Questions often arise about how to cut a circle with a jigsaw, since many craftsmen only deal with straight cuts of the material. But cutting out varying degrees of curvilinearity seems difficult only at first glance.

For cutting you will need:

• jigsaw;
• plywood or other material;
• files special purpose depending on the material;
• marker;
• sample;
• work surface;
• clamp.

There are various ways. You can cut a circle with either a manual or mechanical jigsaw. A hand tool is a simpler device than an electric one. It is not suitable for thick layers of material or for long cuts. Jigsaws are divided into ordinary and artistic. The difference between them is in the location of the file: in a regular file, the file is located vertically, but in an artistic one, the role of the file is played by a steel blade. A regular jigsaw can be used to cut through thick plywood to make a headboard or other furniture. Artistic can be cut complex elements, letters, puzzle pieces.

Cutting blades are varied for each type of jigsaw, and they need to be selected according to the material with which you are working.

How to cut out of plywood with a jigsaw?

Before cutting a circle out of plywood, there are a few things to remember: general advice to work with this material. Sawing can only be done on dry material. Wet plywood has increased resistance, and when cutting, the veneer will begin to peel, which will lead to damage to the file or even the entire tool in the case of electric models. At the first sign that the teeth are not sharp enough or that some part of the blade is bent, the file should be replaced.

When sawing plywood with a jigsaw, you should, if possible, place the main cutting lines along the veneer fibers.

This will promote clean cut edges. When working with a hand jigsaw It is easier to cut across the grain. This will not protect against chips, but there will be less chance that the file will get pinched or it will move along the chip away from the intended line.

Before cutting out the circle, you need to transfer its contours to the plywood. In this case, you need to try to ensure that areas with defects, chips, stains and knots fall outside the cut contour. You can transfer the outline to plywood by tracing it through carbon paper, cutting out a paper outline for tracing, or simply drawing a circle of the required radius with a compass. If necessary, a starting hole in the plywood is made using a thin drill.

To cut a circle with a jigsaw, a blade is inserted into the hole. Free end hand model is secured back in place using a clamp or mounting screw. The workpiece is pressed against the workbench with clamps, and the cut is made according to the transferred line. When the circle is closed, the central element is separated from the sheet and the edges are processed sandpaper or a file.

Before cutting with a jigsaw with an electric motor, you need to install a narrow file on it. There is a special improvement for this tool called a circle cutter, it is installed in the center and work begins. When working, do not put pressure on the tool; this does not contribute to faster movement. As a result of the pressure, the jigsaw blade and even its fasteners can bend and break. If the circle that needs to be cut has a small radius, it is better to do the work in several approaches, since sharp turns can break and bend the blade.

Plywood (and to a lesser extent other sheet materials such as chipboard or oriented strand board) has significant decorative potential. If there is enough simple tool and certain skills, you can cut almost anything out of plywood.
But in order for the parts obtained as a result of such carving to look quite presentable, the master should have a few tricks in stock. We will talk about them in our article.

Getting started with sheet materials, many craftsmen only have an idea of ​​how to cut in a straight line. Because the question is how to cut smooth circle made of plywood, may confuse many. And indeed, ordinary or circular saw can't cope with the task.
Figure sawing Most often done using the following tools:

• The simplest device used for sawing. With the help of a jigsaw, even the most delicate work You can do it yourself, but it’s practically unsuitable for thick material or long cuts.
• Jigsaws. There are two types of devices you can use here:
  • regular, with a vertical file;
  • artistic, in which the role of the cutting element is performed by a steel blade.

Ordinary jigsaws will come in handy when working with thick ones. But if you are looking for a way to cut letters out of plywood or make other complex elements (for example, parts of a children's construction set), then it is best to use a model with a band saw.

Advice! Naturally, for each type of jigsaw there are several types of files and blades. The right choice cutting element is a necessary condition high quality products.

• In addition to jigsaws for curved cut You can use a furniture router. Despite how difficult it is to operate, it is many times superior to most models of plywood saws in terms of the quality of the holes it makes. Using a router you can.

Also, do not forget about available devices, but we will talk about their use in the appropriate section.

