This saw sure goes by lots of names. I’ve seen sabre spelled saber also. I’m not sure which is correct.
Some folks call it a jig saw, others call it a bayonet saw. I always thought a jig saw was the same as a scroll saw with table and thin blade.
I thought a bayonet saw was like a saws-all.
Anyhow, I jsut got a new Bosch from Woodcraft. I then bought a bunch of different blades. WOW! What a surprise to me. The technology in sabre saw blade technology is incredible. Under magnification they look like little works of art in themselves.
Some blades have teeth perpendicular to the blade body. Tooth design resembles Japanese teeth. The quality of cut is near perfect. I also got incredibly good quality cuts with ALL the baldes I tried in various materials. It has been a long time since I used my old sabre saw. Now that I am set up with such a nice system I will use it frequently.
I assume other mfg’s also have a good selection of blades for sale.
Replies
Don,
I tried Bosch's Progressor blade that a friend gave to me. It's a wicked looking blade - 11 TPI. They are very aggressive looking teeth (long!). I installed it in my vintage B&D jigsaw and gave it a workout. 2" thick cedar - no problem. Plumb cuts, even on corners. Plywood - clean cuts, TOP and BOTTOM! I have no reason to use another type of blade for wood.
Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
I second that!
John
Don, ya got the best-for my money. I have been using a Bosch Barrel body for a long while with their blades. BTW-they invented that saw. Their blades are the best that I have found, a little pricey but shop them on Amazon, online suppliers etc. The Bosch blades even make bad saws cut better. For some reason unknown to me, I don't know why the barrel body is not in the front of their marketing effort as it's light years ahead of the top handle for ease of use. Paddy
Paddy,
I've got one of the "original" barrel-bodies Bosch jigsaws. This was the first model on the market. And they immediately improved the next version by adding a dust blower to it.
While my saw cuts aggressively (though it's a bit crude and jumps around a lot), it's difficult to use. You really need to wear a dust mask while cutting with it, yet that prevents you from blowing dust off the cutline. And you really need to do that, because the blade immediately throws dust all over as soon as the cut begins.
I've been looking for an excuse to upgrade, but because I don't use the saw much and it still cuts just fine, I've never gotten around to doing so. Maybe I'll sell it at a yard sale and use the proceeds to move to the "modern age," where such things as dust obscuring a cutline have been thought out. There's certainly something to be said for not being an early adopter..
Zolton If you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon
A
I really love the Bosch but I still will kep an ol' Sears Craftman sabre saw. It is unique in that it has a knob directly above the blade shuck. By turning this knob you can point the teeth in any direction you wish. It also has locking dedents every 90 degees. This Sears feature can come in handy on rare occasions so I will keep storing it. It is not nearly equal to the Bosch in all other respects.
Don, this is weird, I also have the old sears 1hp-not really- 1" stroke, dial up speed on the tail, scrolling head saw.(1980's ?) Picked it up for $30 as inventory clearance as the new improved -not- top of the line model came out which was junk. Did the same with their top of the line 7 1/4" CS. They are not fancy but they are still running well as back ups to cut ugly things. Paddy
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