Puzzled by Jigsaws?

A jigsaw is also called a sabersaw, on account of the stabbing up-and-down motion of the blade.

Metal Blade: Short blade with fine, wavy-set teeth makes clean cuts in pipe.

Ceramic Blade: Toothless, carbide-grit-covered blade grinds through tile.

Wood Blade: Long, thick blade makes rough cuts in thick stock.

The first jigsaw was created in 1946, when a Bosch employee added a blade to his wife's sewing machine.

Scroll Blade: Narrow body and closely spaced teeth allow for tight turns in wood.

Trim: High-carbon steel, 12-tpi blade works well on molding and casing.

Thick stock: Long, 6-tpi blade makes rough cuts in thick wood.

Sheet metal: High-speed steel with 14 tpi cuts through light-gauge metal.

Rough cuts: Aggressive blade makes quick and dirty cuts in wood.

Ceramic: Carbide-coated grit replaces metal teeth to handle glass, brick, tile.

Metal: Bulit for fast cuts in thin and thick metal, such as pipe. Progressive tooth spacing gets wider towards the tip.

Plastics: Chunky teeth cut through fiberglass and plastic.