Jigsaw machine from a drill. DIY jigsaw machine - simple modifications! Making a machine yourself

What if you need to use a jigsaw, but have no desire to purchase one? Experienced craftsmen They will answer that in this case the easiest way is to make a jigsaw with your own hands.

There are multiple ways to make and repair such a tool yourself. Below is a list of options for using the simplest and most accessible of them.

Making a manual jigsaw using simple technology

Before making a jigsaw, you should prepare inexpensive and available materials. Let's present them in the form of a list:

  • sheet plywood - 12 mm;
  • sheet plywood - 5 mm;
  • sheet steel - 2 mm;
  • set of bolts and nuts;
  • drill (manual or electric);
  • chisel;
  • sanding paper;
  • files.

As a base for a manual jigsaw, you must use a bracket, which is made from a sheet of plywood (12 mm).

After this, you should thicken the handle using a thinner plywood sheet (5 mm). This thickening is glued evenly on both sides of the handle, which ensures its comfortable position in the hand during subsequent work with a jigsaw. At the same time, the bracket and handle must be carefully processed using sandpaper and files of different classes.

The steel plate must be cut out using a chisel and the clamping jaws must be cleaned using a file. Next, you will need a drill to make slits in the jaws. Having taken this step, we begin to cut out notches on them with a sharp chisel. The left clamping jaw must be modified in such a way that a threaded hole is made for the bolt. We attach the jaws to the bracket, and then screw in the bolts on the left clamp, securely securing it with a nut.

Options for making a tabletop jigsaw

Desktop devices of this type can be made either from scratch or by modifying existing devices.

Option 1

To make a new benchtop mechanical jigsaw, you must first acquire the following tools and consumables:

  • duralumin pipe;
  • plastic base;
  • screws;
  • copper sheet;
  • drill.

First, we prepare the frame; a duralumin pipe is well suited for this purpose. During the manufacturing process of the frame, a passage must be provided through which an electrical wire is laid, which will provide the tool with power. Using a copper sheet, a U-shaped frame is made, which is then attached directly to the frame. In the area where the frame connects to the jigsaw handle, the frame is screwed in with screws.

Then we take a plastic base to drill holes and mounting slots in it. We fix the jigsaw on the prepared base so that the file can pass freely through the hole. We attach with clamps ready-made device on a flat surface, such as a table.

Option 2

To make a jigsaw you can use sewing machine, the repair of which is not necessary. To make such a tool you will need following materials and tools:

  • foot or manual sewing machine model;
  • hacksaw blade;
  • needle file;
  • electric drill.

Unscrew from lower parts machine design, all bolted fastenings, all parts are completely removable working system with thread. We remove the metal fastening rod by knocking it out and remove the drive shaft. We unscrew 2 more bolts and disassemble the panel that covers the sewing machine; removing it is quite simple. Using gentle movements, remove the sewing needle and get to work.

First of all, we carry out work with the slot for the needle. We expand it to such a size that the file can fit there. A needle file will help you cope with this task. It should be selected based on the size of the hacksaw blade. Try to adjust the size of the slot for the file as accurately as possible. Having bored out the connector, you can install the blade in place of the former needle holder. And finally, when turning the wheel, you need to check a few things to:

  • there was no contact between the saw, the panel and the presser foot;
  • there was free passage of plywood under the saw in the upper position;
  • the materials were drawn in a smooth motion without jerking.

These jigsaws are suitable for use with plywood, balsa wood and plastic, and when using an electric machine, such a device can be converted into a jigsaw.

Video “Jigsaw. Choosing a tool and working with it"

If it is not possible to repair the jigsaw

If using a manual jigsaw is not up to the task, and electric jigsaws cannot be repaired, then you should use the options presented below that will allow you to make a jigsaw. Electric jigsaw desktop type:

  • electric jigsaw for manual use;
  • sheet plywood;
  • set of clamps;
  • 10 pieces of screws;
  • electric drill.

