What is a jigsaw pendulum stroke and what is it for?

A jigsaw is a reciprocating saw blade. Nowadays, a jigsaw is most often used to cut various materials. It is not a very large power tool.

A hand jigsaw is a technically simple tool. It consists of a metal arc. A sawing mechanism is attached between its tips. A handle is attached to one end of the arc, for which the jigsaw can be held during operation. The main element of a hand jigsaw is the saw blade, because the efficiency of the entire sawing process will depend on its quality and sharpness.

Before using this tool, read the following tips carefully from experienced craftsmen.

• Do not put too much pressure on the tool while working. Just hold the jigsaw firmly in your hand.
• To make an accurate cut, the workpiece must always be well secured.
• You can reduce vibration when processing thin metal sheets by placing a sheet of plywood under it.

• If you stick adhesive tape along the marking line, then the likelihood of chips will become minimal.
• When sawing plastic, it is recommended to use the slowest tool speed.
• To cut high-quality plexiglass or non-ferrous metals, carefully treat the saw with machine oil.

The pendulum motion or the so-called "pumping" increases the speed of cutting the material. It is especially effective for a large work schedule with large material. Small vibrations during the pendulum stroke increase the efficiency of the saw movements, forcing it to "bite" into the surface. In addition, such an amplitude well removes sawdust from the holes being cut. As a result, this increases the sinking of the teeth and speeds up the cut.

When the pendulum function is not activated, the file moves up and down and makes a straight cut. In almost all models of jigsaws there is an adjustment of the amplitude of the pendulum stroke. It is carried out by a special switch. This contributes to the selection of the optimal cutting mode for a particular material. The large number of regulator steps helps to more accurately select the correct tool setting and find a balance between speed and evenness of the cut.

It is easy to guess that in jigsaws for professional use there are more levels for adjusting the amplitude of the pendulum stroke than in ordinary household ones. The number of steps in professional jigsaws is usually four. Each speed corresponds to a certain type of cut.

• Zero is the complete absence of paging.
• The first speed means turning off the pendulum stroke. It is necessary for making shape sawing, for handling hard metals, as well as with non-thick wood materials.
• The second speed means the lowest pumping rate and is used for sawing wood and soft non-ferrous metals.
• At third speed, with medium vibrations, plastic and thin wood are cut.
• The fourth maximum speed is needed for rough sawing of thick (more than 5 centimeters) wood.

The positive aspects of using the pendulum stroke, of course, include the following:

• high speed of work;
• you can saw soft wood, polystyrene, plastic, plywood, chipboard, steel sheets;
• sawdust is well removed;
• due to the high speed, heating and wear of the file is reduced, therefore, the service life of the tool is increased.

But this remarkable mechanism also has its drawbacks. These include the following points:

• low quality of the cutting line and the appearance of chips at the edges;
• not suitable for curly cutting, can only be used for straight cutting;
• not recommended for work with ceramics, stone, hard metal alloys.

For an overview of the pendulum jigsaw, see the video below.