Openwork cutting rules with a jigsaw

Openwork sawing - one of the filigree types of decorative and applied art. Remarkable ornaments, patterns, drawings made in products from thin wood, often have high artistic merit (see video).

Figure 1. Diagram of enlarging a picture using a grid.

It is tempting and exciting to create such crafts by yourself. Cutting out with a jigsaw requires knowledge of working methods, a good eye meter, a firm hand, ability to read drawings, diagrams, drawing skills, accuracy and enviable plodding. However, learning to cut is not so difficult - experience comes with time.

For this work are required:

• drawings of handicrafts, copy paper;
• ruler, square, compass, pencil, pens;
• double or triple plywood;
• hacksaw, drill, awl;
• jigsaw with nail files;
• small vice;
• files, files, emery paper;
• glue, varnish, brushes.

Preparatory work

Figure 2. The scheme of combining three parts with a common kerf.

It is important that the plywood is dry, even, uniform in color, without cracks and knots. Its surface should be slightly cleaned with sandpaper and brush off the dust. Then put a carbon paper on it and attach them to the plywood with buttons. The lines of the drawing are usually surrounded with a pencil with a thick, non-sharp lead, so as not to scratch the original. Drawings from books and albums should first be transferred to transparent paper, and from there to plywood.

It often happens that the details of the picture you like are not made in full size. They are easy to enlarge (see fig. 1). On the picture you need to impose a transparent grid of squares. And on a piece of paper - another grid, with larger squares. The lines from each cell of the original should be accurately redrawn into the corresponding squares of the sheet.

To save plywood, place the details of the future product on it compactly. It is necessary to estimate all the options and choose the best. If, for example, some of the parts are rectilinear, then they should be placed almost end-to-end in order to be cut at a time (see Fig. 2).

Work on the product

Figure 3. Diagram of the direction of the teeth of the file.

Cutting out with a jigsaw of the internal contour of a part often requires prior piercing or drilling of one or even two holes for the file. It is more convenient to work on a three-dimensional part with a tool whose frame is at least 250 mm. If it is small, you first need to cut out the inner contours to the middle of one side, and then move on to the other.

The teeth of the file must be directed downward with respect to the handle (see Fig. 3). The file needs to be pulled well enough, otherwise the jigsaw will deviate from the line of the drawing, especially when bending. The quality of the future product while significantly worsen.

In the process of cutting, the workpiece must be stably fixed, it must not be allowed to vibrate.

Because of this, pieces of wood can break away, especially in thin places, parts, and the file can be broken.

The tool should be held vertically, gently moving it down and up. Cutting out with a jigsaw does not allow sudden jerks. Since it forms a cut, moving down, it is possible to press it with a slight effort to accelerate the cutting process.

On straight sections, the amplitude of the tool movement should correspond to the entire length of the file. And bends, turns, narrow apertures, sharp corners should be worked out by short, frequent movements of the tool. In this case, you need to keep an eye on all the time so that the cut will go exactly along the intended lines.

Finishing of finished parts should be done before assembly. First you need to remove all errors, burrs, using files, files. And then check how the parts are held together with each other.

After fitting, they must be carefully sanded. And then you can connect with nails or lacing, sew colored thread, glue with wood glue. The final procedure is coating the product with varnish.