How to make a tabletop jigsaw yourself. Materials and cutting tools made a new wood jigsaw. wooden jigsaw machine

Carving and sawing beautiful figures from wood is a fascinating activity. A person’s inclination towards this creativity manifests itself from early childhood and often remains throughout life. Everyone knows that this is difficult and rather painstaking work. It always requires not only special care, but also a lot of time. To eliminate this drawback and make your work easier, you need to automate the process. To do this, you just need to purchase a jigsaw in the store. However, such a device is not cheap on sale and not everyone can afford it. But this problem is easy to solve if you make a device for sawing and carving wood yourself.

For this you will need materials:

• drawings or diagrams;
• wooden blocks;
• short boards;
• pieces of old plywood;
• simple nails or screws.

Tools:

• medium sized hammer;
• regular hand saw;
• small plane;
• jigsaw;
• sharp axe.

Scheme or drawing

Before you begin assembly, you need to draw a diagram or make a drawing of the jigsaw yourself. It’s rare that anyone manages to complete a high-quality document at a good professional level with their own hands, but it doesn’t matter. You can always find a suitable drawing on the Internet and use it to assemble your jigsaw. Often, for a simple homemade device, inventors use only a mini-circuit, simply drawn by hand. This is quite sufficient when you need to construct a simple device for figure sawing from plywood and wood.

Stationary option

There are often times when it is necessary to make perfect cuts in plywood or wood strictly vertically. This kind of work is simply impossible to do even with a factory jigsaw. A device that is always in your hand will produce deviations, and the edges of the slots will never be perfectly shaped. To make them straight and even, such work should be done only on a stationary machine, where the device for sawing in wood or plywood is firmly and securely fixed to the table surface.

To design a stationary jigsaw for figured cutting on plywood and wood, you must first prepare the material for building the table. It will provide a strong support for the machine and will also provide ease of use. All this is easy to make from wood. First you need to find suitable bars, mark them and make a table frame from them. After this, cut off identical boards, lay them on top and secure them with ordinary nails or screws. To ensure that the surface is sufficiently smooth, it is advisable to lay plywood on the table. It will not only make the surface smooth, but also create additional rigidity.

Next, you will need to install the unit itself for figure sawing from wooden blanks. Of course, you can make the entire mechanism from plywood, but it will take too much time. The easiest way is to use a very simple method, where a standard factory device is installed to operate the saw - a jigsaw. To do this, you only need four small corners and a few screws. And then everything is done very simply: We find the center of the table and drill a hole right through with a hand drill. Its diameter should be such that the factory file of a standard electric jigsaw can fit through it freely.

When a file is inserted into this hole and the entire device lies tightly on the table, you will need to draw a pencil around the duralumin support. Then use a jigsaw to cut a hole so that the body itself fits through it upside down, and its support bar sits tightly at table level. All that remains is to place small corners at the bottom and secure the platform with screws. At this point, the stationary jigsaw machine is considered built and you can safely begin work.

Sewing machine equipment

Today, many inventors successfully use modern methods, which are distinguished by good quality and precision in their work. Particularly notable is the jigsaw machine using a band blade. However, despite the very high speed, not everyone can do it. For this reason, it is worth choosing a simpler method using an outdated sewing machine. Although its device has already served its useful life, this will not affect the operation of the homemade machine. In addition, this is a fairly common and inexpensive option that does not require too much expense.

For this homemade machine design you will need:

The construction of a table for a stationary jigsaw was discussed above, so we will not consider it further. But it’s worth noting that a workbench can be perfect for these purposes. In addition, many old sewing machines already have a table-like design, as well as a mechanical drive. Therefore, here we will analyze only the main mechanisms that need to be changed.

Rework

Converting an old sewing machine into a tabletop jigsaw is not too difficult. First you will need to change the rear mechanical part where the needle is secured. To do this, you need to file the shank on the side so that a standard blade from a factory electric jigsaw fits freely into the clamp. The hole in the bottom plate, which is intended for the needle, also needs to be enlarged. This is easy to do with a hand drill with a diameter slightly wider than the file.