Cutting from plywood has several nuances that the master needs to take into account:

• Firstly, you can only cut on dry material. High humidity leads to an increase in the resistance of plywood, therefore, with excessive force, either the veneer will begin to delaminate or the file will break.
• You need to change the saw or cutting blade immediately after the first signs that the teeth have become dull appear.
• If we are cutting from plywood using a jigsaw, then to obtain cleaner edges, the main cutting lines should be placed along the grain of the veneer. But with hand saws it is easier to work across the grain: there will be slightly more chips, but there is less risk of the file getting pinched or moving away from the intended line.

Advice! When transferring patterns for cutting from plywood onto the workpiece, try to place the template in such a way that the elements to be removed fall on areas with defects: knots, chips, stains, etc.

Shape cutting technologies

Jigsaw

As we noted above, a jigsaw will come in handy if we are looking for how to cut a word out of plywood or make other parts of complex shapes:

• We transfer pre-printed drawings or templates onto the workpiece using carbon paper.

• If the structure has through sections, we make starting holes with a thin drill.
• Insert a file or jigsaw blade into the hole. Secure the free end of the file with a fastening screw or clamp.
• We make a cut along the intended line, pressing the workpiece to the workbench. The saw moves either automatically (for electric jigsaws) or manually.

After all the arc elements have been sawn, remove unnecessary areas and process the finished part with a file or sandpaper.

Fraser

A furniture router is great for cutting out thick plywood. Certainly, complex shape You can’t make it with it, but you can easily cut an arc or circle:

• We fix the standard ruler included in the router in the center of the circle using a self-tapping screw.
• If the length of the ruler is not enough, you can assemble a simple bracket from a metal profile or wooden planks.
• By rotating the cutter along a fixed radius, we select a groove along the circumference, resulting in an almost perfect hole.

Pay attention! When calculating the diameter of the circle, you should take into account the dimensions of the working cutter. Exact numbers The instructions for the device will tell you.

In this way, you can cut not only circles, but also individual arcs - for example, to make grooves for furniture brackets.

Using improvised means

For curly elements it is advisable to have special devices, but to do about round hole in a laminated veneer slab can be needed by any craftsman. Below we will tell you how to cut a circle from plywood when you have nothing at hand.
Well, almost nothing:

• To cut plywood, use a wooden strip with two nails.
• One nail is driven through the strip into the workpiece, exactly in the center of the hole being made.
• We drive the second nail into the bar so that the point protrudes on the wrong side by at least 5-10 mm. The distance from the first nail should be equal to the radius of the hole being made.
• Rotating the bar, use the tip to draw a groove on the plywood, deepening it with each turn.
• Instead of a stick, you can use a strong cord. The operating principle remains unchanged.

The sharper the nail used, the faster the hole will be made.
It should be noted that although the price of such a device is low, it is worth using it only when other methods are not available: the edges still turn out to be far from ideal.

Similar materials

A jigsaw is a very useful power tool. Using the right saw, a little experience and confidence, and most importantly correct body position, you can do anything with it. You can do many things that cannot be done with other instruments. The machine is used for cutting straight lines, curves, profiles and circle trimming. Great for cutting wood, metal and plastic.

The master showed how to cut a perfect circle with a jigsaw. He made a device out of wood. Its design is simple, and the device itself is easy to manufacture. To get an idea of ​​this, see this image.

Material used:

12 mm plywood sheet. Wooden strip. Nails.

How to do

First of all, measure the size of the jigsaw machine's base plate. The next step is to cut the plywood sheet into an L shape as shown in the image.

After cutting the sheet of plywood to the exact size, the next step is to cut a strip of wood to attach the sheet with nails. This strip is used to hold the jigsaw in its position.

Make sure that there should not be any type of opening between the strip and the base plate of the jigsaw.

The next step is to drill small holes on the sheet. The distance between these holes is, for example, 1° cm. These holes are used for cutting circles of different diameters.

After that I painted it so that it looked good. It is now ready to be used for cutting perfect circle clamp

Advantages:

It's very easy to do.

Easy to use.

Less costs.

Used for cutting round discs various diameters.

For better understanding, watch the video below.

• Date: 08/25/2015
• Views: 661
• Comments:
• Rating: 41

A jigsaw is a popular hand tool used for pattern cutting. A jigsaw, along with a hammer drill and an electric drill, is considered the most necessary tool for working with wood. A jigsaw makes straight and curved cuts in wood of different hardness and other natural and artificial materials. The tool can be used for cutting circles, rectangular cuts along a complex trajectory, and high-precision cuts. Some tips and recommendations will help you to understand the question of how to work with a jigsaw, how to cut a circle, the principle of operation, advantages, disadvantages of the tool.

