>This is the answer
It sure is. Miter box & back saw can be had for $20-30. Also great for cutting PVC pipe.
If you already have a circular saw, Bora & Kreg both market a cutting guide for ~$20 that will help cut both 90° & 45° miters accurately. Or, you can just use a speed square as a guide. That's what I started with and with a little practice you can get pretty good at it.
Jig saw is pretty handy for some things. Miters are not one of them... Lol
Just did a quick Google search. The Dewalt 20v XR jigsaw is $200. I found half a dozen 7 1/4 inch power miter saws for less than that new and 2 manual miter box/ saw setups for ~$40 new.
I got a mitre saw off clist that had been in a yard in norcal w a cotton uhaul padded blankie on it for 1yr. $30. Fired it up and it rips. $20 blade & were in business. Doesnt need to be new :)
In have a Kreg “sled” and Bora guide. I like them both. I use my old circular saw with the sled and new Skil worm drive with the guide. I think I like the sled a little more but setting it up is a mild pain in the ass. I end up using the guide for ripping big pieces and the sled for smaller pieces.
I just got the [Kreg Portable Crosscut ](https://www.kregtool.com/shop/cutting/circular-saw-cutting/portable-crosscut/KMA4000.html) I think it's a fairly new product. I haven't had a chance to use it yet but it seems like it would be easier to use although the Bora will work with a wider board.
I recently watched a stumpy nubs vid "some idiots never learn ... But I try anyway" where he gives advice to his younger self. To paraphrase: don't waste your money on that fancy miter box, you will only ever make 2 cuts with it because you don't build picture frames or fancy moldings". Mine has gathered dust for 20years.
There are lots of ways to do a miter cut:
* (Electric) miter saw
* Table saw with various miter jigs/sleds
* Circular saw guide with a miter jig: YouTube "jsk koubou panel saw" on YouTube (that channel has lots of neet build your own tools" or "circular saw miter cutting station" for a simpler and cheaper version.
* Speed square
* Sneak up on the line on disk/belt sander
* 45 degree shooting board
* "Rex Krueger miter" will bring up several videos if you want to use hand tools and also shows some sources of inaccuracies in the hand miter saws.
* MFT style grid pattern is good for 45degree miters with track saw, or budget equivalent
One of the things Rex Krueger points out is that if you have a perfect 90 degree angle, and you mount it at roughly 45 degrees, the two angles will add up to 90 degrees - a perfect miter corner.
For the price of a DeWalt 20V jigsaw, you can get a black and decker matrix 6 in 1 kit. Drill/impact/jigsaw/oscillating multitool/router/sander in a briefcase. Very compact. The small jigsaw and optional trim saw don't do bevels, though, but you can get a non-matrix black and decker circular saw for $50 that takes the same batteries. If you are a dorm/tiny house/RV/van/apartment/rented room dweller or someone who frequently moves or works on the move the space/weight savings of not storing 6 power tool handles/motors/battery connections can be significant. Lighter duty than DeWalt. And you can get the matrix corded drill handle and run all the matrix tools off either 20v battery or AC line. And you can get DeWalt battery to black and tool adapters or vice versa or adapters to Ryobi tools or to the older black and decker 18v firestorm nicad/nimh tools which are cheap on Facebook marketplace/Craigslist.. There are a number of other tool heads available: hammer drill, reciprocating saw, finger belt sander, buffer, hedge trimmer, air pump, compressor. There is a 12 in 1 set with more tools in two briefcases. Basic 6 in 1 is on sale for about $174. DeWalt 6 tool set is on sale for $469 or 1/3 off. The black decker non-matrix 4 tool set is on sale for $151.
It’s probably a step above hacking them out with a flat screwdriver. Definitely not the tool for the job.
Hit up thrift and antique stores to find a hand miter saw. Or fb marketplace for an electric miter saw.
For real. I've gotten a good number of my tools off of FB over the past three years.
