Don't Ruin Your Jigsaw Cuts! (Avoid BLADE BENDING + WANDERING with Jigsaws…)

Don't Ruin Your Jigsaw Cuts! (Avoid BLADE BENDING + WANDERING with Jigsaws…)

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Don’t Ruin Your Jigsaw Cuts! (How To Avoid BLADE BENDING + WANDERING with Jigsaws…)

One of the most common mistakes made during jigsaw usage is BLADE BENDING and BLADE WANDERING.

This is when the jigsaw blade twists or bends in the cut, and thereby produces an angled or beveled edge on a board. This skewed edge often has to be cleaned up, usually with a sander, and even then it is rarely perfect afterwards.

There are several reasons for why jigsaw blade wandering happens:

1) Forcing the Cut Too Hard: You have to slow down your cut pace to prevent stress on the blade.
2) A Dull or Damaged Blade: Blade dullness will also cause stress on the jigsaw blade, which will cause it to twist and wander.
3) Sideways Pressure: Some users will unintentionally drag the tool sideways while negotiating a turn. This can cause the jigsaw blade to bend and wander.
4) Sole Plate Alignment: The jigsaw sole plate has to be at a perfect 90-degrees to the blade. If it is askew, the blade will start cutting at a slight bevel.

Keep these things in mind when you’re cutting with a jigsaw, and you’ll avoid blade wander!

Thanks for watching!
The Honest Carpenter

50 Comments

  1. William Alderman on November 18, 2023 at 11:26 pm

    Good tips and advice for preventing jigsaw wonke blade cuts and why they happen,. even seasoned woodworkers get impatient… thx

  2. Kimberly D on November 18, 2023 at 11:30 pm

    Great tutorial–succinct yet extremely detailed instruction. Perfect!

  3. Joey Kaleniecki on November 18, 2023 at 11:31 pm

    Great video

    Thank you

  4. Chenthilkumar Ramachandran on November 18, 2023 at 11:32 pm

    Hi Ethan, I would like to connect with you for buying Golu steps. Can you share your contact details.Thank you!

  5. BigRed RacingDog on November 18, 2023 at 11:33 pm

    My least favorite tool. The only time I really use mine is to cut a piece about 1/8th" outside the line and then using a pattern to remove the rest with a router and pattern bit. You get a perfect 90 degrees every time and a much cleaner edge.

  6. Ray Wright on November 18, 2023 at 11:36 pm

    5. When someone new to the jigsaw is cutting along an edge with half of the base plate off the work piece however they don’t make sure the half of the base plate THAT IS resting on work piece is flat and not leaning off the side which leads to beveled or curved edge cut.

  7. Terry Shaw on November 18, 2023 at 11:36 pm

    Used my jigsaw today put a square on it and saw it was bent. Thanks

  8. Brian Moore on November 18, 2023 at 11:41 pm

    Video turned up randomly in my feed, but I do have a jigsaw and enjoyed your tips. Nice job!

  9. Gladden Handyman LLC on November 18, 2023 at 11:41 pm

    I feel personally attacked by this… 😄

  10. George Qualls on November 18, 2023 at 11:42 pm

    A cheap saw and expensive blade is better that an expensive saw and a cheap blade.

  11. Budget Audiophile Life-long on November 18, 2023 at 11:43 pm

    🤗GREAT ADVICE ETHAN … I hope many take advantage of your course 👍💚💚💚

  12. Paul Bateman on November 18, 2023 at 11:43 pm

    Finally an answer to a question that probably bugged me for eternity.. thanks .

  13. Luke Wadel on November 18, 2023 at 11:44 pm

    Thank you for your great video and channel! I read in a few of the comments below, and elsewhere, that a thicker blade, such as was more common decades ago, is less prone to bending and wandering. I assume that means that a blade that produces a wider kerf will tend to make a truer cut. If that is the case, would inserting two identical extra thin blades, perhaps strongly glued together with a glue that can hold in high heat, be better for making true vertical cuts than to use a common thin blade? Sorry of this is a silly question. Have a great day.

  14. Fred Cloud on November 18, 2023 at 11:46 pm

    Thank you.

  15. Gizmo on November 18, 2023 at 11:47 pm

    Great tips. I need to invest in in one, so as a semi novice, what is the best brand to buy that has an easy to change blade feature?

  16. Scott Morris on November 18, 2023 at 11:48 pm

    My issue has been cutting curves and staying on the line. My cure was to over the thrnsaw cutting into the curve. When the blade is parallel to the mencil mark look straight ahead of the blade, it is aimed off the cure. So you want to saw into the curve to where the saw needs to go, not just the pencil line you are on.

  17. Uncle Sweetie's Modelworks on November 18, 2023 at 11:48 pm

    Thanks for the information. I’m going to try to remember these and take them to heart.

  18. Frederick Wood on November 18, 2023 at 11:48 pm

    Nice. Thanks for sharing.

  19. Russ Martin on November 18, 2023 at 11:48 pm

    I have another one. Do not store or travel with a blade in the jigsaw. Good chance you will bend it.

  20. Jeff Fuhr on November 18, 2023 at 11:48 pm

    Lots of practical info for a 5-min video (for newbies **and** experienced alike). Thanks Ethan! …and best wishes to you.

  21. windy9374 on November 18, 2023 at 11:49 pm

    Use Festool blades. In fact just get a Festool carvex jigsaw.

  22. Susan Henley on November 18, 2023 at 11:50 pm

    Thank you for these important quality and safety points… good for all power tools.

  23. Daniel Grabske on November 18, 2023 at 11:51 pm

    Live and learn. Just dont force the blade and more practice .