We make markings for the slots in the plywood and carefully cut them out. If there is a pendulum stroke, it must be turned off. Then we place a hacksaw blade in the slot and attach it there. We also make several slits on the plywood by drilling holes with a drill and connecting them to each other. Screws are placed in the slots made. Finally secure the tool using clamps to flat surfaces will not be an effort. The device is ready.

Jigsaw from an electric drill:

  • steel sheet (4 mm);
  • steel sheet (1.5 mm);
  • steel sheet (1 mm);
  • steel rail (2 mm);
  • spring rail (0.9 mm);
  • steel rod (7 mm cross-section);
  • electric drill.

Using sheet steel (4 mm), we make a product in the form of a C-shaped frame, which will be the base of the jigsaw. Next, attach it to an electric drill. For this purpose, it is necessary to create a special clamp from a steel sheet (1.5 mm), which will ensure fastening. We attach spring slats to the edges of the base. We will need a steel sheet (1 mm) to make clamps with which the saw will be attached. Clips like these on the edges will also help strengthen the C-frame. And from a steel rod you can make a crank that will power the saw. For the connecting rod we need a steel strip, which will allow us to create a crank mechanism.

At this point, the work on making the jigsaw can be considered complete. Due to its massive size, for safety reasons it is better to clamp the drill in a vice while working. And it’s best to place working materials on flat surfaces.

Video “Jigsaw. Modernization"

If you are engaged in carving and make figures or parts from wood, plastic or similar material, you cannot do without a tool whose name is reminiscent of the distant Soviet past: a jigsaw.

There are differences between jigsaws, now both “pioneer” elementary manual models and electric ones are available for sale. modern instruments, only vaguely reminiscent of the usual files.

You can make a jigsaw yourself: in technical literature and the network offers many diagrams and drawings of electric jigsaw machines.

Making such a device is not difficult, and you will get significant benefits from it. You will be able to independently produce the furniture you need and realize the most daring creative ideas for interior.

An example of manufacturing a jigsaw machine.

A homemade jigsaw allows you to professionally make smooth parts of the most bizarre shapes. First, you need to decide on the design that is most suitable for you.

Technical description and components

The schematic diagram of any jigsaw machine is the same for different models.

It must contain the following parts:

  • file;
  • drive with a power of about 150 W;
  • rocker for tensioning the file;
  • working surface with graduation;
  • drilling block, etc.

Consumables are fixed on the working surface. In advanced models, there are special devices for rotating movements of the part; in them, the working surface can change the angle of inclination.

The surface dimensions will depend on your production and creative plans: what large sizes the parts you are going to cut, the larger your production table should be. Traditional sizes are usually around 30 – 40 cm.

There are a wide variety of types of files. They depend primarily on consumables. The dimensions of the parts for cutting also matter. Conventional saws for working with wood have a length of about 35 - 40 cm. They are able to saw parts made of wood or plastic with a thickness of no more than 100 mm.

WITH different types The materials also change and the files also change, mainly in relation to their width: from 2 to 10 mm. Files can differ in the type of their tails - with or without pins. They are fixed in special device for tensioning and even sawing. For this purpose, they have springs of a spring type.

Another important one: the crank assembly. Its function is difficult to overestimate: it is it that transmits movement from the drive to the saw, turning rotational motion into translational motion.

Assembly drawing of a jigsaw machine.

Due to this, the file begins to oscillate at a high frequency, the speed of such oscillations is on average about 800 - 1000 revolutions per minute. It is important to remember the amplitude of vertical vibrations; it should not exceed 50 mm.

In advanced modern jigsaw models, the speed varies depending on the type of consumable. Most desktop models operate in two speed modes. Most often these are 600 and 1000 rpm.

Model range of jigsaw machines

Most often, in the power of an electric drive, the range of values ​​is huge: from 90 to 500 W.

