How to get an optimal sawing performance

To get the best possible results with a reciprocating saw, you should give due consideration to the following aspects when working:

• Place the nicer side of the workpiece facing down to minimise splintering
• Mark out a sawing line on your workpiece
• Cover the sawing line with a few layers of wide sticky tape to prevent splintering
• Select the desired sawing speed (you can test out the options on a piece of waste material)
• Make sure the saw is operating at its top speed before guiding the tool into the workpiece
• Press the footplate firmly against the workpiece to minimize kickback and vibrations
• Let the saw do the work. Applying too much forward pressure will reduce the speed of the blade, which will slow your work down

When you start sawing in the middle of a workpiece, also called plunge cutting – to create a recess in furniture, say – you need to factor in other considerations, as follows:

• Use a thick blade and attach it with the teeth facing upward
• Tilt the saw so that the blade doesn’t touch the workpiece
• Allow the moving blade to carefully engage with the workpiece
• Saw along the line you’ve marked on the workpiece until the saw goes all the way through