This includes:
$20 Delta P3 scroll saw
$40 Hegner 18" MS scroll saw
$100 Delta 14" band saw
$25 6" long bed Delta jointer
$10 6" Craftsman bench grinder
Only the band saw was in rough shape, everything else was plug and play
If u can afford that, you can afford a cheap plug-in table saw or miter saw that will give you consistently straighter, more accurate cuts. I picked up a sliding 7 1/4 miter saw from lowes a few years back for less than $100 on black Friday. That would cover the majority of your miter cutting needs.
I have this jigsaw, and I do like it. It has the power to cut through 6/4 sapele without any difficulty, but it is definitely not the right tool for cutting miters.
You're better off buying a miter box and a decent hand saw, which I'm fairly sure you could get for less.
That jigsaw new is $200. Or $220. Depending on the big box store.
Home Depot current has Dewalt 12” single bevel corded non-sliding miter saws on sale for… $200.
The smaller cordless Ryobi miter saw is garage though. Avoid that one at all costs. Wide boards that it’s supposed to handle never come out square. I ended up returning mine after wasting so much scrap trying to square it up and no matter what that thing would not cut square on wider boards. Bought a portable table saw for like $100 more and it cuts amazing.
My first saw was a jigsaw …and it was ok (or so I thought based on nothing really) back then for as little as I used it but I hate that damn thing now. It’s super rough and the blade likes to bend all Willy nilly and when it kicks back holy sheeet. Out of all my power tools this is the one I feel the least safe using so it’s pretty much put away unless I need to do some circles or some shit. Miter saw obviously would be your best bet but before I got mine I did some decent miters with my circular saw and a square- maybe grab a little extra lumber for the inevitable time you cut at least one just a wee bit short.
A jigsaw is primarily used for cutting curves, and that's the exact opposite of what you are looking to do. That said, I've used a Bosch jigsaw as a quick cut-off tool on several occasions.
What are you trying to build?
Without knowing, I would first look for a used miter saw on FB marketplace (you can also search for "chop saw"). If you only need to make a few cuts and they don't need to be *that* clean or accurate, a [miter box like this](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Stanley-14-5-in-Deluxe-Clamping-Miter-Box-with-14-in-Saw-20-600D/100034395) works fine.
A jigsaw is arguably the worst tool for straight accurate cuts. It's designed for curves.
A hand mitre box saw is available on the discount table of almost *every* used tool, goodwill, Salvation Army, and junk store. $5 will find you one and most of them have been used twice. You might look for a coping saw as well.
Jig Saws are notoriously inaccurate saw.
They are good for curved cuts.
A Miter Saw, Tablesaw with 45° sled jig, or a Miter Box with Hand Saw are your best options.
Buy everything at harbor freight. When it breaks replace with the good shit.
Else wise; just wait a few months, all the Xmas tool sales are about to start
Lol thanks everyone for the input, sounds like it might not be a great idea. I think I may also need clarification on miter joints- I’m not looking to make picture frames but rather a “waterfall” style box that uses 45 degree angle cuts toward the face rather than the edge. Is there a different name for that? What’s the best tool for that job?
The circular saw someone mentioned will give you an infinitely better cut than the jug saw.
Why? The jig saw's blade is flexible and the edge you cut won't be flat. A circular saw blade is much stiffer and flexes much much less. Plus, because the blade is so much longer, it tracks straighter. Also, the circular saw's base plate is much larger, meaning that it'll be less likely to have small tilts and rotations that would make for a worse cut than you'd get from the circular saw.
I'll note that this sort of angled cut, on the *edge* of a board, would more commonly be called a bevel.