These devices are also divided into varieties based on their fundamental design:

  • universal;
  • on suspension;
  • with graduation;
  • with the caliper in the lower position;
  • with double caliper.

Jigsaws with lower support

Diagram of machine design elements.

The most used and popular models are machines with lower support. Their feature is the division of the working bed into upper and lower parts.

If in the upper section there is only one device for sawing and cleaning, then in the lower section there are many working elements: an electric motor, a switch, a transmission unit and a control unit. This design makes it possible to saw sheets of materials of almost any size.

Double slide machines

Homemade jigsaw machine with a double support differs from the lower support by the presence in the upper section of a special additional bar and a work table with the ability to change the angle of inclination and overall height.

These models are designed to work with oversized parts. This machine is easier to make than the previous model. There are restrictions on the materials that can be worked with: their thickness should not exceed 80 mm.

Hanging machines

The name speaks for itself: the model is movable, it works without a stand. The fundamental point in this design is the movement of the cutting file, and not the consumables. The module itself is attached to the ceiling, the saw is driven manually.

All this gives serious advantages: in this way you can create the most complex patterns, the surface dimensions are not limited in any way.

Devices with graduation

The presence of stops and a degree scale make it possible to work according to technical drawings, without the slightest error.

Universal machines

Such devices are usually called jigsaws. Their feature is the ability to perform several operations such as grinding, polishing, sawing, etc.

How to make a jigsaw machine with your own hands?

We will not dwell on the manufacture of simple machines: you can easily find this kind of manuals with video support on the Internet. Let's talk about homemade machines from a jigsaw.

Do-it-yourself machine assembly.

Here is the sequence of work for their manufacture:

  • We make the frame from a plywood sheet or plastic.
    The main thing is that the thickness is at least 12 mm. The function of the bed is a foundation, a working surface and a place for fixing mechanisms and an electric motor.
  • We place a special rocking chair with an eccentric on the opposite side.
    We connect them using a metal strip with bearings. All fastenings in the structure are screw.
  • We install the intermediate shaft.
    To do this, you need to prepare two bearings, place the pulley on the shaft as tightly as possible, then carefully secure it with screws. Similar actions are performed with the eccentric.
  • On a rocking chair, the range of motion should change.
    To do this, you need to change the mounting location of the screw, for which we drill exactly four threaded holes on the eccentric flange. The holes must be located at different distances from the axis. With a change in the mounting location of the screw, the amplitude of the rocker will change.
  • We make a rocking chair: these are nothing more than wooden rocker arms, into whose rear ends the screws that you made in the previous paragraph are inserted, these are tension screws.
    The rocker arms themselves are attached to the rack with hinges. We fix a file to the front ends of the rocker arms. The previous and current stages must be performed with special attention and care. The fact is that attaching the file is a fundamentally important thing. Rocker arms with plates are subject to constant loads during movement due to their rigid connection with screws.
  • A rocking chair requires a stand.
    It will be better if it is made from a whole piece of material. We make a groove for the first rocker arm on the top of the rack. At the lower end we have a special rectangular opening for the second rocker arm.

Yours. We wish you great ideas and their high-quality implementation.

  1. Hand tool
  2. Jigsaw
  3. Preparing the stencil
  4. Sawing process technology
  5. Defects in work

Wood carving with a jigsaw is rapidly gaining popularity: many people want to purchase an interesting decorative item to decorate their home, furniture, and even clothes! Carved objects of various thicknesses fit organically into any interior style; people often purchase photo frames for photographs with ornaments, cut-out words and letters, or order intricate shelves and others interesting products. Few people know that artistic sawing using a plywood jigsaw is a task accessible to anyone, even the untrained and inexperienced. You just need to understand how to work with the tool.

What is a jigsaw: general description

A jigsaw is a tool designed for cutting various contours from plywood, including curved ones. It is equipped with a blade with fine teeth that can make an even cut of plywood without the formation of significant burrs.

