Dwayne wrote regarding 'Re: [OT] Cutting PCB' on Wed, Nov 30 at 11:00:
> At 11:16 AM 11/28/2005, Danny Sauer wrote:
> >That gets the award for "most dangerous-sounding method which I've
> >considered attempting myself" - and possibly "most likely to result in
> >loss of blood". :)
> 
> It depends upon which jig saw you have.  The one I've had for years 
> is a Bosch unit that doesn't have a "handle" as such - its of the 
> style called "barrel grip" where the part you hold onto is the actual 
> motor.  I prefer that style because it keeps my hand down near the 
> work-piece and give much better control.

Are you talking about one of those spiral saws which have recently
become pretty popular (I really like my RotoZip) or a traditional
right-angle jigsaw?  My Jigsaw experience is mostly limited to Black
and Decker, since I don't really use one often.  It's like a Sawzall
for whimps. :)

> But it also mounts in a bench vise easily - and securely.  This 
> leaves both hands free for manipulating the work-piece.  Its no more 
> dangerous than a band saw - probably less.

Just in case you're serious about that:

A proper bandsaw has adjustable upper guide rollers and a guard which
comes down with them.  You set the rollers to a height just slightly
above your workpiece.  That gives better stability to the blade, and
at the same time hides all of the blade except for the bare minimum to
cut whatever you intend to cut.  In combination with a push stick,
feather board, and/or any of the myriad other safety devices (it
oughtta at least have a miter guage for pushing the stock through at a
fixed angle), I'd go so far as to say that a properly set up bandsaw
is the most safe powersaw one could find.  If the guard extends down
far enough to just allow a PCB though (most good ones should) there
wouldn't even be enough room for fingers to fit in.  Never mind that
the big appeal of a bandsaw is a constant cutting direction.  Since
the blade is constantly moving down, it's also only pulling the
workpiece down into the table.  A jigsaw or other reciprocating-type
saw moves back and forth, so half the time the operator has to counter
the blade's tendency to push the piece off of the table.  The design
of the teeth (esp. a metal cutting blade as was suggested) does
minimize that, as does use of a high speed, but it really doesn't
compare to a bandsaw.

Though I honestly don't have a problem with mounting a saw in a vice,
it'd be one heck of a stretch to call it safer than a proper bench- or
floor-mounted tool. :)  The cheapie table saws sold at the local home
store nonwithstanding, of course.  Like I said, I have regularly used
the wrong tool for the job - but for those here who might not have
lots of power tool experience it's probably a bad idea to downplay how
dangerous that really is.  Never mind that anyone who knows me would
call me the *last* person who oughtta be preaching about safety. ;)

--Danny, who still has a significant scar on his finger from a *power
screwdriver* accident (which was followed about 2 days later by a
punchdown tool accident to the same finger - which left another less
noticable scar.  That was a bad week for my left index finger)
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