Making a jigsaw with your own hands. DIY jigsaw from a sewing machine Desktop jigsaw from a sewing machine

Many people know from childhood the fun of sawing with a jigsaw. The technology is simple. But despite the seeming ease and simplicity of work, you can get very beautiful lace made of wood or plastic. This is a very slow process that requires perseverance and patience. To facilitate labor, jigsaw machines were developed. They are functionally divided into two groups: with manual and electric drive.

Muscle-driven jigsaw device

Homemade machine is easy to make. You can find many drawings of this plywood product. With a jigsaw, with your own hands and with an improvised tool, a simple but functional device is assembled in a short time.

The scope of jigsaws is extensive. They are used for cutting figured products from a variety of materials. And also machines are needed when cutting lumber. In this case, the outer contour of the workpiece remains intact. If you use various nail files, then a homemade jigsaw will perfectly process natural wood, plywood, chipboard, plastic, metal, in particular aluminum.

Examples of drawings of a do-it-yourself jigsaw machine, which works on muscle strength, have been repeatedly cited in various magazines of the Soviet era.

Nail files for such a jigsaw machine are produced in the form of a flat blade.

The main parts of the machine:

  • Stanina (A).
  • A working table with a slot for a saw (B).
  • Large drive pulley acting as a flywheel (D).
  • Small drive pulley. The drive is combined with a crank mechanism (D).
  • Levers (B).
  • A pedal that spins the flywheel through the crank assembly (E).
  • Saw Tension Unit (G).

The master, constantly pressing the pedal with his foot, spins the flywheel. Through the belt, the movement of the flywheel is transmitted to the second pulley. Which, in turn, makes the crank mechanism with the saw blade move.

If the flywheel is correctly balanced, without distortions and with a uniform, correctly selected mass, then the nail file achieves good smoothness. Such a plywood sawing machine allows you to quickly produce many simple similar products. Cutting time and effort is significantly reduced.

With this design of the machine, the size of the initial workpiece is limited. It depends on the length of the levers (B). When the pattern becomes more complex, it is necessary to rotate the product around the saw.

Since the foot drive does not provide a completely uniform stroke and limits the freedom and imagination of the master, most often these machines are replaced with electric ones.

The design of the electric jigsaw

An electric tape jigsaw is a household universal device for making souvenirs, furniture, and various interior items. There are many options for the manufacture of such machines. But the main elements on which product quality and ease of use depend are the electric motor and the blade of the blade.

Main structural elements:

  • Saw blade.
  • Crank mechanism.
  • Drive part.
  • Tape tensioner.
  • Bed or desktop.
  • Various accessories.

Device and principle of operation

Alteration from a manual jigsaw

The first step is to make a desktop for the mechanism. For these purposes, a metal sheet or thick plywood is suitable. Holes are drilled and cut out in the worksheet for the cutting tape and fasteners.

Then the jigsaw table is placed on a regular table. After fixing, you can assemble the guide rails. To reduce vibration, it is enough to cut the rubber gasket of the desired size and place it between the jigsaw table and the main surface.

The above design is convenient in that it can be easily disassembled, and it can be used again as a manual jigsaw.

Since the standard apparatus has springs that tension the saw, a rocker is needed. One end of the rocker arm is attached to the cutting element of the machine, and the other is under spring tension. These simple actions will easily turn an ordinary jigsaw into a machine.

When using the device, it is important not to forget to turn off the pendulum stroke before starting cutting.

Sewing machine assembly

From a sewing machine, you can also quickly and easily assemble a homemade jigsaw machine. Moreover, this device has an interesting feature - a nail file stroke regulator, since there is a speed switch on sewing machines.