Often the clamping foot on a sewing machine gets in the way when cutting thick plywood or wooden blocks. It is easy to remove by unscrewing the side locking bolt with your hands or a screwdriver. As the jigsaw works, sawdust will remain. They are easy to assemble if you place a small box underneath. But before that, you have to remove the shuttle along with the entire device that will interfere. Removing it is easy with just a small adjustable wrench or pliers.

Mechanical drive and motor

It is clear that turning such a machine by hand will be very difficult and inconvenient. Therefore, it is necessary to install an additional motor with a mechanical drive. Literally all samples of sewing machines have a pulley in their design. A motor is connected to it using a belt, which is turned on with your foot. If such a unit is not available, then it is not difficult to make it yourself. To do this, you just need to find an electric motor of suitable power. And then firmly attach it to the table using simple clamps - and you can actively get to work.

Here is a general diagram of how a jigsaw machine works.

I had a homemade machine, I already briefly wrote about it. Since I am a furniture maker, I made it from leftover LMDF. Cheap and cheerful :). I didn’t care at all about appearance, as long as I worked. And he did a good job! On it I understood all the nuances of sawing from solid hardwood, such as walnut, oak, ash. Everything would be fine, but the drive, and it was a Krees 350W construction jigsaw. I worked for 15 years! The speed control of the drive is “closed”, it turns on immediately to maximum and immediately breaks the file. I couldn’t find a native branded regulator. I have tried all sorts of regulators, dimmers for chandeliers and regulators from the seams. machines, vacuum cleaners. I could not achieve the desired result, namely a wide range of adjustment.

The photo shows the principle of operation of the jigsaw. a construction jigsaw transmits oscillatory movements to a rocker arm, on which the file in turn is fixed.

In the end I gave up. The Moor has done his job, the Moor must go. I decided to buy a new jigsaw drive. All Chinese versions of jigsaws are not suitable; adjustment on them is the same name. In the Makita company store I found what I was looking for. 450 W jigsaw. Wide range of adjustment, and does not scream like Chinese jigsaws! Works quietly!

Here is my new drive, Makita 4327.

I found a new drive, but it didn’t work out to install it instead of the old one, the height is not suitable. I decided that rather than redo it, it would be better to make a new one, taking into account the elimination of the inconveniences identified during the process of working on the old one.

1. Increase the clearance from the file to the frame (on the old one it was 27 cm). For this you need an elongated rocker arm.

2. Increase the vertical stroke of the saw for good chip removal. (on the old one, the saw stroke is 18mm.)

3. Appearance! Schaub was not ashamed to take photographs. :)

And so! the machine is ready!

Here it is my new machine!

The clearance from the file to the frame is 45cm! The vertical stroke of the saw is 30mm! Dream!

Test cutting. The result is excellent! The Makita regulator works great. The machine makes noise like a household sewing machine.

A jigsaw machine is a high-precision equipment designed for processing workpieces of varying complexity, made of different materials. To choose the right device, you need to study its design and familiarize yourself with some useful recommendations.

Basically, the einhell jigsaw, like its competitors, is used for the following purposes:

• Processing complex contours from workpieces;
• Cuts on the internal surfaces of the material without affecting the external contours;
• Furniture manufacturing;
• Production of musical instruments;
• Creation of all kinds of wood-based blanks.

In addition to wood, even a self-assembled jigsaw machine is capable of working on plastic, ceramics, plexiglass, polycarbonate and a number of other materials. But still, the main material that jigsaw machines have to deal with is wood. Makita machines cope with this task perfectly.

Design

Studying the jigsaw craton wmss 11 01 or its competitors represented by Makita, Bosch, Excalibur with the aim of assembling a similar device with your own hands, we can say that structurally they all look approximately the same.

If you decide to make a homemade jigsaw machine and equip it with a CNC module in the future, then it is better to start manufacturing by studying the design of factory models.

The main structural elements of the machine are:

• Desktop;
• Electric drive;
• KShM (crank mechanism);
• Sawing tool;
• Tension mechanism;
• Auxiliary elements;
• CNC module.

If we take for example machines such as Makita, Proxxon, Dewalt, Hegner, Holzstar, Excalibur, DKS 502 Vario, Dremel or WMSS 11 03, they will be structurally close to each other. But the estimated price is from 6-10 thousand rubles. Therefore, the choice should be based on technical parameters and your personal needs.