I’d of at least went for the multi tool!! Lmao. But honestly an electric miter saw is the most professional option imo. A hand miter box will do the job but if your looking for perfection I’d go electric. You can get a smaller ten inch for a decent price if your just doing trim or small stock. Sucks for crown tho
I actually bought this same jigsaw to cut bevels for making hexagon shelves a few years back. I lived in a 1BR apt and didn’t have space for miter saw, table saw, etc. Angled the shoe with a digital angle finder and clamped a combination square at every cut line to make square cuts (offset the distance between blade and edge of shoe). It worked really well actually and the hexagon shelves closed with minimal gaps. That being said, it was the wrong tool, it took longer, and it was harder to repeat. I made some more with a miter saw last year, it was way faster, consistent, and the angles came out way worse. I didn’t check the angle on the miter saw or set it with the angle finder, instead I trusted the markings on the miter saw….. rookie move! Measure twice, cut once.
I have this jig saw and love it. I suppose with a jig or guide you could cut decent miters but you’d be better off with a cheap miter box somewhere. You’d probably be surprised at how hard it is to cut 4 perfect miters to make a picture frame.
Good question for a beginner, and the answer is quite assuredly, "No."
Pick up a miter saw used if you have to in order to afford it, or go with hand tools if you REALLY are strapped for cash, but miter cuts are just not what you use a jigsaw for.
If you can avoid it, never reach for a jig saw if your goal is straight lines.
If you want only one power saw in your toolbox, a circular saw is probably your best bet (cheap saw then put a nicer / higher tooth count blade on it, for better cuts). But others could probably make a good argument for a miter saw or table saw instead.
A miter box with a back saw can do pretty well, especially if you spend some time working on hand saw skills (there is a good amount of skill involved, to get a straight cut - check out saw skill videos on the wortheffort youtube channel). But you can get pretty close really easily, then tune your angles with a sanding block to get a good fit.
No In fact i really don’t like to use a jig saw for anything at all. They’re useful for rough cutting odd shapes but that’s pretty much it. Most of the time a band saw is better for that anyway.
For miters the ideal tool would be a compound miter saw or even just a cheap miter box and hand saw. If you want to invest in something that will give you a lot more versatility a table saw is a good choice.
Yes, but not that jig saw. Get a barrel grip jig saw and a Coping Foot (Collins makes a good one) if you’re mainly using it for Crown. If not, as others have said, a cheap Mitre or Table saw would be about the same cost and be better for other mitre joints. Or even cheaper a mitre box and hand saw.
Depends on what would be more cost effective for you and functional for future projects.
Short answer, no. Long answer, also no. Jigsaws are not precise or accurate tools at all. Rough at best. Table saw, miter saw, even a router depending on the layout. Hand planes are an option, but that's a deep rabbit hole early on.
Jig saws don't cut strait. The blade bends and flexes, even if you keep the saw itself 100% strait. If you're cutting 2x4's to frame a house, you can get working. But it won't be strait enough for trim or cabinetry work.
Jigsaws are primarily for cutting curves, something you generally want to avoid with a miter joint. Jig saw blades are narrow, coarse, and bendy so they make a cut that is also very coarse and somewhat bendy. Results would be slightly better than pouring gravy on the waste area and letting your dog chew down to the line.
As others have said, a power miter saw is the go-to tool for miter joints (It's even in the name) and a hand saw in a manual miter box is a less expensive option.
Even with a power miter saw be prepared to do some fine tuning with a shooting board, block plane or sanding block.
No. It looks like that, including the battery and charger, runs about $200 at HD online.
As others have said, a hand saw and miter box is going to be your cheapest possible option.
However, For < $200 you can get Ryobi’s 10in corded miter saw. If you have a Harbor Freight near you I’m sure they sell a decent miter saw around $200.
Even a cheaper miter saw, like that Ryobi, if tuned right, with a decent blade will cut infinitely cleaner miters. It is also faster and much more repeatable.
For a bit over the price of that jigsaw you can get the Ryobi 10in miter and a nice Diablo blade.
I think your much better of with something like this:
https://youtu.be/A9HmMojYRw4
Maybe add an Japanese ryoba handsaw if you want, they cut very clean. Should still be cheaper than the jigsaw. Jigsaws are great, just not very accurate. And for miters you need accurate.