Hand tool

The ancestor of this type of instrument is manual jigsaw. It consists of a metal arc in the shape of the letter “U”, between the ends of which a sawing blade is stretched and attached to clamps. They securely hold the file during operation and allow you to adjust its tension. On one side of the frame there is a handle.

The clamps on the tool can rotate, creating different planes for sawing, thereby providing the opportunity for wood carving of varying complexity.

When cutting from plywood with a hand jigsaw, you need to be careful: its design is quite fragile, and during intensive work, the blade often breaks from force and heat, so it has to be replaced. To do this, each master must have several dozen spare files.

When working with a jigsaw to carve internal contours, it is convenient to use such an auxiliary board as in the photo: it will help both protect the table and solve the problem of convenient placement of the workpiece.

Jigsaw

The tool operates from an electrical network. It is a housing in which the working mechanisms are located, and there is also a handle for control on it. The sawing organ is located in the lower front part. The blade is often protected by a foot, which allows you to cut the contour exactly along the line without deviation. Advanced and professional jigsaw models have various attachments that facilitate the cutting process and straighten the edges of plywood.

Blades can have different teeth in shape and size. It is necessary to select saw blades that are appropriate for the material being processed so that damage and damage to the plywood sheet does not occur during operation of the mechanism.

Classification of jigsaws by power and application:


The instructions on how to use a jigsaw, or the technical data sheet, should describe the main parameters of the tool that must be taken into account when using the mechanism.

Wood carving tools

Sawing with a jigsaw is a creative process, but it requires preparation and additional equipment. What you will need for work:


Preparing the stencil

Drawings for cutting with a jigsaw can be different sizes, depending on the scale of the product being manufactured. To create a diagram of a shelf, a piece of furniture or a composite three-dimensional toy, you can take a large sheet of whatman paper A1 or A0; wallpaper left over after renovation will also work; for small figures, use regular A4 paper or another suitable format.

Using a bright pencil or marker, draw the outline of the future product on the surface, following the dimensions. This could be an element for assembling furniture, a shelf or another large product.

There are such a wide variety of templates for cutting with a jigsaw that it can be difficult to choose the right one. It is much easier to come up with your own cutting patterns and transfer them to paper.

Transferring an image to the surface of plywood or boards

Before you start cutting with a jigsaw, you need to transfer the image from the stencil to a wooden or plywood blank. To do this, cut out a shape from a sheet, apply it to the surface of the plywood and carefully trace it. It is desirable that the line be smooth and accurate. We use a simple pencil so that, if necessary, we can correct the line by erasing it with an eraser.

We apply the outline from the back side so that finished product no remnants of the lines were visible. The internal area can be shaded so as not to cut off excess and to mark untouchable areas.

It is important to transfer the design in such a way as to minimize cutting along the grain with a jigsaw - it is so difficult to get an even line.

Sawing process technology

Many people have probably heard how to use a jigsaw. Working with the tool will not cause difficulties if you prepare for it correctly.


Plywood carving begins with the inner contours of the design. To do this, you need to make slots for inserting the tool blade:

  • The plywood is often taken thin, and when cutting a large contour there will be no problems, but tension may arise in a small remainder. Sawing with a jigsaw inside can damage the product - chips, burrs, cuts;
  • It’s easier to work this way: you always have something to hold the workpiece by. A large sheet is much easier to handle than trying to hold a small sawn piece while shaping its interior.

How to saw with a jigsaw:


Working with a jigsaw is much easier than hand tools, there is no need for physical effort and the process is underway faster.

How to saw with a jigsaw:


As you can see, there is nothing complicated in this process.

Defects in work

If you did not follow the technology or hold the tool incorrectly, the saw may simply move off the line. Why does a jigsaw cut crookedly:

  • tilted the tool while working;
  • the tension of the file has weakened;
  • With an electric saw, the fastening of the saw may become loose.