A jigsaw is considered the best option for cutting circles of various diameters.

Tool characteristics

Jigsaws are divided into household and professional. Using household tools with a power of 350-620 W, they perform a small amount of work on wood up to 70-80 mm thick, sheet steel up to 4 mm thick. Professional power tools are designed for a large volume of work and provide continuous work within 8 hours, productivity does not decrease. The tool is designed to work with wood material 80-130 mm thick, steel material up to 10 mm thick, aluminum up to 20 mm, has a power of 580-750 W.

U household models smaller set additional functions. Important operating functions - stroke rate, power, method of fastening the blade for cutting, pendulum movement, equipped with a saw blade rotation device, regulation of the number of strokes to optimize work with different materials. Single-speed jigsaws without speed adjustment are used for sawing wood.

A jigsaw is often used when carrying out finishing works, for curved sawing, creating internal holes, shaped parts in the manufacture of furniture, while the material being worked with must be fixed. To secure the material, you can use clamps; the cuts are first marked on the material, then the tool is turned on and sawing begins. The principle of operation is to convert the rotational movement of the shaft into the translational movement of the working mechanism - the file. The file is mounted on a rod - a round plate, the quality of which determines the durability of the part. When choosing a power tool, you should pay attention to the round shape and thickened rods.

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Advantages and disadvantages

The universal tool has many advantages:

• capable of making cuts on almost any material: wood, stone, plastic, sheet steel, ceramic tiles;
• quick change possible saw blades;
• used for cutting circles of various diameters, rectangular cuts;
• easy to operate;
• to work with the tool there is no need to obtain appropriate education, some simple skills are enough;
• a wide range of saw blades with different pitches and tooth shapes, used for processing all kinds of natural and artificial materials, facilitates the performance of many types of work on one tool;
• thanks to the reliable fastening of the blade, cuts are made at any distance from the edge of the parts;
• sufficient depth of cut makes the tool universal in use;
• rare damage to the canvas during work.

Flaws:

• slow process of tool operation due to the short stroke of the blade;
• likelihood of injury;
• the possibility of damage to the cord in power tools powered by a cord;
• control over the battery charge level.

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Features of work

The tools are produced with built-in protection systems, pneumatic and electric drives. Implementation innovative technologies helps improve the functions of jigsaws, reduce vibrations, noise, increase productivity, and equip the tool with convenient functionality. Tools can be classified according to the method of fastening the saw: saws with a piece with a hole, saws with a cross-shaped piece, smooth saws. A jigsaw can perform some functions of a router, hand saw, reciprocating saw, circular saw, chain saw, angle grinder; The tool is a good help in the household.

During the operation of the jigsaw, the current supplied from the power source drives the jigsaw motor. Rotational motion is transmitted through the engine and gearbox to the gear that secures the rod. Rotational movement the shaft is transformed into a reciprocating movement of the working mechanism (up and down), the file cuts through the material. The tool is indispensable for wood carving. The files are fastened with screws or clamping devices, this allows you to conveniently and quickly change the blade without using a special tool.

Often, when repairing or installing various wooden products You need to drill a perfectly round hole. In this article we will try to highlight all the ways in which such a hole can be cut. Options with the use of special tools, as well as without them, will be considered.

How to cut plywood

A hacksaw with a very narrow blade, a jigsaw, a drill saw and a round file are those hand tools, which can be used to cut along a curve.

It is the narrow blade that provides maneuverability to the hacksaw, but for the same reason it is extremely difficult to operate. You must have a steady hand and an attentive eye to prevent deviations from the markings. However, do not try to work quickly. On the contrary, it is better to advance in small spurts. This will help you hold the saw handle more confidently and guide it exactly along the given line.

It is better to cut out small round or oval holes and “narrow” curves using special tools - a drill saw and a round file, which can also be used to clean out curves.

However, the most suitable tool for cutting rounded parts and holes is an electric hacksaw. Its advantage is not only that it saves energy and time. The included set of interchangeable blades with different teeth allows you to choose a blade for sawing almost any type of workpiece, be it wood, plywood or particle board. In other words, an electric hacksaw can rightfully be called a universal tool.