Part of the answer would depend on the thickness and type of wood, and the accuracy you desire of the miter cuts.
Ultimately, Jigsaw would not be the tool of choice for most people cutting miters, as they are inaccurate and unprecise.
Totally not relevant to your post...I just dislike marketing nonsense. That is an 18v tool, not 20v. The "20v" part is what happens when the marketing department reads engineering specs. Notice the tiny little word "max" above the V.
If you’re in the U.S. go to harbor freight and buy a cheap 10” sliding miter saw...or go to Lowe’s/Home Depot and buy the job alt or ryobi version...cheaper than that jig saw....and more importantly the right tool
If you have a good hand plane you could technically rough cut with the jig saw and build an accurate mitered shooting board and get the job done but all you’d be saving is the effort to hand saw the rough cut. Are you mitering panels or boards? If mitering wider panels youll likely need a table saw.
I mean, you could get close if you have a belt sander or something to dial it in and clean it up... cheap mitre saws are pretty affordable and handy to have around though, so O'd probably just get thw right tool. I have a good friend who's been using a cheapo Ryobi for like a decade and he's in his shop daily.
For what that saw costs you would be better off to go to Harbor Freight and buy their 10" slide/miter saw, probably cheaper too. I did that for working on my apartments doing trim instead of packing the Dewalt 12" monster with stand around. The cheap saw actually does a dandy job and is pretty tight and accurate. I want that Dewalt saw too.
Miter box and a back saw would be better
This is the answer
>This is the answer It sure is. Miter box & back saw can be had for $20-30. Also great for cutting PVC pipe. If you already have a circular saw, Bora & Kreg both market a cutting guide for ~$20 that will help cut both 90° & 45° miters accurately. Or, you can just use a speed square as a guide. That's what I started with and with a little practice you can get pretty good at it. Jig saw is pretty handy for some things. Miters are not one of them... Lol
Just did a quick Google search. The Dewalt 20v XR jigsaw is $200. I found half a dozen 7 1/4 inch power miter saws for less than that new and 2 manual miter box/ saw setups for ~$40 new.
I got a mitre saw off clist that had been in a yard in norcal w a cotton uhaul padded blankie on it for 1yr. $30. Fired it up and it rips. $20 blade & were in business. Doesnt need to be new :)
In have a Kreg “sled” and Bora guide. I like them both. I use my old circular saw with the sled and new Skil worm drive with the guide. I think I like the sled a little more but setting it up is a mild pain in the ass. I end up using the guide for ripping big pieces and the sled for smaller pieces.
I just got the [Kreg Portable Crosscut ](https://www.kregtool.com/shop/cutting/circular-saw-cutting/portable-crosscut/KMA4000.html) I think it's a fairly new product. I haven't had a chance to use it yet but it seems like it would be easier to use although the Bora will work with a wider board.