1. The work table is used to place the workpieces being processed. A number of machines are offered with rotating mechanisms for the table, which allows the operator to change the angles of inclination and perform inclined processing of parts as necessary. When making a homemade jigsaw machine, you should think about graduation to simplify marking. The size of the workpiece you can work with depends on the size of the table. Therefore, base your choice on what materials you will be dealing with. A standard table has a length limit of 30-40 cm.
2. The drive differs in power. Manufacturers such as Makita, Hegner, Dremel, Dewalt, WMSS 11 03, Proxxon, Holzstar, Excalibur, DKS 502 Vario offer a wide range of machines, each of which has different drive powers, nuances of the CNC module, etc.
3. KShM. This mechanism transmits torque from the electric drive to the saw of the machine. The vertical movement of the file can be 3-5 mm at a speed of up to 1000 vibrations per minute. Some machines, including Makita, Excalibur, WMSS 11 03, Dremel, Dewalt, Hegner, Holzstar, DKS 502 Vario, are equipped with a function for adjusting the sawing frequency. This allows you to adapt the machine to the specific type of material being cut.
4. File. With a length of 20-35 cm, it is capable of sawing a workpiece 10 cm thick. Saws vary in size and materials. The choice is based on the density and characteristics of the materials that need to be cut.
5. Tension device. Due to it, the file receives the necessary tension at working points. Depending on the model, the device is based on springs or leaf springs.
6. Auxiliary elements are primarily a dust extractor. If you decide to make a homemade jigsaw, we recommend providing this functionality. It can be organized using a regular vacuum cleaner.

An ordinary jigsaw is sometimes quite capable of replacing a jigsaw-type machine. A jigsaw is not a stationary unit, but a hand tool. At the same time, the jigsaw has a wide range of applications. For household needs it may be enough. If, for work in a workshop, garage or production, maximum cutting accuracy is required, then instead of a jigsaw it is better to purchase a full-fledged machine. Even better - CNC. The CNC module will provide process automation. The necessary programs are set through the CNC, and the machine independently processes the workpieces according to a given algorithm.

A jigsaw cannot have CNC control, since it belongs to the category of hand-held power tools. A stationary unit is in many ways better, which is why the choice often falls in its direction. This is evidenced by numerous reviews from consumers of Makita, Proxxon, Dremel, Hegner, Dewalt, Excalibur, Holzstar, WMSS 11 03, DKS 502 Vario machines, etc.

Criterias of choice

When such machines as Makita, Dremel, Holzstar, Dewalt, Proxxon, Hegner, DKS 502 Vario, WMSS 11 03 are presented on the market, the choice is complicated by the wide range. To make your choice a little easier, carefully consider your machine requirements.

Based on them, you will be able to understand whether the scheppach deco flex jigsaw machine is suitable for you, or maybe you will even prefer a homemade jigsaw machine.

1. Power. Equipment Dewalt, Hegner, Makita, Proxxon, Dremel, WMSS 11 03 is offered in various designs - from household to professional. The choice in favor of professional devices with modern CNC should be made by specialists who regularly operate the equipment. The power of such devices is from 1 kW. The power parameters of household models from Dewalt, Proxxon, Makita, Hegner, Dremel are in the range of 500-950 W. Power affects the depth of cut and the duration of non-stop work. You should choose a more powerful model even for domestic use, since they have a margin of durability.
2. Weight. The more powerful the selected Dremel, Dewalt, Makita, Proxxon, Hegner or WMSS 11 03 unit, the more weight it will contain. Since this is not a hand tool, it is important to take weighty devices. They generate less vibration, ensuring the required quality of processing.
3. Speed. Here the speed is determined in moves per minute. Most machines from Makita, Proxxon, Hegner, Dremel have frequencies in the range of 0-3500 units. Industrial models provide increased travel speed, which guarantees high-precision processing.
4. Personal feelings. When choosing a machine, be sure to try it out. This way you will understand how comfortable it will be to deal with him.
5. Speed ​​adjustment. Modern machines from Dremel, Proxxon, Makita, Hegner, Dewalt necessarily include the ability to adjust in the list of available functions. Only each model has its own range of adjustments. Be guided by the materials to be cut. The more varied the workpieces are planned, the wider the range of settings you choose. In this regard, CNC models are convenient. They are customized for a specific material, which allows you to practically not take part in operations during cutting. This is the main advantage of CNC, for which many are willing to pay a lot of money.

