: OK, how do you cut Okoume without ripping the crap out of the surface?
: I got out my brand new cheap Black and Decker one speed jig saw last night,
: put in a new blade, and cut about an inch off one end of a sheet of
: plywood to get a water stain off. First thing I noticed is how hard it is
: to cut in a straight line as it vibrates a lot. The top surface looked
: fine, although it did rip out a small piece of the veneer in one spot. The
: bottom, however, looked bad. About an eighth of an inch of shattered
: veneer all along the cut.
: Not a problem if I'm going to scarf it there, but a definite problem if I'm
: not.

: I changed from a wood cutting blade to a metal cutting blade, thinking the
: smaller teeth would rip less. It cut a straighter line, but the tearing
: was actually worse on the bottom as well as on the top.

: I'm thinking it has to do with the vibration. I was cutting an inch off with
: the board just hanging over the edge of the table. This was a very
: discouraging start, I must say, but I'm confident you all will give me
: lifesaving advice.

: Thanks,

: Patsy

Hey Patsy

If your " Cheap " jigsaw came with a free blade, it may not be a plywood blade. You should check to see what it said on the box, and if nothing, then I'd say go to your favorite hardware store and get one especially for plywood.
The plywood blade has teeth that are smaller than the standard blade, but bigger than a metal blade. It will also have less "SET" in the teeth as a standard, but more than the metal blade. That is important. Lots of set will tear out the grain, and the fine metal blade will bind and not remove much waste wood and grab the grain and tear it out as well.

Then, try to support your plywood as close to the cut as possible. That stuff is thin and WILL bounce if not supported correctly. Always cut out side the line, as I showed in those pictures you saw, and then you can go back and even up the edges right to the line.

As a side bar, I'm not sure why your plywood is ripping out at the bottom, other than just poor support. All the tearout should be on the top of the cut, unless you got a blade that cuts on the down stroke. ??? Check the teeth and see that they are angled up toward the saw. Taping is a good idea, but you shouldn't have to tape the bottom side if the blade is cutting upward.

I think the most important thing with the jigsaw is good, close support and No vibration or bounce in your material. I'm off to work, but when I get home I'll scan a picture of my plywood cutting support so you might be able to copy it. It supports the entire sheet and you can cut very close to the support ( or even cut it ) without worrying about messing it up.

Rehd