Aluminum, board material, and potentially jig material (e.g., plastic sheet or MDF board).
Jig saw
“…the most hated tool in my arsenal…”
Truer words never spoken.
The faces of jig saws…
Jig saws (reciprocating saws) are tantamount to adjustable wrenches. Do they “work”? Yeah, sort of…kinda…maybe, but only a tad more sense than a solar-powered flashlight or a screen door on a submarine.
Plus, after over a century, the market has clearly spoken: You don’t see reciprocating blades often.
My preference: find an alternative, if possible, but since straight are limited to board material and aluminum, and with the latter may be limited to the chassis AC inlet or a jig, here’s how t
- Oscillates
- Uneven (without guide)
- Scratches, mars, and scuffs
- Loud
- Alternatives: Scroll, table, & band
Blades for cutting aluminum, highest speed possible, and a little cutting fluid/WD40.
Scroll saw
- Ideally with a guide/mitre & rip fence.
- But also oscillates
What I use
- Aluminum sheet & circuit board material
- Inexpensive “tabletop” saw with a rip fence and miter
- Fine blade intended for circuit board material and aluminum sheet
- Essentially a jig saw mounted to an enclosure with a mitre and rip fence
- Gets the job done better than a free style with a jig saw and avoiding the expense of other options considering we’re not cutting aluminum or board very often.
- AC inlet opening
- Jig saw once the corners have been drilled
What I’ve abandoned considering
Small table saw
Too small, gimmicky, and those with DC motors are simply inadequate.
Small Band Saw (metal & board)
Probably for board only, so overkill…
Score & Snap (board)
By the time you score it enough, and assuming it does snap cleanly, you could have jig- or scroll-sawed it.