First, at the bottom of the machine, you need to find the thread weaving knot. To do this, unscrew a few screws. Inside, the cotter pin is knocked out and the drive shaft is removed, which is connected to the weaving complex. After completing this procedure, the top panel is unscrewed. The groove along which the needle traveled expands slightly to fit the saw blade. The nail files themselves are slightly shortened to the size of the length of the needle. To fix the saw itself, you can make an adapter. But the easiest way is to grind off the upper part of the cutting blade and sharpen the lower one. After that, you can insert the nail file in place of the needle and get to work.

When working with jigsaws of any type, you should not forget about the safety rules. Do not leave the device turned on for a long time unattended.

If the master has long hair, then it is better to pick it up or use a special cap. It is better to roll up sleeves on clothes. The room must be well ventilated. In the room where carpentry work takes place, a first aid kit with first aid for cuts must be kept.

Sawing small pieces of wood is done with a jigsaw. The device is small and usually has an electric drive. Factory models differ in their characteristics and cost. With small volumes of wood processing, it makes sense to make a jigsaw machine on your own, from improvised means. This requires a few factory parts.

A factory-made jigsaw is a reliable device, the operation of which is guaranteed by the manufacturer. Manual models are low cost. Stationary devices are expensive, but provide proper comfort when processing wood. The set of components in the device is largely the same for everyone.

The design consists of the following parts:

The part to be processed is placed on the desktop. The size of the workpiece depends on its size. Some models have a turntable, which makes it easier to work with the part - visibility improves. The presence of graduation facilitates the marking of the material.

Average characteristics of factory machines:

Special purpose models may have radically different characteristics. There are specifications of small sizes, for processing small parts. As well as models of large sizes, the industry also produces for retail sale. But such options will differ in high cost.

In the middle class, there is high competition for the consumer, so the devices will be cheaper. Characteristics are also sharpened for typical carpenter tasks. Based on them, you need to make drawings of a jigsaw machine with your own hands. Complex components for it are purchased at the store.

Experts classify jigsaws by type of construction. Features of the execution of the mechanism determine the possibility of processing wooden products.

Classification is carried out depending on the design of jigsaws.

Device types:

  • With bottom support.
  • Double caliper.
  • On a pendant.
  • With degree scale and stop.
  • Universal.

Models with a lower caliper are most widely used. The bed of the desktop factory device has 2 halves - the lower and the upper. The sawing and chipping model is located on the top of the bed.

The bottom frame contains a controller, an electric motor, a main gear, an on/off button. Such a machine allows you to work with any materials and any size.

The presence of two calipers in the jigsaw is beneficial in that the upper half of the frame has an additional rail. This jigsaw is ideal for cutting small parts. The thickness of the workpieces on both models should not exceed 8 cm. The desktop of such machines, as a rule, has the ability to adjust in height and angle of inclination.

Suspended devices do not have a fixed frame, but are distinguished by their mobility. The processed material is fixed, and the master moves the working module. since the latter is attached to the ceiling, the thickness of the material is not limited. The tool is moved manually, regardless of the bed. This allows you to make patterns of complex shapes.

The presence of a scale of degrees and stops is suitable for those craftsmen who do the processing according to the drawings. The markup allows you to avoid errors during operation. There are universal machine models on the market that allow you to do several operations. Such a machine allows drilling, cutting, polishing and grinding. The cost of such devices will be much higher, but it is more comfortable to work with them. These are industrial examples.

The designs and drawings of the homemade jigsaw options presented on the network are different. Blame the imagination of the authors and the desire to make a device that will stand out from the rest. Only the concept is the same in most cases - they take a manual electric jigsaw as a basis and repurpose it.

Home woodworking lovers often look for information on how to make a jigsaw with their own hands without special skills. You can use a ready-made manual jigsaw as a base. The mechanism does not require careful refinement. The factory manual device is the drive. But the crank mechanism will have to be developed independently. Manufacturers are trying to offer the consumer a platform for quick rework, but personal needs can only be satisfied with their own product.