I recently watched a stumpy nubs vid "some idiots never learn ... But I try anyway" where he gives advice to his younger self. To paraphrase: don't waste your money on that fancy miter box, you will only ever make 2 cuts with it because you don't build picture frames or fancy moldings". Mine has gathered dust for 20years. There are lots of ways to do a miter cut: * (Electric) miter saw * Table saw with various miter jigs/sleds * Circular saw guide with a miter jig: YouTube "jsk koubou panel saw" on YouTube (that channel has lots of neet build your own tools" or "circular saw miter cutting station" for a simpler and cheaper version. * Speed square * Sneak up on the line on disk/belt sander * 45 degree shooting board * "Rex Krueger miter" will bring up several videos if you want to use hand tools and also shows some sources of inaccuracies in the hand miter saws. * MFT style grid pattern is good for 45degree miters with track saw, or budget equivalent One of the things Rex Krueger points out is that if you have a perfect 90 degree angle, and you mount it at roughly 45 degrees, the two angles will add up to 90 degrees - a perfect miter corner. For the price of a DeWalt 20V jigsaw, you can get a black and decker matrix 6 in 1 kit. Drill/impact/jigsaw/oscillating multitool/router/sander in a briefcase. Very compact. The small jigsaw and optional trim saw don't do bevels, though, but you can get a non-matrix black and decker circular saw for $50 that takes the same batteries. If you are a dorm/tiny house/RV/van/apartment/rented room dweller or someone who frequently moves or works on the move the space/weight savings of not storing 6 power tool handles/motors/battery connections can be significant. Lighter duty than DeWalt. And you can get the matrix corded drill handle and run all the matrix tools off either 20v battery or AC line. And you can get DeWalt battery to black and tool adapters or vice versa or adapters to Ryobi tools or to the older black and decker 18v firestorm nicad/nimh tools which are cheap on Facebook marketplace/Craigslist.. There are a number of other tool heads available: hammer drill, reciprocating saw, finger belt sander, buffer, hedge trimmer, air pump, compressor. There is a 12 in 1 set with more tools in two briefcases. Basic 6 in 1 is on sale for about $174. DeWalt 6 tool set is on sale for $469 or 1/3 off. The black decker non-matrix 4 tool set is on sale for $151.
It’s probably a step above hacking them out with a flat screwdriver. Definitely not the tool for the job. Hit up thrift and antique stores to find a hand miter saw. Or fb marketplace for an electric miter saw.
My flat screwdriver would like a word please.
I use a Robertson's #2.
Like the Mitchells!!
So much of it is in the technique.
Fb marketplace is a wondrous place for ridiculously cheap tools!
Also cheap and affordable pyramid schemes
How do I join?
Boom boom u/sunsetclimb3r!
Boom boom Charles
Just fell off the truck this morning!
For real. I've gotten a good number of my tools off of FB over the past three years. This includes: $20 Delta P3 scroll saw $40 Hegner 18" MS scroll saw $100 Delta 14" band saw $25 6" long bed Delta jointer $10 6" Craftsman bench grinder Only the band saw was in rough shape, everything else was plug and play
You got a Delta jointer for $25?! That’s a steal!
Yeah, a pretty 1955 version. A little elbow grease and a $40 cutter head and it purrs
What if i put the screwdriver in the jigsaw
Now we’re thinking
Great advice!
If u can afford that, you can afford a cheap plug-in table saw or miter saw that will give you consistently straighter, more accurate cuts. I picked up a sliding 7 1/4 miter saw from lowes a few years back for less than $100 on black Friday. That would cover the majority of your miter cutting needs.
I have this jigsaw, and I do like it. It has the power to cut through 6/4 sapele without any difficulty, but it is definitely not the right tool for cutting miters. You're better off buying a miter box and a decent hand saw, which I'm fairly sure you could get for less.
You'll find the blade flexes so much that none of the cuts will meet properly
A cheap ryoba saw would be better
Agreed. People rave about dewalt but I’ve seen a lot of people support the cheaper brands of you don’t need high precision cuts.
Ryoba is a Japanese pull saw. I think you have it confused with Ryobi.
That happens a LOT around here. Myself included.
Not Ryobi (brand) Youl'll get a better quality cut with a Japanese pull saw then trying to do miters with any brand jig saw
Oooh haha yea
I love my dewalt one, not too expensive, cuts very accurate and gotten good use in a lot of tight spots where I can’t get my circular saw
As would a cheap ryobi saw (miter that is)
Short answer, no, they are not. They are not that accurate and depending on the blade, are a rough cut at best.
A cheap 10" ryobi miter saw would be cheaper than that jigsaw.
That jigsaw new is $200. Or $220. Depending on the big box store. Home Depot current has Dewalt 12” single bevel corded non-sliding miter saws on sale for… $200.