Round corners of furniture

By hitting acute angle table, you can even get hurt. Therefore, we recommend cutting corners where possible. U homemade furniture they need to be rounded off from the very beginning.

Cutting circles and curved lines is no more difficult than making an absolutely straight cut on a workpiece, but under one condition: in your hands the right tool and you are good at it.

Mark missing parts

It may happen that the holes that you drilled to insert a narrow blade of a hand or electric hacksaw will end up on useful areas To avoid such errors, you should mark all missing parts of the workpiece with shading.

What is suitable for the template

You can make a circle on a workpiece not only with a compass. Any object of a similar shape is suitable for this purpose. This could be a pan, plate, cup or bowl. However, when starting work related to the repair of furniture or some piece of furniture, calculate in advance the need for parts with rounded contours or with round holes. It may be enough to make only minor changes to the design.

Instead of a compass

A school compass can also be useful in a home workshop, but its range of action is small. What if you need to draw a circle of large diameter?

An easy way is to do this with string, a nail and a pencil. The nail is carefully driven into the workpiece, the rope is secured to it at one end, and a pin is secured to the other end. The length of the rope determines the radius of the circle being drawn. The only condition is that the rope must be taut along the entire path of the pencil. Then the distance from the center (nail) to the circle in all sections of the marking will be the same.

Strip of cardboard or slats

No less simple, but more reliable way- use a strip of cardboard or, even better, a wooden plank instead of a rope. Drill two holes in this bar (strip) - one, smaller, for a nail, the other, larger, for a pencil. The distance between their tips should correspond to the radius of the desired circle. All that remains is to install in in the right place nail and turn the bar around its axis.

Two sharpened nails and a wooden strip or a strip of thick cardboard can replace a compass.

How to draw ellipses

An ellipse is a rather complex shape, but to draw it on paper, you only need two thumbtacks, a piece of string and a sharpened pencil.

Attach two buttons to the surface of the workpiece at some distance from each other. Take a piece of rope, tie both ends into a knot and hook the rope onto the button heads. Now, with a pencil, draw a line that the stretched rope allows you to describe. You can change the shape of the ellipse at your discretion.

The distance between the two focal points of the ellipse is indicated by buttons. If you guide a pencil within the boundaries assigned to it by a rope, then the outline of an ellipse will appear on the paper.

The ellipse shape can be larger or smaller, thicker or narrower, depending on the distance between the buttons and the length of the rope.

Templates

Shot glasses, cups, plates, pots or baking dishes - there are many items in any household round shape, which can be used to mark a circle. If you are making something and decide to give your product a rounded shape, then first look to see if there is a suitable template among the household utensils. To be sure, select a few items and take them to the workshop. There you can immediately try them on the workpiece and determine what is most suitable. With some practice, you will be able to make rounded lines from several round objects with different radii. Arcs of a circle can be drawn sequentially, or bridges-transitions can be made between individual arcs.

Preliminary drawing

Before attempting to draw a curve on a piece, design it on a large piece of paper or piece corrugated cardboard. Only after the result is satisfactory in all respects can you cut out a template from paper and make markings on it on the workpiece.

You can draw circles and fragments of a circle using a cup or plate by simply tracing them with a pencil.

Inserting a sink according to a template

Washing is one of the essential elements kitchen equipment. If you decide to cut your sink into your kitchen worktop yourself, the first thing you need to do is prepare an exact template.

First, transfer the outer outline of the shell onto a thick sheet of paper. Next, measure the width of its sides, which will rest on the tabletop. Usually this is 2-3 cm. Now step back from the outline drawn on the paper, inward by the width of the side and draw a parallel line. This will be the cutting line.

When applying markings, make sure that the position of the template itself on the plate is correct. Of course, if all the corners of the sink are symmetrical, then nothing bad will happen if, according to the markings, it appears to be in a mirror image. But if the sink has the shape of a trapezoid and the roundings at the front corners differ from the roundings at the back, then under no circumstances confuse the front and back parts.

Using a similar pattern, make templates and cut out holes for the devices. wall lighting or for loudspeaker mounted on wooden panels.

The line drawn around the sink is auxiliary. The second, drawn parallel closer to the center, is the sawing line.