Assembly order:

  1. Make a base table. A sheet of metal is taken as a material and a hole is made in it. The shape is oblong, 3-4 times wider than the saw blade. Holes for fasteners are made side by side.
  2. A factory device is fixed at the bottom of the support table. Holes for fasteners are made next to the hole for the saw blade. Screws with a countersunk head are used as fasteners. This is necessary in order to ensure a perfectly flat plane of the table. Otherwise, the processed products will cling to the hats of the wines, which will cause inconvenience in work.
  3. The design is fixed on a wooden table.

The advantage of creating a do-it-yourself jigsaw machine is that the factory tool can be detached at any time. When necessary - in the hands of an ordinary manual jigsaw. Therefore, it is better to purchase a manual version of the tool that can be used on a homemade machine - it's cheaper. Stationary devices are expensive.

Comfortable work with wooden products can be ensured by installing guide rails on a homemade support table. Additionally, markings are applied to the table, which makes it easier to measure the distance on the parts during processing.

The manual type jigsaw as the main device for the machine has disadvantages. The main problem is the file - it is too wide in manual models. Because of this, fine woodwork is difficult to perform with it - the curvature of the lines is limited.

The previous design is simple and does not have additional details that make it easier to work with wood. The direction of modernization is the possibility of replacing the file with a thin one.

Options for improving the design:

  1. Build a rocker. The structure will be tensioned by springs on one side. The second side of the rocker is fixed on the file.
  2. Fix the file between two rollers. They serve as guides for a thin file.
  3. A stationary factory device is used as a drive system of two rocker arms. Between the latter, a file is pulled. The movement is transmitted from the factory device to the lower rocker of the file.

When buying or self-manufacturing, the design will have to be chosen based on personal preferences and the desire to poke around in technology. The use of guide rollers is a less popular option - its reliability is lame.

Modernization by installing rocker arms is common. It is better that at the same time the factory device serves only as a drive for sawing a jigsaw. To do this, turn off the pendulum stroke in the tool.

The heir to the property of grandparents often gets an old sewing machine. She has already served her purpose in tailoring, as more precise equipment is now being produced. In the absence of a jigsaw in the household, you can not spend money on its purchase. It is made by hand from a sewing machine.

Procedure:

Now the jigsaw for figured cutting on plywood is ready. It will be more difficult to work with a manual drive, as your legs will get tired. An additional disadvantage will be vibrations from the force impact on the tool. The electric drive of the machine, converted into a jigsaw, partially solves the problems of vibrations.

An expensive jigsaw can be replaced with a self-made design. It will not be inferior to anything in terms of its qualities and functionality, if you take a responsible approach to the assembly process. It is important to make high-quality plywood mechanisms that serve as a support table. It is desirable that the table be able to rotate. For the option with a sewing machine, this will not be possible. If desired, markings are applied to the table to make it easier to measure the details in the process.

Here is the general scheme of the jigsaw machine.

I had a homemade machine tool, I have already briefly written about it. Since I am a furniture maker, I made it from the remnants of LMDF. Cheap and cheerful :). I did not care at all about the appearance, as long as I worked. And he did a good job! On it, I understood all the nuances of sawing out of solid wood, such as walnut, oak, ash. Everything would be fine, but at the drive, and they were served by a Krees 350W construction jigsaw. 15 years of experience! At the drive, the speed regulator has "covered itself", it turns on immediately to the maximum and immediately tears the file. I did not find a native proprietary regulator. What kind of regulators I have not tried, and dimmers for chandeliers and regulators from shv. machines, vacuum cleaners. The desired result, namely a wide range of adjustment, I could not achieve.

The photo shows the principle of operation of the jigsaw. the construction jigsaw transmits oscillatory movements to the rocker, on which, in turn, the file is fixed.

In the end, I gave up. The Moor has done his job, the Moor must go. I decided to buy a new jigsaw drive. All Chinese versions of jigsaws are not suitable, adjustment on them is one name. I found what I was looking for in the Makita brand store. Jigsaw 450 W. Wide range of adjustment, and does not yell like Chinese jigsaws! Quietly works!