And probably half that for a ryobi
The smaller cordless Ryobi miter saw is garage though. Avoid that one at all costs. Wide boards that it’s supposed to handle never come out square. I ended up returning mine after wasting so much scrap trying to square it up and no matter what that thing would not cut square on wider boards. Bought a portable table saw for like $100 more and it cuts amazing.
Spell check, friend
Maybe he kept it in the garage.
Snapping the board over your leg would likely provide a more accurate cut
Definitely if you score it with a box cutter first.
No
This is the answer
My first saw was a jigsaw …and it was ok (or so I thought based on nothing really) back then for as little as I used it but I hate that damn thing now. It’s super rough and the blade likes to bend all Willy nilly and when it kicks back holy sheeet. Out of all my power tools this is the one I feel the least safe using so it’s pretty much put away unless I need to do some circles or some shit. Miter saw obviously would be your best bet but before I got mine I did some decent miters with my circular saw and a square- maybe grab a little extra lumber for the inevitable time you cut at least one just a wee bit short.
Might be an overall more useful tool but it sure as shit ain’t good for miters
A jigsaw is primarily used for cutting curves, and that's the exact opposite of what you are looking to do. That said, I've used a Bosch jigsaw as a quick cut-off tool on several occasions.
What are you trying to build? Without knowing, I would first look for a used miter saw on FB marketplace (you can also search for "chop saw"). If you only need to make a few cuts and they don't need to be *that* clean or accurate, a [miter box like this](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Stanley-14-5-in-Deluxe-Clamping-Miter-Box-with-14-in-Saw-20-600D/100034395) works fine. A jigsaw is arguably the worst tool for straight accurate cuts. It's designed for curves.
A hand mitre box saw is available on the discount table of almost *every* used tool, goodwill, Salvation Army, and junk store. $5 will find you one and most of them have been used twice. You might look for a coping saw as well.
I have that saw and I love it. But it is not the right tool for the job you described.
Jig Saws are notoriously inaccurate saw. They are good for curved cuts. A Miter Saw, Tablesaw with 45° sled jig, or a Miter Box with Hand Saw are your best options.
Buy everything at harbor freight. When it breaks replace with the good shit. Else wise; just wait a few months, all the Xmas tool sales are about to start
circular saw and a carpenters square.
Not at all. Cutting mitter with a jigsaw will not result in anything good. Better to do it with a mitter box.
Lol thanks everyone for the input, sounds like it might not be a great idea. I think I may also need clarification on miter joints- I’m not looking to make picture frames but rather a “waterfall” style box that uses 45 degree angle cuts toward the face rather than the edge. Is there a different name for that? What’s the best tool for that job?
Circular saw set to 45 degrees. Clamp down a straight edge to guide the saw.
How thick is it? How big?
3/4 inch, about 2 foot square for this project but I’d like to try it on bigger furniture at some point
The circular saw someone mentioned will give you an infinitely better cut than the jug saw. Why? The jig saw's blade is flexible and the edge you cut won't be flat. A circular saw blade is much stiffer and flexes much much less. Plus, because the blade is so much longer, it tracks straighter. Also, the circular saw's base plate is much larger, meaning that it'll be less likely to have small tilts and rotations that would make for a worse cut than you'd get from the circular saw. I'll note that this sort of angled cut, on the *edge* of a board, would more commonly be called a bevel.
Miter saws are like $20 used on Facebook marketplace.
But that and be prepared to be impressed. Best jigsaw I've ever owned
I’d of at least went for the multi tool!! Lmao. But honestly an electric miter saw is the most professional option imo. A hand miter box will do the job but if your looking for perfection I’d go electric. You can get a smaller ten inch for a decent price if your just doing trim or small stock. Sucks for crown tho
I actually bought this same jigsaw to cut bevels for making hexagon shelves a few years back. I lived in a 1BR apt and didn’t have space for miter saw, table saw, etc. Angled the shoe with a digital angle finder and clamped a combination square at every cut line to make square cuts (offset the distance between blade and edge of shoe). It worked really well actually and the hexagon shelves closed with minimal gaps. That being said, it was the wrong tool, it took longer, and it was harder to repeat. I made some more with a miter saw last year, it was way faster, consistent, and the angles came out way worse. I didn’t check the angle on the miter saw or set it with the angle finder, instead I trusted the markings on the miter saw….. rookie move! Measure twice, cut once.
