What could be the reason that my new Ryobi jig saw doesn’t cut in a straight line when it worked fine when I bought it? Do you think there’s an adjustment somewhere that would correct this?
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The first thing I would look at is how sharp the blade is. You may want to buy premium blades, and even those may not last all that long. If you are cutting particle board especially. thick hardwood and plywood can also dull a blade pretty quick, and look at your feed speed through the work piece. You may have to go slower. A jig saw is a pretty basic tool, up and down, up and down so the blade is the critical thing. Make sure the tooth pattern is appropriate for the material also. number of teeth, size etc…..
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I always have problems with jigsaws. Every type jigsaw I’ve ever used.
The common factor in every type of jigsaw I’ve tried is “ME”.
I just can’t seem to keep from pushing to hard. If I’m very careful I start out OK, but a minuet later I’m pushing to hard or trying to push it sideways.
One of these days I’m going to get a huge pile of scraps and practice with a jigsaw till I break my bad habits. The tool is to useful to leave it hanging on the wall.
Not saying you got the same problem but think about it.
Jim Y
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Try replacing the blade. I have found any saw will not track properly if the blade is dull. My chainsaw will almost cut a circle when the chain needs sharpening.
Also, don’t force the tool. Let it saw at its desired pace.
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More pressure against the blade equals more likelihood of not being straight – let the blade do the cutting, not your force on the wood into the blade. That’s an easy mistake to make, especially if you’re used to hand-saws.
A jigsaw is one of the most fundamental tools of every workshop. Yes. I meant to use the word workshop, rather than wood shop. A jigsaw belongs in every shop. Whether you work with wood, metals, plastics, or even papers and cardboard stock you should have a jigsaw in your shop. A jigsaw is very versatile. In addition to cutting all of these different materials, what actually makes it so perfect for every workshop is its ability to cut very intricate designs and patterns. From circles to S-shapes. Just about any shape really. It’s like the handheld bandsaw!
Yet so many workshops are missing this very important tool. And I think its because of one very important reason. Many people equate jigsaws to poor results. Cuts that aren’t straight, that run at a 45 degree angle instead of a 90. There’s this thought “If I use the jigsaw for this cut I am going to spend a lot of extra time sanding out and removing the imperfections. Not worth it.” What if I said we could solve all of that easily.
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It’s your blade, and you not knowing your new tool.
You are likely overworking your blade, and aren’t familiar enough with your new jigsaw to know it.
Yes, Ryobi is cheaper, but they work. I got several that have over 10 years of regular use.
Get used to your tool. Learn the blades you’re using.
Figure out what pressure you need to apply and the angle settings for the best possibly of a clean cut.
The speed of your trigger work and pressure on the cut is very likely overheating the blade and making warping or breaking an easy occurrence.
Don’t blame the tool…it’s all up to you to learn how to use it.
Smith & Wesson Extreme Ops SWA24S 7.1in S.S. Folding Knife with 3.1in
Try tightening the base adjustment lever. Page 9 of the user manual:
https://images.homedepot-static.com/catalog/pdfImages/fe/fe993de9-a59c-4d62-9b27-943546877646.pdf
Ryobi is pretty much the lower end of these types of tools. I have had poor performance from Ryobi and have given away all that I had.
You get what you pay for. There are many better brands of jig saws out there. I use Bosch, but Makita, Milwaukee and Dewalt all make good ones too.
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One thing to add – I do not know if it’s a feature on the ryobi, but on my dewalt there is a three position adjustment for orbital action. When you set to the max orbital action, the blade is easier to turn, but much more difficult to hold a straight line as compared to having that blade reciprocating dead vertical. As others have said it’s most likely just and old worn blade. Pushing the saw too hard/fast also gets the blade very hot and will cause a slight bevel in my experience.
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Try changing blades first that happens when you hit steel or a hard knot the set in the teeth flatten.
adjustments are not many in that saw
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Tobias’s answer is good; I’ll just elaborate, and add a few new thoughts.
Yes, you should examine or replace the blade. A worn blade can pull left or right, especially if a tooth or two are nicked.
And make sure you aren’t pushing the saw too hard. If you do, the blade can flex in the cut, and again, bear left or right. Blades are tough and flexible, so when you pull the blade out, it might straighten out again and you won’t see the bend.
And you might look at more specialized, higher quality, or simply thicker blades. There are blades specifically designed for various materials, and the thicker ones are stiffer. Sometimes they have harder teeth too, so you get less wear.
All that is what Tobias said. I’d add that with a good fence, you can more or less force the saw to cut in a straight line. Align and clamp a piece of MDF or something else that won’t warp to the workpiece, and let the shoe of the jigsaw press against it. Placing it so the saw cuts right on the line is a little painstaking, but you can attach a customized piece that is just as wide as the distance between the side of the blade and the edge of the shoe. Attach it to the fence with hinges. Align the customized piece to the cut line, clamp, then flip that piece out of the way, so that the fence is now just the right distance from the cut line.
Second, it is possible something is wrong with the saw. You say the tool is new, but even so, the shaft bearings may have become worn or worked a little loose. The tool might be defective, or just poorly designed (jigsaws are not considered heavy-duty tools, and Ryobi is considered a DIY-level label.) If you get the same bad results with fresh blades, I’d check to see if you could get the tool replaced or repaired under warranty.
[EDIT] And to answer your question, no, there isn’t an adjustment you can make to fix it. The only adjustments on jigsaws are the shoe tilt (that lets you cut bevels if you want), and on the nicer ones, stroke speed. If the saw offers “orbital action” (which withdraws the blade slightly on the downstroke, for faster and more aggressive cutting), you can set the amount of that action.
[EDIT] And I forgot: sometimes people recommend not cutting exactly on the cut line, but instead leaving 1/8″ or so to allow the saw to wander a little. Then you clean…
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Hi Buddy
You will be surprised just how quickly jigsaw blades can become blunt. That should be absolutely your first fix.
There is a lever on the side. This is the pendulum motion, a longer motion for cutting straight lines, less motion for cutting curves.
Or build yourself a track saw. you may be able to make something similar for your jigsaw
Best regards
Matt
MOSFiATA 8 Super Sharp Professional Chef’s Knife