To avoid such problems, before starting sawing, be sure to check the tension of the saw and the fastening of all working elements. If the blade is beveled and stuck, it is better to start over and make a line parallel to the defective one.

A little about safety

Safety precautions when working with a jigsaw for cutting plywood and wood are simple:

  • Use protective equipment - glasses, gloves, gown. These things will protect you from dust and small chips.
  • Sawing with a hand jigsaw should be done carefully so as not to damage your fingers with the saw. Maintain a distance between your body and the tool.
  • If you are a beginner, carefully read the instructions on how to use a jigsaw and the main characteristics of the tool. This information will help avoid accidental injury and unit breakdown.

Wood carving with a jigsaw requires care and attention. Both your health and the integrity of the finished product depend on these qualities.

What can be made from plywood: interesting ideas and drawings

Sawing wood with a jigsaw or hand tools is a creative process. You can create many decorative items different directions:


Drawings of plywood crafts do not have to be made in exact dimensions. Even taking an example from the Internet and changing its proportions, you will get a unique product that no one else has in this form.

DIY plywood crafts can be painted or left in a natural color; you can glue buttons, beads, ribbons and other decor onto them to liven up the product. To do this, it is worth involving children in the work; their imagination is a bottomless well of interesting ideas.

We offer you diagrams with photos for cutting out of plywood with a jigsaw.

You can think of yourself what can be cut using a hand or electric tool, make your own sketch and transfer it to paper, then to a piece of wood or plywood.

Carving plywood with a jigsaw requires certain knowledge and skills. If you don't have them, consider the following rules:


Since childhood, we have been familiar with the technology of sawing with a jigsaw. The principle is simple - a stationary part is placed on a stand with a technological cutout, the cut is made by moving the saw. The quality of work depends on the steadfastness of the hands and the skill of the worker.

In this way, you can literally cut lace from thin wooden or plastic blanks. However, the process is labor-intensive and slow. Therefore, many craftsmen thought about small-scale mechanization.

A simple design from the last century

More in the magazine Young technician“Drawings were offered on how to make a jigsaw machine with your own hands. Moreover, the design does not involve an electric drive; the drive is powered by muscular force, like a knife sharpener.

The machine consists of main parts:

  • bed (A)
  • work table (B) with slot for canvas
  • lever system (B) for holding saw blade
  • flywheel (G), which is the primary drive pulley
  • crank mechanism (D), combined with a secondary drive pulley, and driving the levers (B)
  • pedal assembly (E) with a crank mechanism driving the flywheel (D)
  • saw blade tensioner (W)

The master uses his foot to move the flywheel (D). Using a belt drive, the crank mechanism (D) connected to the lower arm (B) rotates. A file is stretched between the levers; the degree of tension is regulated by a lanyard (G).

With a well-balanced flywheel, sufficient smooth running of the saw blade is ensured, and such a homemade jigsaw machine allows you to massively cut out the same type of workpiece, saving time and effort. In those days, jigsaw files were produced in the form of a flat, unidirectional strip.

Therefore, to obtain patterns of complex shapes, it was necessary to rotate the workpiece around the canvas. The dimensions of the workpiece are limited by the length of the arms (B).

From a mechanical jigsaw to an electric one one step

The foot drive cannot provide real freedom of action and uniformity of the saw stroke. It makes more sense to use an electric motor for the crank mechanism. However, if you use a tabletop jigsaw occasionally, there is no point in making a stationary structure with its own motor.

You can use home power tools. For example, a screwdriver with a rotation speed controller.
The materials used are literally from wood scraps and old trash. The only critical part is the bed. It is better to make it from durable plywood with a thickness of at least 18 mm.

We make all connections using wood screws; the joints can be coated with PVA glue. From the same material we assemble a support pedestal for the lever rod. The design of the support should not have any play; the subsequent accuracy of the entire machine depends on its strength.