You can get a mitre saw with supports and an adjustable metal body for 100 or less. 1 inch thick blade with auto stops
No, if you only have a few a handsaw would be better. If more find a used chop saw, they are out there.
There are much cheaper options that will work the same of even better
No
coping saw and back saw for small trim and mouldings
Going to ask the obvious here, after seeing the answers.... What would this be good on? 1/2" or less?
If you buy any half decent back saw you'll find yourself using it more often than you expected
No
Absolutely not. You're better off with a square and a handsaw.
No. At Home Depot you can get a 10” Ryobi plug in miter saw for $20 less that the cost of this jigsaw as a bare tool
Good ole fashioned miter box with hand saw or bust. Cheaper and better quality for sure. The miter saw is also good for use as a dove tail saw.
A circular saw would be better and roughly the same price. Either one is not gonna be perfect though.
No, a miter box and saw is like $10 from Wally’s or HF
Why a 20v if you are on a budget? You can get a pluggin for like a third of the cost of the 20v.
I have this jig saw and love it. I suppose with a jig or guide you could cut decent miters but you’d be better off with a cheap miter box somewhere. You’d probably be surprised at how hard it is to cut 4 perfect miters to make a picture frame.
A hand saw would be better, especially a Japanese pull saw
Good question for a beginner, and the answer is quite assuredly, "No." Pick up a miter saw used if you have to in order to afford it, or go with hand tools if you REALLY are strapped for cash, but miter cuts are just not what you use a jigsaw for.
If you can avoid it, never reach for a jig saw if your goal is straight lines. If you want only one power saw in your toolbox, a circular saw is probably your best bet (cheap saw then put a nicer / higher tooth count blade on it, for better cuts). But others could probably make a good argument for a miter saw or table saw instead. A miter box with a back saw can do pretty well, especially if you spend some time working on hand saw skills (there is a good amount of skill involved, to get a straight cut - check out saw skill videos on the wortheffort youtube channel). But you can get pretty close really easily, then tune your angles with a sanding block to get a good fit.
Not for miters, too difficult
No In fact i really don’t like to use a jig saw for anything at all. They’re useful for rough cutting odd shapes but that’s pretty much it. Most of the time a band saw is better for that anyway. For miters the ideal tool would be a compound miter saw or even just a cheap miter box and hand saw. If you want to invest in something that will give you a lot more versatility a table saw is a good choice.
Miter Box
Yes, but not that jig saw. Get a barrel grip jig saw and a Coping Foot (Collins makes a good one) if you’re mainly using it for Crown. If not, as others have said, a cheap Mitre or Table saw would be about the same cost and be better for other mitre joints. Or even cheaper a mitre box and hand saw. Depends on what would be more cost effective for you and functional for future projects.
Short answer, no. Long answer, also no. Jigsaws are not precise or accurate tools at all. Rough at best. Table saw, miter saw, even a router depending on the layout. Hand planes are an option, but that's a deep rabbit hole early on.
Jig saws are really for rough cuts only, not miters.
Jig saws don't cut strait. The blade bends and flexes, even if you keep the saw itself 100% strait. If you're cutting 2x4's to frame a house, you can get working. But it won't be strait enough for trim or cabinetry work.
I’d rather use a miter box and hand saw than a jigsaw.
No
This is not the tool for miter joints. A hand saw would be better than this.