Electric hacksaw

If you need to cut a round-shaped part and saw a round hole in the workpiece, then an electric hacksaw is the most suitable tool. With its help, you will save effort and time, since such a saw has great advantages over a manual one. Thus, the blade of the electric hacksaw is narrower, which provides increased maneuverability. Further, it has replaceable blades with different teeth, which allows you to process workpieces of any type, that is, wood, plywood, particle board (it is no coincidence that the tool is also called a jigsaw).

To cut a section inside the workpiece, a hole is first drilled for a hand saw. But if you have an electric hacksaw, then this is not necessary. The tool is brought to the workpiece with a slight tilt forward and turned on in this position. The saw will cut the hole itself. Just don’t put too much pressure on the body - this can lead to breakage of the saw blade.

Lead in a circle

This device, simple in design, makes cutting out round holes or arcs much easier. It is enough to mark the center of the circle on the workpiece, fasten the device along the mark and connect the rod coming from it with an electric hacksaw. The divisions on the rod help set the saw blade at the required distance from the center of the circle. As a result, without preliminary marking, you can cut a circle or saw an arc with a radius of 5 to 20 cm.

The device (more precisely, its “sole”) is attached to the surface of the workpiece with screws. They should be well tightened. If the fastening is not rigid and starts to wobble, then an even circle will not work.

Suitable for lefties too

Left-handers can also use the device, since the guide rod is attached to the movable unit both on the left and on the right. So cut at your own discretion - clockwise or counterclockwise.

Using such a device, you can cut a round hole with a diameter of 10 to 40 cm in the workpiece without preliminary marking.

Jigsaw

When cutting holes or curves in small workpieces, sometimes you can’t do without a jigsaw. Replaceable blades with teeth of different shapes and locations allow you to work with wood of different densities. However, it should be taken into account that the depth of the cut is limited by the arc of the jigsaw, that is, the saw blade will not be able to move further than 30 cm from the edge of the workpiece.

Very thin, narrow saw blades can be easily damaged if the jigsaw is used incorrectly. The saw must be operated with careful, methodical movements. The main thing is to prevent the canvas from skewing. Otherwise, small and light workpieces will begin to move with the saw, which may ultimately lead to the blade bursting.

The thinnest jigsaw blade will “master” the narrowest curve, but only in small workpieces, since the advancement of the blade is limited by the arc of the jigsaw.

Drill saw

Neither a hand saw nor an electric hacksaw will help if you need to cut a small hole in the workpiece - less than 10 cm in diameter. A jigsaw may also be useless if the workpiece is large. In this case, the most suitable tool is a drill saw. With its tip it bites into the wood like a drill and thus makes a “starting” hole for further cutting. Externally, the saw is similar to a round file with the difference that its shaft is surrounded by a spiral around the cutting edge.

Drill saws are available with interchangeable attachments of various diameters, designed for processing wood, both soft and hard rocks, as well as a variety of materials made from it.

The working body of a drill saw is a metal rod with a cutting edge, like a gimlet, and cutting edge, which goes around the rod in a spiral.

This is what the narrowest one looks like hand saws. Thanks to the fastening unit, the blades in the hacksaw can be changed depending on the nature of the material being processed.

Drill attachment

One of the most popular and convenient options The hole is cut using a special attachment on the drill. It is made in the form of a crown comb and has a rounded shape. With this attachment, cutting holes occurs quickly, and they turn out quite smooth.

drill bit for holes

There are nozzles different diameters, which allows you to cut a hole of the required diameter. If you have already prepared a hole, we can advise you to try your hand at options trading.

Drill

Cut big hole You can also use a drill. To do this, it is necessary to pre-mark the outline of the hole to be drilled. Next, use a small drill to drill through holes along the contour prepared in advance. Next, use a jigsaw or very sharp knife, cut off the holes, thereby connecting the holes. After which you can smooth the circle using sandpaper of various grain sizes.

Chisel

Cut required hole You can also use a chisel. It is enough to remove the wood layer by layer along the contour. This option is the least suitable for interior decoration. The hole must be smooth, which cannot be achieved by using materials at hand and unsuitable for the job. The best option will be using a bit on a drill. The hole is even and has smooth edges.

Thus, to summarize, it becomes clear that you need to choose a tool for cutting a hole based on your goals. If necessary high-quality cut, then you can’t do without a special tool.