The desktop jigsaw machine is designed for cutting out various parts with complex configurations from sheet materials. This tool is capable of working with MDF, chipboard, fiberboard and many others. Jigsaws can also cut out the internal contours of parts if you first make a small hole. This tool has a wide range of applications, since it is capable of providing high productivity, which cannot be achieved with a conventional hacksaw.

Design features

The design diagrams of all jigsaw machines are usually the same. Having carefully examined the drawings where this tool is depicted, you can see the following structural components:

  • the bed, which is also often called the body. It is designed to accommodate everyone structural elements unit;
  • drive mechanism;
  • crank mechanism. It is necessary to convert the rotational energy of the motor shaft into the movements of the saw used during operation;
  • double rocker. Equipped with fasteners for a file and a tension device;
  • Desktop. In some modern models it has a rotation mechanism that moves at a given angle.

How to make a machine from a jigsaw?

To make a jigsaw from a manual jigsaw, you need to follow these instructions:

  1. First you need to make a table where a homemade jigsaw will be installed in the future. For this purpose use any durable sheet material– thick plywood, metal and others.
  2. They do it in the table through holes, intended for cutting blade and various fasteners.
  3. Received jigsaw table set and securely fasten on a suitable wooden table.
  4. The resulting table is equipped with guide rails.
  5. A manual jigsaw is attached below, which makes it possible to replace the drive mechanism of the machine and many of its other structural elements.

Anyone can make such a jigsaw machine with their own hands. Its advantage is that at any time this unit can be quickly disassembled and only hand tools can be used.

Homemade jigsaw table-machine from a manual jigsaw

How to make a more professional instrument?

A homemade jigsaw machine can have all the qualities that are present in professional equipment. To make it you need to follow these instructions:

  1. The bed is made from any durable material– 12 mm plywood, plastic, textolite and others. It should consist of a base, a housing to accommodate all structural units and a work table.
  2. On the other side, a rocking chair with an eccentric is placed. They need to be connected to each other using metal plates with sleeve type bearings. The resulting structure is installed using screws.
  3. The intermediate shaft is formed from several bearings.
  4. The metal pulley is placed very tightly on the shaft and the screw connection is secured.
  5. To change the movement characteristics of the rocker, 4 round holes with threads are made on the eccentric flange. They should be placed at different distances from the center line. The amplitude of movement of the rocking chair is regulated by the location of the screws.
  6. The rocking chair is formed from wooden rocker arms, which are attached on a hinge to the stand.
  7. Small cuts are made at the rear ends of the rocker arms. They are designed to install tension screws.
  8. The front ends of the rocker arm are designed for mounting a saw blade. It moves using special metal hinges. Before attaching the file, it is installed in a groove located on the work table.
  9. The rocking stand is made from a single piece of durable material. At its upper end a groove is made for installing the rocker arm, and near the lower end a small rectangular hole is cut out for mounting the second rocker arm.

How to make a machine from a sewing machine?

From sewing machine The result is an excellent jigsaw machine, which is equipped with a saw blade movement regulator. It is not difficult to do if you follow these instructions:

  1. The thread weaving mechanism is removed from the bottom of the machine. On some models it may be located in a different location.
  2. For dismantling of this node You need to remove several bolts, then remove the cotter pin and drive shaft.
  3. The top protective panel is unscrewed. After this, the groove along which the sewing needle moves must be expanded to suit the parameters of the file.
  4. The cutting element itself is also slightly modified. It is trimmed according to the length of the sewing needle.
  5. It is not necessary to make an adapter to install the cutting element. Instead, you can grind down the upper incisors a little and process the lower zone of the blade.
  6. The file is inserted into the needle holder and work begins.

All presented options for manufacturing jigsaw machines are very successful. The resulting units are distinguished by high labor productivity, and making them is not at all difficult. Depending on their skills, each master will be able to choose best model homemade equipment.

Video: Jigsaw from a sewing machine