6 Everyday Uses for a Jigsaw 6 Everyday Uses for a Jigsaw

A jigsaw is used for cutting curves and for cutting out holes or stencils. No other type of saw is able to do this, making it a unique tool for your workshop. However, a jigsaw has many different uses in the house, some of which go beyond the usual applications you'd expect. By having the proper blades available, you can use your jigsaw for many different things.


If you’re installing a new countertop, you will need to make cuts to fit various things such as faucets and sprayer hoses. These often require small, round holes and the jigsaw is ideal for doing this unless your countertop comes with the holes already cut.

There are jigsaw blades that are specifically designed to cut countertops and you’ll need to use one of these in order to do the job properly. Search for a downstroke jigsaw blade as these are specifically made for hard, deep surfaces such as countertops.


The most common use for a jigsaw is cutting wood. This can range from thick wood or plywood, all the way through to construction timbers. You can even find the correct blades to use on construction timbers that contain nails to make cuts with a jigsaw. A jigsaw is ideal for scrollwork, for cutting stencils, and adding decorative patterns to a piece of furniture. For this type of task, however, you’d be advised to be very familiar with a jigsaw otherwise you risk ruining the wood.


You can also use a jigsaw on metal, which can be useful when making a hole in a piece of material through which a pipe can fit. There will also be times you’ll need to cut curves in metal for it to fit on a wall. A jigsaw can be used on pipework although you shouldn’t try to use a jigsaw to cut straight lines. The tool is not designed for this and won’t accomplish the task properly.

Ceramic Tile

There are a number of instances when you might need to use a jigsaw with ceramic tile. For example, you might need to cut a semicircle or curve around a pipe. With the correct blade on your jigsaw, you can easily accomplish this. It’s not something you can accomplish anywhere near as easily with a tile cutter. For this, you can use a carbide grit jigsaw blade.


Although most people wouldn’t immediately think of it, you can use a jigsaw to cut carpet. This offers a more accurate cut than you’d manage with a utility knife or by using scissors. There’s a special soft material blade (this is it's proper name) you’d use on the jigsaw for this, and it can also be used on leather and polystyrene or cardboard.


Concrete blades can be used with a jigsaw on porous concrete as well as on fiber cement. Realistically, you shouldn’t use it on all concrete and cement jobs but the right tool and blade combination can be used to create a hole or opening for a pipe.

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