Blade Selection

Always select the correct saw blade for the material being cut. The resulting cut will be cleaner and more accurate, and there will be less stress on the machine. This Jig Saw can be used to cut wood, metal or plastics depending upon the type of blade selected. The blades used must be of the Bosch® style mount. Grizzly offers a variety of blade styles in the current catalog.

A few points to remember in making your blade selection:

1.The overall blade length will affect the thickness of material which can be cut. Most jig saw blades range in length from 3" to 5".

2.The width of the blade (measured from the tip of one of the teeth to the back edge) affects how tight of a curve can be cut. A 3⁄16" wide blade will cut a tighter circle than a 3⁄8" wide one.

3.The number of teeth per inch (T.P.I.) affects the smoothness and speed of the cut. A wood cut- ting blade for general purpose will usually have 6-10 T.P.I., a metal cutting will have 12-20 T.P.I. Another factor is the tooth style and how the teeth are set (the amount the tooth is bent away from the plane of the blade). Most blade manufacturer’s provide guidelines on their packaging for the types of materials and speeds to use for a particular blade style. Review their guidelines carefully before choosing a blade for a par- ticular project.

Figure 2 shows the range of blades for wood and metal cutting available from Grizzly.

Figure 2. Variety of wood and metal cutting blades.

-4-	G8994 Variable Speed Jig Saw