Before you make a jigsaw machine with your own hands, based on drawings and videos, or purchase Makita, Proxxon products or a WMSS 11 03 machine, carefully consider your actions.

Homemade units are good in some places, but they are far from the level of Makita machines. Makita has proven itself to be very good. Many units from Makita receive numerous positive reviews and laudatory criticism from experts. Yes, in addition to Makita, there are a number of other companies on the market that we talked about.

It is up to you to choose whether it will be a Makita machine, or decide to cut the blanks on Proxxon or Bosch machines. For some, it’s even easier to make a device with your own hands than to pay for what is undoubtedly a high-quality Makita product.

What to do when you need a jigsaw but don’t need to buy one? You can make a jigsaw with your own hands. There are many ways to make or repair such a tool. Let's look at the simplest and most accessible of them.

Manual jigsaw - simple, fast and affordable

How to make a jigsaw quickly from available and inexpensive materials? Here's the easiest way.

List of tools and materials:

• plywood sheet (10 mm);
• plywood sheet (4 mm);
• steel sheet (2 mm);
• bolts and nuts;
• drill;
• chisel;
• sanding paper;
• file.

The base of the manual jigsaw is a bracket; it should be made from a plywood sheet (10 mm). Next, it is recommended to make thickenings for the tool handle from thinner plywood (4 mm). These thickenings must be glued to the handle on both sides, which will ensure more convenient operation in the future. Sand the bracket and handle well using sanding paper and a file. It is necessary to cut out the steel plate with a chisel, and then clean the clamping jaws with a file. After this, drill slots in the jaws with a drill, and then use a sharp chisel to cut notches inside the clamping jaws. In the left clamping jaw, modify the slot for the bolt; for this you need to make a thread. Attach the jaws to the bracket, then screw the bolts into the left clamp, securing them with nuts.

Return to contents

Table jigsaw: two manufacturing options

The desktop fixture can be made either new or by modifying or repairing improvised means.

Making a new benchtop mechanical jigsaw will require the following tools and materials:

• duralumin pipe;
• plastic base;
• clamps;
• screws;
• copper sheet;
• drill.

First you need to prepare the frame; for this purpose it is better to use an aluminum pipe. When making the frame, it is necessary to provide a passage through which the cord will be laid to provide power. A copper sheet should be taken to make a U-shaped frame, which will subsequently need to be attached to the frame itself. At the junction of the frame with the handle of the jigsaw, screw the frame with screws. In the plastic base, use a drill to drill a hole for the file, as well as slots for fasteners. Attach the jigsaw to the prepared plastic so that the file passes through the hole. Using clamps, attach the finished tool to a flat surface, such as a table.

A hand-held device made on the basis of a sewing machine is an ideal option if repairing a sewing machine is not as important as manufacturing such a tool. List of tools and materials:

• sewing machine (you can use either a foot- or hand-operated model);
• file;
• needle file;
• drill.

After unscrewing the bolts at the bottom of the sewing machine, you should remove the entire threading system. Next, knock out the metal fastening rod and remove the drive shaft of the thread weaving system. The panel covering the sewing machine parts can be easily removed by unscrewing 2 more bolts. Carefully remove the needle. The needle slot needs a little repair - it needs to be widened to accommodate a file. To do this, it is better to cut the hole using a needle file, focusing on the dimensions of the file itself. After this, adjust its size to the maximum possible needle size by cutting off the upper part of the file. After grinding down the upper teeth with a file and the lower part on the tip, you can proceed to the next step. The prepared file must be placed in the place of the former needle - in the needle holder. After this, you should turn the wheel and check:

• so that the saw does not come into contact with the panel and the presser foot;
• so that in the upper position the plywood passes freely under the saw;
• so that the material can be drawn smoothly.

This jigsaw is suitable for working with materials made of plywood, balsa wood and plastic, and if you use an electric machine, you will get an electric jigsaw.