  24. Steve Kennon on November 18, 2023 at 11:56 pm

    Did you ever replace your Dewalt table Saw? If so, please me know the brand and model of your replacement. Thanks !

  25. Carlos Torres on November 18, 2023 at 11:58 pm

    Great video. Helped me identify one of the problems I was having.

  26. Anne Candreva on November 18, 2023 at 11:58 pm

    Super helpful!

  27. The Honest Carpenter on November 18, 2023 at 11:59 pm

    *Learn Power Tools in 1 day! Check Out POWER TOOLS EXPLAINED!*
    https://www.thehonestcarpenter.com/
    *Check Out Our FREE GUIDE: 25 Must-Have Carpentry Tools…Under $25 Each!*
    https://www.thehonestcarpenter.com/optin-page
    AFFILIATE TOOL LINKS:
    Black + Decker 5-amp Jigsaw (Best Seller!):
    https://amzn.to/3EqEHBd
    Dewalt 6.5-amp Jigsaw:
    https://amzn.to/45G9Axy
    Bosch 6-amp Jigsaw:
    https://amzn.to/3LcPumF
    Black + Decker 20v Cordless Jigsaw:
    https://amzn.to/3LdHRvY
    Dewalt 20v Cordless Jigsaw (Tool Only):
    https://amzn.to/45WmY0m
    (Please Note: These are Amazon affiliate links. When you shop through these links, we receive a small commission at NO EXTRA CHARGE TO YOU!)

  28. Sandra Franco on November 19, 2023 at 12:00 am

    Thank you I’ll make sure to keep this in mind. Didn’t know why my blade would bend. I’ll pay attention to all you mentioned. Thanks.

  29. N Matthew on November 19, 2023 at 12:00 am

    ThT black and Decker is a great, inexpensive saw btw.

  30. Russ Martin on November 19, 2023 at 12:02 am

    Excellent Lesson. I am guilty off all the mistakes.

  31. Bill Parrish on November 19, 2023 at 12:03 am

    Great tips! I’ve been guilty of pushing too hard, and sideways skew, both of which I corrected, and the cuts are better but still not where I’d like them to be. The relief cuts and the periodic pulling back to reset are both excellent, and I’ll definitely try those on my next cut.

  32. Cindy Pare on November 19, 2023 at 12:04 am

    👎 not a jig saw. It’s a sabor saw. Jig saws are table mounted. Some "carpenter" lol self proclaimed douchetuber

  33. will power on November 19, 2023 at 12:05 am

    You could also add poor quality blades

  34. Celtic Craps on November 19, 2023 at 12:12 am

    Good advice. I’ve been frustrated at times with the jigsaw. I’ve probably committed a few of these but I’m betting also on it also being caused more by the cheap HF blades I’ve used.

  35. Chris Topping on November 19, 2023 at 12:13 am

    After years of wondering why my jigsaw cuts wander, I now know! Thank you.

  36. Chef Spenser on November 19, 2023 at 12:14 am

    I did not know these-thanks Ethan! "Let the Tool Do the Work! Cheers!

  37. disklamer on November 19, 2023 at 12:15 am

    Good stuff, I would add that many saws have adjustments ,not just for speed, but the type of reciprocating motion, with a setting for aggressive cuts vs. for brittle material, and some have an angle adjustment to lean forward or back, for harder and softer material. Using some sort of guide (scrapwood, metal bar, whatever) greatly increases chances of accuracy.

  38. Nancy Scott-Smith on November 19, 2023 at 12:15 am

    Thank you!

  39. ons applikasies on November 19, 2023 at 12:15 am

    Thanks

  40. D on November 19, 2023 at 12:16 am

    Whether it’s jigsaws, bandsaws, or chain saws… "let the tool do the work".

  41. Tony C on November 19, 2023 at 12:20 am

    Good video. I’ll share something I discovered that really helps with this problem, use a thicker blade. For example Bosch makes a line of blades that are .07" thick which is a bit thicker than typical. They call this their "Precision" blades and have a "P" suffix.

  42. Peter Riis on November 19, 2023 at 12:20 am

    147 USD far an online course… Isn’t that pretty steep?

  43. TwoSierraEcho on November 19, 2023 at 12:22 am

    I’m pretty comfortable with power tools but this has been one area I struggle with. In the past, I just use the band saw if possible. For my next project, I’ll try and implement these techniques. Thank you.

  44. patrick stuart on November 19, 2023 at 12:22 am

    Biggest tip I can give anyone for cutting with a jigsaw 🧩 is this , don’t use one unless you’re cutting a curve . There’s plenty of other tools for cutting a true straight line!!!!!!

  45. MrManAmong on November 19, 2023 at 12:22 am

    “Let the tool do the work” are words to live by lol

  46. Mike Bauer on November 19, 2023 at 12:23 am

    Relief cut is a great suggestion

  47. Neil Foster on November 19, 2023 at 12:24 am

    Great tips! A jigsaw is probably one of the most difficult saws to use properly and get consistently good cuts.

  48. ginbim on November 19, 2023 at 12:25 am

    It’s so simple yet I made almost all of these mistakes on my first try today. Thank you for saving me time and valuable material on my second try tomorrow. Practice makes perfect after all.

  49. Joe Laroche on November 19, 2023 at 12:25 am

    Outstanding delivery, easy to understand! You have a special talent to not talk over peoples’ heads! Thank you!!!

  50. 703am on November 19, 2023 at 12:26 am

    from your video i see my problem, i try to muscle it thru the board, guess i should have more patience

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