Here is my new drive, Makita 4327.

I found a new drive, but it didn’t work to put it in place of the old one, the height is not suitable. I decided, rather than redo it, it is better to make a new one, taking into account the elimination of the inconveniences identified in the process of working on the old one.

1. Increase the clearance from the file to the frame (on the old one it was 27 cm.) For this you need an elongated rocker.

2. Increase the vertical stroke of the saw blade for good chip removal. (on the old one, the saw stroke is 18mm.)

3. Appearance! Schaub was not ashamed to take pictures. :)

And so! machine is ready!

Here is my new machine!

The clearance from the file to the frame is 45cm! 30mm vertical stroke! Dream!

Trial cutting. The result is excellent! The Makita regulator does a great job. The machine works by noise like a household sewing machine.


One of the most convenient stationary machines for figured sawing, it has a very simple design. Craftsmen make such devices from a wide variety of materials and tools. One of the most suitable bases for making a desktop jigsaw is a regular sewing machine. At the same time, the device does not have to be new or have an electric motor. In more detail about the principle of operation and the manufacture of a stationary jigsaw, we will describe later in the article.

The principle of operation of the jigsaw

Before proceeding with the study of the manual for assembling your own stationary apparatus for cutting, you should delve into its structure and a little, into the history of origin.

The first electric jigsaw was born in 1946, when engineer Albert Kaufmann had the idea to replace the sewing machine needle with a thin file. For its time, the invention was very original and received well-deserved public attention. Scintilla AG was engaged in the production and sale of jigsaws until it was bought by Bosch in 1954. To date, the patents for the invention have long expired and a wide variety of companies have begun to manufacture jigsaws.

Modern stationary jigsaws are functional devices assembled from precise and reliable parts. At first glance, the models presented for sale may seem incredibly difficult to manufacture, but they are based on the same old principle of operation, albeit with a more optimized mechanism. By assembling a jigsaw from a sewing machine, we are essentially returning to the origins of this invention, partially supplementing it with modern technologies.


The design itself, which tensions and drives the saw blade, is quite simple and consists of a special frame and a crank mechanism. The movable frame consists of upper and lower arms of equal length, fixed to the rack. A file is installed on the front side of the frame, and on the opposite side a spring that performs tension. To move the file up and down, makes the crank mechanism connected to the motor. A more visual and detailed embodiment of the above process can be seen in the following drawing.

Electric jigsaw from a sewing machine

The beauty of making a stationary jigsaw from a sewing machine lies in minimizing precise work. A reliable crank assembly is already connected to the needle mount, which is quite simply converted to a file. In fact, in order to retrain the device, it is necessary to arrange a tension mechanism on the opposite side of the installed saw blade. In detail about how to make a jigsaw from a sewing machine, we will tell and show further.


As an illustrative example, the Soviet sewing machine "Tula" with an electric drive will be redesigned. Based on this manual, it will be possible to convert most other old models into a machine. If you have a different machine (which is likely), the parts and their location may vary. In this case, the main thing is to approach the matter judiciously, with logic and use the tips below according to the circumstances. So, for work you will need:
  1. Sewing machine
  2. Nut with bolt (full thread)
  3. Spring or flexible metal plate (for tensioner)
  4. Metal corners (2 pcs.)
The components listed above do not claim absolute accuracy and are provided as a guide only. The dimensions of the required parts should be selected based on their capabilities, focusing on the examples in the video below.

By instruments:

  • Drill (with a set of drills for metal)
  • Bulgarian (with a disk for metal)
  • pliers
  • Screwdriver
At the first stage of assembly, it is recommended to remove all unnecessary elements from the sewing machine, leaving only the crank mechanism and the needle holder connected to it. To set the tension of the file, it is necessary to remove the shuttle located under the needle. If a motor is built into the housing, it should be left if it is to be used as the main drive. If the power of the regular one is not enough for you, you can remove it and connect a third-party electric drive.


