When cutting a straight line with a jigsaw using the guide I suggest you put one hand on the guide and press it firmly against the edge of the stock holding it there with that hand while you hold the saw handle down keeping the shoe firmly against the surface of the stock. You will probably find it easier to move the saw in a straight line because you are keeping your two hands parallel and you can use fingers to determine that the guide remains in contact with the edge along it's length. Work from the underside as you will get less splintering on the good side.
If you have the room and you usually will, you are better off clamping a straight edge to the stock and supporting table and hold the shoe of the saw firmly against that straight edge as you advance the saw forward through the stock. You may need to measure and align the cut to remove the waste rather than to the preserved desired width to allow room to clamp the straight edge. I have always found that following a straight edge is superior to cutting along with one of those fences. You can, if you don't force the saw, cut a line every bit as straight and clean with a jigsaw as you can with a circular saw. If you force the saw the blade will tend to deflect. If you have one of those orbital action jigsaws these days they will cut pretty aggressively. The beauty of a jig saw is that although you can give yourself a nasty cut and make a lot of blood you are unlikely to do any serious damage. Following a scribe line isn't generally very effective or efficient in my view and experience. You might mark the starting point and even take a fine hand saw to notch the start and if you like the end and use these marks to set the jigsaw blade into as you align the straight edge and clamp it down at either end to accommodate the offset from the edge of the blade to the edge of the shoe. I prefer to measure and with the rotomatic this can be very accurately done. You can also make a strip or block the width of that offset to set along side the straight edge when you are setting up for the cut and make your measure to that offset block so you don't have to add or subtract the offset or of course make yourself one of those saw guides which includes the offset and the straight edge in a single piece. Feeling your way along a scribe line just screws you all up with things like parallax and loosing the scribe in the sawdust and keeping your fingers away from that plunging blade holder and so on. Hope this gives you some useful ideas. ----- Original Message ----- From: Scott Howell To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 7:54 PM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Hardwood flooring Actually I hadn't thought of string myself. My big issue currently is making sure I can cut a straight line using the guide that came with my jig saw. Hell my wife isn't perfect at following the line and she can see fine. I think what I need to do is use a small clamp and make sure my straight edge is as perfect as I can get it, then I use my scratch-all on the back side of the laminate, and then I line my saw up as best I can and just keep checking to be sure the blade is tracking straight. Our first piece was off some, but instead of tossing it, I cut it differently for another use and so didn't have to waste a piece. I'm sure I'll end up wasting something yet. grin On Jun 13, 2008, at 9:53 AM, Michael Baldwin wrote: > Thanks, never thought of the string idea. Not sure why not, but oh > well. > I got to let my wood sit a week or so before installing it. that > gives me > time to track down a floor stapler. Those things are not cheap to buy. > Michael > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected] > ] > On Behalf Of Dale Leavens > Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 12:07 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Hardwood flooring > > If you intend it to run full length along the hall and through the > bed rooms > I suggest you use a long string with a nail at each end and draw it > tight > from one bedroom wall to the next passing along the hall and then by > trial > and error adjust the position of the nails until the string runs > straight > and true and hopefully parallel either to the bedroom walls and the > hall or > mostly the hall making what ever minimal compromises you must in the > rooms. > There will be furniture in the rooms to hide some of the > imperfections but > not along the hall so, parallel lines along the hall will be most > obvious or > maybe I should say, non-parallel lines will become obvious. > > Usually the best appearance is to have the boards running in the > longest > direction of any room or corridor. Once you establish your desired > line you > might want to temporarily nail down a course of strapping or other > edge in > line with the string since it probably passes through doors and > therefore is > offset from the wall or you could tap a nail into the floor in the > hall some > multiple of the width of the boards then establish the ends of the > string so > the string passes the nails in the corridor thus establishing a > straight > line an exact number of boards from the wall. > > You could and probably should divide the width of the hall by the > width of > the boards and calculate the exact starting point for the first row to > evenly divide the same board width at either side of the hall and > establish > your line that way but that is likely extreme and unnecessary. > Certainly I > have yet to have been that extreme but my standard isn't necessarily > the > only one. > > Anyway, a string is a good way I have found to establish your > beginning > reference line. > > Hope this is useful. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Michael Baldwin > To: blindhandyman@ <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> > yahoogroups.com > Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2008 8:54 PM > Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Hardwood flooring > > Okay, > Those that have installed hardwood flooring, what things did you do > to make > sure your first row was straight and square? I am installing it in 2 > bedrooms, and it will pass through a hall way, about 400 sqft in > all. The > wall that I am sure is the straightest and most square is not in a > good > place to start from. Another person on here, Scott, I think is > installing > snap together flooring, but I do not recall this question being > asked or > answered. > Thanks, > Michael > > ---------------------------------------------------------- > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 270.3.0/1499 - Release Date: > 6/12/2008 > 7:13 AM > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > Scott Howell [EMAIL PROTECTED] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 270.3.0/1501 - Release Date: 6/13/2008 6:33 AM [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
