Good god do I feel your pain.  For a long time my only power saw was a jig-saw.  While I loved having it, hell of a lot better than a hand saw, I couldn't get a 90 degree edge on anything.  Spent so much time with a rasp and file squaring edges...

 

[MikeDeuce]

No room to plunge cut with the circular saw? As seen here: http://www.cornerhardware.com/home_improvement_articles/circular_saw_tips/11
You still have to finish up with a jigsaw, but there's less to smooth out.

I usually opt for the plunge router with a template, assuming the surface is flat... It's time consuming but it's really hard to mess up (why I prefer it).

[erictrumpet]

Starting this thread must have been just what I needed to get over the jigsaw mental block.
Today I worked on my project and made two very important curving cuts that turned out perfect.
So there ya go.

Eric.

[Blanka]

A jigsaw is never meant for precise work. It's for the dirty timberwork when building houses, where stuco hides everything.
For furniture, you NEVER need (read: want) a jig-saw.

[erictrumpet]

A jigsaw is never meant for precise work. It's for the dirty timberwork when building houses, where stuco hides everything.
For furniture, you NEVER need (read: want) a jig-saw.

Sounds like your mixing up reciprocating saw ("Sawz-All") with a jigsaw...

Eric.

[Blanka]

I definitely don't mean that one! That "sawz all" thing is probably for rappers who want to cut slices of the organic bread their blonde bimbo wife bought. Both are nowhere near being serious woodworking tools!
We don't allow jig-saws in wood-working class here at school. The kids may use a regular hand-saw for the last piece of an angle cut the circular saw does not cover.

[erictrumpet]

(snip)
That "sawz all" thing is probably for rappers who want to cut slices of the organic bread their blonde bimbo wife bought.
(snip)

lol  

[Number21]

Jigsaws are not great for finish work, you always have to clean up the cut.  I use them as a removal tool and then a disk or spindle sander to clean up the cut.  The problem is the blade will deflect or flex.  It will not leave a perfict 90 degree cut.  Sawz-all are great for cutting metal and I use those for restoring my Jeep.  They can be used on wood but rough cuts again.

[zafdor]

I think of a sawzall as a demolition tool.  I did experience a carpenter friend of mine do a pretty nice job trimming a 4x4 in situ with one after we did a little fixturing for it.

[katrah]

A jigsaw is never meant for precise work. It's for the dirty timberwork when building houses, where stuco hides everything.
For furniture, you NEVER need (read: want) a jig-saw.

Omg how dare you lol a jigsaw is my main tool on the job I install 20-40 grand kitchens for people and they have to be perfect and I always use a jigsaaw for the finishing of fillers, shelves, cutting units down, even making boiler units and only use the router for the worktop butt.

To the op - having control over a jigsaw is like an art you feel the cut you play eyball tennis with the pencil line and the blade, feel yourself go into a very hyper alert trance where it's just you and the blade (lol) Oh and never try to do a curve always straight lines nibble the excess and sand for a nice neat curve 110% concentration needed at all times!!

[erictrumpet]

To the op - having control over a jigsaw is like an art you feel the cut you play eyball tennis with the pencil line and the blade, feel yourself go into a very hyper alert trance where it's just you and the blade (lol) Oh and never try to do a curve always straight lines nibble the excess and sand for a nice neat curve 110% concentration needed at all times!!

Agree completely! Since starting this thread I've perfected the art, at least for now, and made about 6 perfect tricky curve cuts on my project cab. It is exactly as you describe it

Eric.

[dawolv]

I normally stay about 1/8th of an inch away from my pencil line then sand the rest of the piece up to the pencil line.
I also found if I place my thumb on the shoe of the Jigsaw, the tool is easier to 'drive/navigate', I also let the blade do all the work (ie I dont force the tool along the line).
Seems to work for me at least 

[Blanka]

Omg how dare you lol a jigsaw is my main tool on the job I install 20-40 grand kitchens for people and they have to be perfect and I always use a jigsaaw for the finishing of fillers, shelves, cutting units down, even making boiler units and only use the router for the worktop butt.

I truly respect the on-site construction skills of American carpenters (especially sanding techniques). But that does not make a jig-saw a good tool for cabs. Here in prefab-country, the jigsaw is just for dirty invisible work. And a cab is something you might want to make Apple-perfect cuts for. I think even for home-brew CNC should always be considered as first option.

[shateredsoul]

yup me and my friend only had a jigsaw and were trying to cut the whole cab, we used a guide board/fence (whatever) but luckily he noticed that the blade was bending early on and we switched to a router.. yes a router.  We had to do many paces to get past those 2 sheets of 3/4 mdf, but it came out very nice  

[Blanka]

A router is fine. It is a CNC machine without a PC attached.