If you will be using thin files, up to #2, for sawing, a standard hole in the top mount will suffice. For wider blades, a larger hole will need to be drilled.


The bottom mount can be made from a conventional bolt. To do this, you need a drill, a drill for metal by 3-4 mm, and a tap for threading this diameter. The resulting structure should look like this.


There are 2 types of sewing machine installation: above the table and under the table. In the variant we are considering, the device is located on top, when the tension mechanism comes from below. The author of the product abandoned the spring tension method in favor of a metal plate cut from a hacksaw blade. A hole drilled in the center of the plate serves as a place for attaching the saw blade. The strip of steel itself is installed in improvised grooves made from corners.


At this stage, the assembly of a homemade jigsaw machine from a sewing machine is considered complete. The device is able to easily cut wooden blanks up to 20 mm thick. With a more advanced tension system, a good spring, and a powerful motor, it can easily take higher values. The detailed assembly process, with the author's comments, is presented in the video below.

Altering the place where the needle is attached to the file

Far from everyone and not always there is a need to carry out only figured cuts. More often, a jigsaw is used to achieve controlled cuts of straight and round shapes. In such cases, a thin nail file will be too slow, but a standard jigsaw blade will cope with the task quite quickly. And everything would be fine, but only such a saw will not fit into a standard needle holder. So you need to reactivate the logical hemisphere and “pump” your homemade jigsaw machine from a sewing machine. To do this, by the way, is quite simple.


As an example, let's take a product from the following author, although this problem was also solved at the end of the previous guide. The answer lies in the stitching of the seat for tightening the needle. For this purpose, a grinder with a metal disc is used. The shank of the file itself also needs to be sharpened so that it passes into the hole in the fastener element with a bolt. Detailed examples are shown in the photo above, below, also in the video.


Other versions

If the above products did not suit you for any reason, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with two similar videos. Jigsaws from a sewing machine, assembled by the authors of the following materials with their own hands, have the same basis, but different implementation features. The following videos will be useful as a source of ideas for making your own unique machine.


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Perhaps you have an old sewing machine lying around and covered with dust.
In this article, the author of the YouTube channel "Vladimir Natynchik" will tell you how you can make a completely suitable and functional electric jigsaw from it.

This homemade machine will not require turning in the manufacture. All you need are screwdrivers and wrenches.

Materials.
- Old electric sewing machine
-
- Spray paint blue metallic
- Sheet plywood
- Bolts, nuts, washers M6
- Second glue, soda
- A pair of bearings, like these

Tools used by the author.
-
- Hacksaw
- Wrenches, screwdriver
-, wood drills.

Manufacturing process.
So, Vladimir found an old seagull sewing machine.


To make a machine out of it, you will have to remove the fabric feed mechanism and rotate the bobbin. Those bolts that were not unscrewed, the master warmed up with a gas burner. After such a procedure, everything is very easy to understand.






At the top of the mechanism, the author made a small revision, lubricated important components, and removed the regulators.




The old electrical wiring has also been replaced.




Then the master painted all the surfaces of the machine with blue metallic spray paint.


With painting, he hurried a little, the machine needs to increase the working stroke of the rod. After all, now the plywood will be cut, and the fabric will not be sewn together. He made a lining out of 20mm plywood and screwed it between the base and the top of the machine.








In order to avoid unwinding of the bolts from vibration, the author filled them with paint.


The first check for performance and the amount of stroke of the blade.








There was a small problem. When the blade is loaded, it does not hold well on the rod, and shifts back.




In order to solve this issue, the master made a special stop from an M6 bolt and two bearings with washers laid between them.






Having made a cut in the plank, I fixed the bearings in it, and cut off the excess bolt.




On the underside of the machine, he secured the thrust mechanism with superglue and soda.


Now small tests on sawing a piece of plywood. Cuts very quickly and without chips. Well, Vladimir gave a second life to an old typewriter!

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