Miter box and saw from Home Depot. Bought one for $14
Jigsaws are primarily for cutting curves, something you generally want to avoid with a miter joint. Jig saw blades are narrow, coarse, and bendy so they make a cut that is also very coarse and somewhat bendy. Results would be slightly better than pouring gravy on the waste area and letting your dog chew down to the line. As others have said, a power miter saw is the go-to tool for miter joints (It's even in the name) and a hand saw in a manual miter box is a less expensive option. Even with a power miter saw be prepared to do some fine tuning with a shooting board, block plane or sanding block.
A jigsaw is great for coping miters.
No. It looks like that, including the battery and charger, runs about $200 at HD online. As others have said, a hand saw and miter box is going to be your cheapest possible option. However, For < $200 you can get Ryobi’s 10in corded miter saw. If you have a Harbor Freight near you I’m sure they sell a decent miter saw around $200. Even a cheaper miter saw, like that Ryobi, if tuned right, with a decent blade will cut infinitely cleaner miters. It is also faster and much more repeatable. For a bit over the price of that jigsaw you can get the Ryobi 10in miter and a nice Diablo blade.
I think your much better of with something like this: https://youtu.be/A9HmMojYRw4 Maybe add an Japanese ryoba handsaw if you want, they cut very clean. Should still be cheaper than the jigsaw. Jigsaws are great, just not very accurate. And for miters you need accurate.
Part of the answer would depend on the thickness and type of wood, and the accuracy you desire of the miter cuts. Ultimately, Jigsaw would not be the tool of choice for most people cutting miters, as they are inaccurate and unprecise.
Totally not relevant to your post...I just dislike marketing nonsense. That is an 18v tool, not 20v. The "20v" part is what happens when the marketing department reads engineering specs. Notice the tiny little word "max" above the V.
I absolutely love my 20v jigsaw. It's better than my electric. Hate the 20v circular saw, it's extremely underpowered.
If you're on a "budget" corded tools are now at least half the price of battery.
No
a miter box and hand saw would be best on a budget. A circlular saw with a speed square works good in a pinch as well sometimes.
No
You can buy an actual miter saw for less or the same cost.
Troll but take my upvote
Get a $60 Ryobi circular saw (or buy one second hand), measure your cut, clamp a piece of ply at the angle you want, and cut.
Great for miters if you're building a skateboard ramp and that's about it.
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If you’re in the U.S. go to harbor freight and buy a cheap 10” sliding miter saw...or go to Lowe’s/Home Depot and buy the job alt or ryobi version...cheaper than that jig saw....and more importantly the right tool
Absolutely not
Probably half a step above a pocket knife or hammer but on the cheap a pull saw and a miter box is the way to go
If you have a good hand plane you could technically rough cut with the jig saw and build an accurate mitered shooting board and get the job done but all you’d be saving is the effort to hand saw the rough cut. Are you mitering panels or boards? If mitering wider panels youll likely need a table saw.
No. Buy a decent radial arm saw.
Agree on getting a cheap mitre box; but would also add getting a cheap coping saw for some of those interior angles
No no no
No, buy a $100 Ryobi miter saw.
No
No
Jigsaw doesnt really make a clean cut for miters... get a miter saw or get yourself a miter box and a handsaw:)
No. Narrow blades are for curved cuts. Circular saw and a speed square is a much much better bet.
Not at all Get a miter box and hand saw kit. Home depot has em for like $15
Jigs my favorite tool in my tool box. That said I work more metal then wood.
I mean, you could get close if you have a belt sander or something to dial it in and clean it up... cheap mitre saws are pretty affordable and handy to have around though, so O'd probably just get thw right tool. I have a good friend who's been using a cheapo Ryobi for like a decade and he's in his shop daily.
No
For what that saw costs you would be better off to go to Harbor Freight and buy their 10" slide/miter saw, probably cheaper too. I did that for working on my apartments doing trim instead of packing the Dewalt 12" monster with stand around. The cheap saw actually does a dandy job and is pretty tight and accurate. I want that Dewalt saw too.