# Jigsaw wood splitting



## Darklord

So I am having a problem cutting out from ply wood the sides keep splitting or ripping off. And I don't know what I am doing wrong. How do people cut so perfextly


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## Hrawk

Blade selection plays a big part in getting a nice clean cut.

Another trick you can do is to use masking tape on the surfaces you are cutting, or another thin piece of board. This helps keep the timber together while cutting and helps prevent *Tear Out*.


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## Hrawk

Also, take your time, it's not a race.

Tear out occurs a lot more when you take aggressive cuts.


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## ash

Make sure you're pressing the saw down against the plywood enough so that it can't jump up and down as the blade oscillates.

Also clamp the plywood to the bench or table so that you can concentrate on controlling the saw rather than holding the wood down too.

Post a picture of the wood, saw and damage if you can.


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## Darklord

Thanks guys for the feed back I needed that.


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## Rayshot

Hrawk said:


> Blade selection plays a big part in getting a nice clean cut.
> 
> Another trick you can do is to use masking tape on the surfaces you are cutting, or another thin piece of board. This helps keep the timber together while cutting and helps prevent *Tear Out*.





Hrawk said:


> Also, take your time, it's not a race.
> 
> Tear out occurs a lot more when you take aggressive cuts.





ash said:


> Make sure you're pressing the saw down against the plywood enough so that it can't jump up and down as the blade oscillates.
> 
> Also clamp the plywood to the bench or table so that you can concentrate on controlling the saw rather than holding the wood down too.
> 
> Post a picture of the wood, saw and damage if you can.


All good info.

The blade selection is real good. If I am needing to not have the tear out, there is a blade I use on my Bosch jig saw that has teeth straight forward and the teeth not bent side to side that creates a larger kerf. I forget the term for the teeth being bent side to side or the teeth edge of the blade bent in a serpentine way.


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## dgui

Use only a Scroll Blade. Unless you score the outline with a untilty knife and leave the line when cutting you will get some fraying. But what I like to do is put the edge of the or the end of the forks at the factory edge so no cutting across the grain will lift the plywood. You can also cut a factory edge by making a pencile line with a square and then use the utility knife to score an edge and then cut with either a circular saw and leave the line or cut with mitre saw or even with the jig saw. This is really an easy thing to do. someone on youtube is bound to show how to scribe a line and score it then cut for a new straight factory non frayed edge on plywood.


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## Darklord

What do you guys think of a bands saw and scroll saw


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## dgui

Darklord said:


> What do you guys think of a bands saw and scroll saw


If cutting Lots of Frames and selling them a Band Saw might be the thing to have I Like my 40 Year old Black N Decker with a Scroll Blade but I only Cut 2 on 3 frames every now and again.


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## ash

I'm a band saw fan. I had a smal DIY style one for years and cut 2" maple and other hard woods with it. The blad that comes with them is usually useless. Get your blades made (4-6 teeth per inch) by a proper saw doctor or blade smith or whatever you call them over there and the little band saws instantly become highly capable.

I have a big band saw now, but the little one still gets regular use for thin material and tight curves.


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## Darklord

ash said:


> I'm a band saw fan. I had a smal DIY style one for years and cut 2" maple and other hard woods with it. The blad that comes with them is usually useless. Get your blades made (4-6 teeth per inch) by a proper saw doctor or blade smith or whatever you call them over there and the little band saws instantly become highly capable.
> 
> I have a big band saw now, but the little one still gets regular use for thin material and tight curves.


Can I buy the blades that are good anywhere online? And what size is a decent bandsaw 9" or 10" good?


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## ash

Yeah, in the US you'll have a lot more blade options than we do here. Someone with local knowledge will surely post some sources for you to look in to.

The little saw I've got is a 9" model and was under $100. Plenty for slingshot work and much more.


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## Darklord

@ash thank you for your input!!


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## 1willi4

You can also prevent splintering / tear out by covering all the cutout lines with tape. Your project will go like this

• Cover your work piece with blue painters tape. Overlap the edges and really make sure the tape is pressed down and adhered to the plywood. 

• transfer your slingshot pattern to the tape. 

• secure your workpiece to your bench top. 

• use a sharp blade and take your time cutting it out. 

• when your done take the tape off and you have hopefully eliminated tear out.


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## quemado

I have had this for a while, it is from the Scroll Saw forum, Scroll Saw Magazine (Scrollsaw Woodworking and Crafts). It is a fail proof chart for matching scroll saw blades to the wood you are working with. Great folks, if you have a scroll saw check them out.

View attachment No_Fail_Blade_Chart.pdf


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