Hey Johnathan I looked at your picture of the panels you build. Why do you need to cut everything with a jigsaw ? Trying to figure out why a bandsaw would not speed things up for you. I really like the panel you showed ,very nice work.
If I knew that was a product I was going to be doing on a regular basis, I'd be looking at setting up a bandsaw. Cutting that with a jigsaw seems like something that would qualify as torture under the Geneva Convention.
I also would consider a bandsaw with a big table.
Another thing to consider with that much jigsaw use is the possibility of ending up with carpal tunnel problems.
I agree with the suggestions to use multiple D handle jigsaws.
My 2 cents.
Rick Potter
DIY journeyman,
FWW wannabe.
AKA Village Idiot.
Just throwing this out there, but...
Brushless jigsaw motors will run much cooler than brushed ones (whether cordless or corded.)
But I don't know of any corded portable power tools that use brushless motors. So you just need enough batteries such that you and the recharger(s) can keep up.
That said, the jigsaw mechanism itself is not without significant friction, especially if pushed hard in hardwood. And that won't matter whether the tool is corded or cordless (except there is an incentive to reduce friction from cordless tools to increase run-time.)
But like most others here, I can't imagine any jigsaws are really designed for the continuous use you need.
This may go without saying, but small jigsaw blades are also not designed for continuous cutting. There's not enough teeth to distribute the wear/heat over, or metal to absorb such heat, so they will relatively quickly dull and require more force, thus increasing the friction in the jigsaw mechanism, and work required from the motor.
-- Andy - Arlington TX
Just thought I'd mention the Festool since you mentioned Timberline would let you return the Mafell.Yes, I have a wall full of Festool. Haven't sent a single one back, other than a HKC that wouldn't start up.
Too bad they don't make the old worm drive bayonet saw (Porter Cable I think) anymore. Those things ran all day long and stayed cool as a cucumber.
IIRC, they were mostly for metal though.
My granddad always said, :As one door closes, another opens".
Wonderful man, terrible cabinet maker...
Just out of curiosity, what's your procedure for cutting those panels?
Do you stack the two adjacent boards and cut both simultaneously, or cut one then draw a line on the next?
Once cut, you chamfer the cut edge on a router?
Beautiful work!
I'm wondering what the end use for these is? Maybe they don't need to be cut into separate strips at all, if they are just going to be put up side by side as a decorative wall. If that is the case, maybe using a router with a V groove bit instead of a saw would achieve the appearance without using a saw and also make them easier to put up.
If they must be cut apart, then the others seem to have that covered quite well.
Charley
Why not a scroll saw or a top mount jig saw for unlimited throat depth? Thos ecan be much heavier duty then a hand held tool.
Bill D