After several unsuccessful attempts to cut out complex shapes with an electric jigsaw, I decided to make a homemade desktop jigsaw using the drawings from the network. It will be very easy to cut complex shapes of small sizes from lightweight materials.

To assemble a jigsaw machine with your own hands from a jigsaw you will need:

• electric jigsaw
• sheet of plywood and boards for support
• wood screws
• bolts with nuts

Tools: drill, sandpaper, clamp, tape measure.

Step 1: Cut out the lid and base

Draw two 250x300 mm rectangles on a sheet of plywood and cut them out with a jigsaw. These rectangles will be the base and cover of your machine. Carefully sand the surfaces of the rectangles, especially the one that will be the lid.

Step 2: Making the front pillars

Show 4 more images

Measure the height of the jigsaw from the sole to the handle so that the jigsaw fits in the machine box; the stands must be greater than this distance. My jigsaw is 18 cm high, so I made 20 cm long stands from the board. Then I pressed the two pieces together with a clamp and sawed off 5 mm from them on both sides so that both stands were the same height.

Now the racks can be screwed to the base. To prevent the wood from cracking, you need to pre-drill holes for the screws and countersink them.

Step 3: Attach the jigsaw to the lid

Show 7 more images

1. Remove the soleplate from the jigsaw using the supplied hexagon. There is already one hole in the cover, you just need to drill three more so that there is a mounting hole in each corner.
2. In the central part of the plywood cover, mark the place where you will attach the jigsaw sole and the hole for the jigsaw blade.
3. Now you can drill four holes in the plywood, countersinking them with a spade bit so that the screw heads are flush with the surface. All that remains is to make a hole for the file.
4. Now put the sole back on the jigsaw skis, and attach the plywood cover to the sole so that the file fits into the hole provided for it.
5. Insert a washer into the widening of each mounting hole, insert bolts into the holes and tighten them on the other side with nuts. It was a little difficult to tighten the bolts, so I secured the head of each bolt with a flat head screwdriver and turned the other side with a wrench.

Step 4: Install the jigsaw on the base

Lower the lid with the jigsaw onto the base with the stands and secure it on top with screws, having previously drilled holes for them. Be sure to countersink these holes to prevent the wood from cracking when screwed. The jigsaw should not touch the base and should have a good grip on the lid. Therefore, the screw heads must be flush with the surface of the lid, otherwise they will unscrew while the jigsaw is running.

From the remains of the board, I made two additional rear posts, so the machine became much more stable.

Step 5: Modification of the machine

At this stage, the machine is quite functional; it is enough to simply secure it with a clamp on the tabletop and you can work.

I identified two features of my jigsaw:

• the blade moved a little to the sides, especially when working at high speeds.
• The blade width was wider than standard jigsaw blades, which made cutting particularly thin holes poor.

Step 6: Reduce the width of the canvas

A narrower blade will give you the ability to cut fine curves and make it easier to cut rounded corners.

1. Pull the saw to the maximum, do not forget to turn off the jigsaw from the mains.
2. Mark the point where the blade exits the housing. Below this point nothing needs to be removed.
3. Remove the file from the jigsaw and use a grinder to grind the blade down to the desired width. When grinding, dip the file in cool water so that it does not overheat, otherwise the metal will lose its hardness and the file will no longer be able to cut through anything. A change in color is a sign of overheating of the metal.
4. Once you have the desired blade width, place the file back into the jigsaw.

Step 7: Making a guide for the file

The guide will prevent the blade from moving to the sides during cutting, especially at high speeds.

I made the guide from a small strip of PVC plastic. At one end of the strip, use a jigsaw to make a small slot at an angle to the middle of the strip. We secure the strip behind the file by screwing it to a wooden L-shaped piece mounted on the lid of your machine. The guide can be lubricated with oil for better movement.

Remember:

1. The guide should never be higher than the blade at the lowest point in the blade's path.
2. The guide limits the size of the material you are going to cut due to its height and mounting point on the surface. Therefore, it is better to secure the guide as high as possible (taking into account the previous remark), and move it as far away from the canvas as possible, with a slope to the side as soon as possible.

Step 8: Conclusion

With a little effort, you will have an almost real tabletop jigsaw. Of course, it will not replace a real machine, but given its zero cost, it is an excellent option.