Well, I hate to start flame wars, but I do have to voice my opinion when I think bad information is being passed on:
The advice several have given about jigsaws is bad advice, IMHO. The problem with a jigsaw is that the blade is supported only on one side so there is no mechanism keeping the blade perpendicular to the surface being cut. A jigsaw cut will invariably have a different radius on one side of the baffle that the other side.
Have I used a jigsaw for this purpose, yes. Did it do an adequate cut, yes. Did I regret using it, no. But when the title of the thread is "Best hole cutting method?" I have to say it wrong to advertise the jigsaw as a means to the "best".
The advice several have given about jigsaws is bad advice, IMHO. The problem with a jigsaw is that the blade is supported only on one side so there is no mechanism keeping the blade perpendicular to the surface being cut. A jigsaw cut will invariably have a different radius on one side of the baffle that the other side.
Have I used a jigsaw for this purpose, yes. Did it do an adequate cut, yes. Did I regret using it, no. But when the title of the thread is "Best hole cutting method?" I have to say it wrong to advertise the jigsaw as a means to the "best".
leadbelly said:
I admit that the jigsaw isn't the best (Hence, "For anyone who doesn't have a router..."), but when used with a jig, the circles cut should be near-perfect. You say, "A jigsaw cut will invariably have a different radius on one side of the baffle tha[n] the other side." This should not happen if one works slowly.
PREFACE: I like Porter Cable
It is important to understand why this is happening in order to avoid it in the future. Firstly this should happen almost exclusively when making curved or circle cuts, Second it should be worse when entering a cut from a starting hole.
Solution: It is wize to do three things here
1. First you should set the orbital-action of your jig saw to its lowest setting, or off, this is the play in the blade that moves the blade froward and back in an elliptical path while it is moving up and down, on tight radius cuts this causes the blade to "hop" which in turn may lead to it being manhandled by the material (bending).
2. Set the blade speed to a fast setting, this is important because most people will intuitavly try and keep things slow and stedy (good for your movement, not for the blade's). Move slowly but keep the blade's speed up. Also use a good blade, IMHO Bosch makes the best blades, but they dont fit all saws.
3. Lastly, my favorite trick, buy some of that hard blue or pink insulation foam sold in 4x8 (2inches thick) sheets and place it under the material, this way you can set the material on whatever table or floor you want and cut away. Your saw wont know the difference but its better than tying the material to saw horses because it is more stable.
PS Take a look at the Porter Cable 7549 jig saw. If you're in the market for a saw this is a great one. Its guide looks like it should be on a tank. It has no angle setting but there is nore more precise saw on the market IMHO.
http://www.porter-cable.com/index.asp?e=547&p=2748
Hope this all helps, Im not trying to pretend that I know anything about anything but some of these things have provided me with better results than I had before.
Thanks for the community
Milo
edit: added link (i dont work for porter cable)
It is important to understand why this is happening in order to avoid it in the future. Firstly this should happen almost exclusively when making curved or circle cuts, Second it should be worse when entering a cut from a starting hole.
Solution: It is wize to do three things here
1. First you should set the orbital-action of your jig saw to its lowest setting, or off, this is the play in the blade that moves the blade froward and back in an elliptical path while it is moving up and down, on tight radius cuts this causes the blade to "hop" which in turn may lead to it being manhandled by the material (bending).
2. Set the blade speed to a fast setting, this is important because most people will intuitavly try and keep things slow and stedy (good for your movement, not for the blade's). Move slowly but keep the blade's speed up. Also use a good blade, IMHO Bosch makes the best blades, but they dont fit all saws.
3. Lastly, my favorite trick, buy some of that hard blue or pink insulation foam sold in 4x8 (2inches thick) sheets and place it under the material, this way you can set the material on whatever table or floor you want and cut away. Your saw wont know the difference but its better than tying the material to saw horses because it is more stable.
PS Take a look at the Porter Cable 7549 jig saw. If you're in the market for a saw this is a great one. Its guide looks like it should be on a tank. It has no angle setting but there is nore more precise saw on the market IMHO.
http://www.porter-cable.com/index.asp?e=547&p=2748
Hope this all helps, Im not trying to pretend that I know anything about anything but some of these things have provided me with better results than I had before.
Thanks for the community
Milo
edit: added link (i dont work for porter cable)
There are a million ways to cut a hole, and since I've been building car sub enclosures since I was a teenager, I've used most of them. It wasn't until I started doing home speakers that I ever turned on a router.
When I cut the openings for the sub enclosures I've done, I always used a jig saw and a very steady hand. With enough practice, you can cut an opening with a jig saw that's pretty damned good. You just need to cut the hole a tad small and file it to the line by hand. If you don't intend to flush mount your drivers, a jig saw will be perfectly adequate.
Hole saws work ok on small holes, but even when they are new, they have a tendancy to plug up when cutting MDF, and I found that the wall of the hole is not as even as I'd like.
Now that I've found the wonderful world of routers, I prefer that method. I don't have a plunge router, but so far I've found that I have no need for one.
Overall, the router is certainly the most precise, but some of the other methods will suffice if you don't have access to a router.
When I cut the openings for the sub enclosures I've done, I always used a jig saw and a very steady hand. With enough practice, you can cut an opening with a jig saw that's pretty damned good. You just need to cut the hole a tad small and file it to the line by hand. If you don't intend to flush mount your drivers, a jig saw will be perfectly adequate.
Hole saws work ok on small holes, but even when they are new, they have a tendancy to plug up when cutting MDF, and I found that the wall of the hole is not as even as I'd like.
Now that I've found the wonderful world of routers, I prefer that method. I don't have a plunge router, but so far I've found that I have no need for one.
Overall, the router is certainly the most precise, but some of the other methods will suffice if you don't have access to a router.
OK I'll admit thaat I was impatient, and trying to finish my speakers in time for an upcoming party, but I used a jigsaw (saber saw) and managed to make on 15" driver hole very nicely.
The other ended up looking like the plug top of a jack o lantern.
The blade wandered inward and I didn't notice. It just about ruined my speakers. A lot of plastic wood fixed things OK, then I veneered them.
I definately regretted using it. But I'll admit that I forced the issue. The baffle thickness was about 40 mm so that was a contributing factor. If you can borrow a router, it's worth the trip!
The other ended up looking like the plug top of a jack o lantern.
The blade wandered inward and I didn't notice. It just about ruined my speakers. A lot of plastic wood fixed things OK, then I veneered them.
I definately regretted using it. But I'll admit that I forced the issue. The baffle thickness was about 40 mm so that was a contributing factor. If you can borrow a router, it's worth the trip!
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