Wood carving with a jigsaw is one of the types of applied art. Decorative and artistic sawing makes it possible to make an original interior detail out of a simple thing. Even a simple overlay on the panel door panel, made by a simple flat-relief pattern, decorates it, makes it unusual.
The realization that a thing is made by one's own hands gives inspiration for new ideas. As you know, the belief that you can realize your inner potential is one of the components of happiness.
Jigsaw device
The cutting part of this tool is a thin steel saw. It is fastened on both sides by two clamping screws to an arcuate frame. A handle is mounted on one of its ends. The frame has the ability to shrink. This can be done manually or using a clamp. The saw blade is fixed with screws in the compressed position of the frame. When unclenching, it stretches - the jigsaw is ready to work.
The saw teeth should always point towards the handle. The cut occurs when the jigsaw moves downward or toward itself (when the sawing plane is horizontal).
They work with one hand, making smooth progressive movements up and down, while the second presses the workpiece to a reliable base. Traditionally, craftsmen use a special emphasis for this - “dovetail”.
This is a rectangular piece of board with a hole in the middle. For the saw factory, a wedge-shaped cutout is used in it. This emphasis is fixed with clamps to a suitable base (table, workbench) and serves as a removable working table for cutting.
Material and preparatory work
A board made of precious wood has a characteristic texture. After processing with decorative varnishes, carved and openwork products from such a material look especially artistic. However, for beginners, it is better for individuals to first learn the craft of sawing on plywood.
This material is most suitable for this type of processing. It consists of several layers of thin wood veneer. Plywood, despite its lightness and flexibility, has sufficient strength. It is difficult to handle with a chisel or a plane, but it is sawed perfectly with a jigsaw. You can pick up a workpiece of various thicknesses, but at first (for testing equipment) it is better to take a thinner one.
Decorative processing of modern wood-shaving and modified boards with a decorative laminated coating is also a wood carving. Using a jigsaw, patterns, including those on such materials, are cut out after transferring the contours of the pattern to the surface to be treated. This is done with carbon paper.
If you have a finished carved element or template, you can gently circle it around. There are cases when you need to transfer a pattern or composition to the workpiece in an enlarged or reduced form. To do this, you need to master the technique of copying on a grid or squares.
Saws and accessories
A jigsaw without a saw is not a tool. Therefore, it must be protected. A part or a jigsaw should not be allowed to hang in a cut. After work, do not leave the saw blade clamped in a tense state.
Saws come with large and small teeth for working with thick and thin wood, respectively. When purchasing paintings, you should pay attention to their quality. The material should not bend easily. The saw should be sufficiently rigid, made of hardened steel, with sharp teeth.
Wood carving with a jigsaw suggests an auxiliary tool. For rough filing of a wooden blank, a hacksaw is needed. Where it is impossible to make a hole with an awl, a rotor or drill with a minimum set of drills will be required.
It is convenient to use files for cutting edges. A hammer, a chisel, pliers, a reliable knife are also useful.
Methods of work: woodcarving with a jigsaw
Photos of the workflow allow you to understand how the tool is gripped and actually cut. The position for emphasis is chosen convenient for work, usually at the level of the belt, so that in the sitting position with one hand you can hold the workpiece and the other make translational movements with a jigsaw up and down.
If it is necessary to cut a portion bounded by a plane, then a hole is made first, closer to the contour of the cut. A saw is put into it from below the workpiece. To do this, each time you have to release the clamp, release the canvas, then pull the jigsaw frame again and tighten the mount.
In thin plywood, the hole is usually made with an awl to the required thickness. In a dense material and in thick workpieces, this operation is carried out with a rotor or drill with a drill of the required diameter.
Sawed with a jigsaw in smooth movements, without jerking and warping. In places of a sharp change in the direction of the cut, it is better to turn the workpiece. This should be done smoothly, without stopping the translational movement with a jigsaw. After completing the sampling of the enclosed space, one end of the blade is released from the mount, the saw is removed, and the process is repeated with a new pattern.
The edges of the cuts usually have uneven or torn edges, barbs, burrs. Such places are processed by files, files, polished with sandpaper before final finishing.
Techniques of execution and finished products
Although cutting out a pattern of intricate compositions requires certain skills and knowledge, a beginner should not give up trying to learn this craft. Experience is gained in work, and therefore you should not be afraid to try your hand, you just need to start by cutting out simpler decorative elements.
Sawed parts will serve as an overhead decoration for furniture, panels of doors, cabinets, cabinets and sideboards. Over time, with the acquisition of experience, you can begin to decorate the caskets, caskets, lampshades, vases and other interior items.
Carved wood carving with a jigsaw makes it possible to cut decorative patterns along marked outlines on a flat wooden surface. Often a pattern in such a technique is an openwork mesh of repeating or alternating through segments. They can have smooth oval edges or strict geometric proportions with right angles.
Flat through ornament on the stripes of the facades of the houses is a wood carving with a jigsaw. Platbands for windows look especially good when decorating wooden buildings. Common motifs depicting animals, birds, floral ornaments. The most popular pattern is S-shaped, with curled ends curled, imitating the tail of a snake. Since ancient times, it has been a symbol of the keeper of the house.
Electric Jigsaw
Such a tool converts the rotational movement of the motor shaft into the translational stroke of the rod, on which a relatively short saw is mounted.
It is clamped at one end by the shank. Such a fastening gives a significant advantage in work. Models from leading manufacturers are equipped with adjustable engine speeds, there are options for the swingarm of the saw, and the anti-vibration system eliminates rattling.
Wood carving with an electric jigsaw differs from traditional technique. It is convenient to work with such a tool on an inclined plane. The sole of the jigsaw glides over the surface, eliminating distortions. It remains only to follow the drawn circuit, the engine will do the rest.
However, one-sided saw mounting also has disadvantages. It is impossible to process delicate and graceful patterns with such a tool. To withstand the load, the saw blades for jigsaws are made thicker and wider. Therefore, it is not possible to make a thin cut of 1-2 mm with a steep radius of rotation of the pattern.
But with such a tool it is good to process the end parts. A powerful engine and reliable blades make it possible to cut dense wood up to 40 mm thick and more.
Safety precautions
Working with a cutting tool provides a responsible and serious approach. Any technological process must be carried out in accordance with the norms and rules of safe operation.
The handles of the working tool should be comfortable. The stop table must be firmly fixed. The stronger the support, the better. The file in the jigsaw is attached securely. The work is carried out in smooth and measured movements without jerking.
Leaning too low on the workpiece is not recommended. The height of the workplace should be optimal. Attention should be paid to the organization of proper and adequate lighting.
When using a power tool, it is necessary to study the instructions for use, check the operability of the device, the presence of grounding. It is possible to start cutting only clearly presenting the entire technological process of the operation from beginning to end.
Woodcarving with a jigsaw is not an expensive task, it does not require special additional equipment. You do not need a special workshop for this, you can cut it even in an apartment. Indeed, all that is needed is a jigsaw, a small blank, the idea of a pattern or composition and the desire to turn a flat piece of plywood or board into an elegant thing pleasing to the eye.