Best Saw for Cutting Shapes Out of Wood

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Precision and attention to detail are some of the factors that are of paramount importance when working with wood. If you’re impressed with the intricate wooden shapes and structures that you see in stores or on the internet, you should know that you can make one too. Not just one, you can create an entire collection once you have the right tool. What you need in your workshop is the best saw for cutting shapes out of wood.

Stores offer tons of varieties of saws for the same purpose. Three of the basic types that you will find for the purpose of shaping wood are jigsaw, scroll saw and band saw. However, before purchasing one, you should be well-equipped with some basic knowledge regarding these saws. You need to know which choices are best for cutting intricate shapes in wood. Here is a list of the 5 models that we found best for shaping wood.

	Best Saw for Cutting Shapes Out of Wood Comparison
	Editor's PickBosch JS260 120-Volt Top-Handle Jigsaw This model is budget-friendly Versatile Easy to use and suitable for beginners	LATEST PRICE →
	WEN 3966 Two-Speed Band Saw with Stand and Worklight Spacious workspace Adjustable speeds Best features of WEN 3966.	LATEST PRICE →
	Shop Fox W1713 16-Inch Variable Speed Scroll Saw The tool is affordable Highly adjustable Adjustable LED lamp	LATEST PRICE →
	BLACK+DECKER Jig Saw, Smart Select, 5.0-Amp (BDEJS600C) This Jigsaw by Black and Decker is inexpensive Adjustable with varying speeds Two-year warranty	LATEST PRICE →
	Genmitsu CNC 3018-PRO Router Kit GRBL It’s a versatile tool that works on a range of materials The structure is sturdy Designing is easy	LATEST PRICE →

Bosch JS260 120-Volt Top-Handle Jigsaw – Editor’s Pick

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Bosch JS260 is the ultimate favorite for most woodworkers when it comes to intricate wooden designs. It’s very affordable and includes a bundle of features that make it exceptionally simple to pay attention to detail and create a masterpiece.

This budget-friendly jigsaw can help you cut wood in any shape you like for an intricate project. It houses a 6 Amp motor inside it that has the capability of delivering 3100 strokes in a minute. You can also adjust the speed to your liking with a dial and accelerator. What makes it even more adjustable is the set of four orbital-action settings. By adjusting these settings, you can adjust the intensity of the strokes depending on the requirement of your project.

To help you keep an eye on the cuts, there’s a dust blower that will continuously clear the wood surface of sawdust to keep it visible. Additional features that add value to your purchase include a convenient blade-change system for fast and tool-less removal and insertion of blades. There’s, additionally, a steel footplate so that the equipment maintains a firm footing on the workstation and does not slide or vibrate while you concentrate on the project.

Pros: This model is budget-friendly, versatile, easy to use and suitable for beginners.

Cons: Some parts are plastic and not very durable.

My Opinion Bosch JS260 is an excellent, budget-friendly option if you have just started out with woodworking and are willing to try out new projects. It makes it very simple to give intricate shapes to your wood and create impressive designs out of it. The manufacturer has included some very impressive features in the design such as dust blower. This, together with the ergonomic design and plenty of other convenient features makes it one of the best tools for shaping wood.

WEN 3966 Two-Speed Band Saw with Stand and Worklight – Best Choice

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This model is a better choice for those who are looking for a full-professional free-standing band saw for advanced wooden projects. As a woodworker, you will love all of the features that it has to offer for a fairly reasonable price.

It’s a heavy-duty band saw that is equipped with a 9.5 amp motor and a spacious workspace that can offer variable angles for cuts from 0 degrees to 45 degrees. Besides the angle of the cuts, you can also adjust the cutting speeds between two options: 1480 and 3280 FPM.

With a maximum cutting depth of around 9 inches and a cutting width of about 13 inches, you can nearly cut any piece of wood that interests you. Additionally, you have the option of using blades of varying thicknesses depending on what you require. Blades with a thickness between ⅛ inches to 1 inch are all compatible with the tool.

Together with covering all the basics, this band saw also features tons of extras to make your woodwork even more impressive. The three-in-one dust collection port collects dust from dust extractor hoses of varying sizes and guides them to a dust collection drawer. The system keeps your workspace free of dust so that you can work accurately without making mistakes.

There’s also an adjustable work light on top that makes it even more visible to work accurately. All the features of the bandsaw are covered by a three-year manufacturer’s warranty so that you have nothing to worry about every time you start work with this tool.

Pros: Spacious workspace, adjustable speeds, and powerful motor are some of the best features of WEN 3966.

Cons: Some of the parts are less durable and the adjustments can take some time getting used to.

My Opinion It’s one of the best band saws that you can get your hands on, especially if you’re thinking about an especially technical project to start. With the three-year warranty, it’s durable and allows you to focus on every detail of the cut that you make to the wood piece you are working on. The outcome is an intricately designed wooden structure which is not at all possible with a standard saw.

Shop Fox W1713 16-Inch Variable Speed Scroll Saw – Best Budget Buy

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Shop Fox W1713 is another excellent option if you’re a perfectionist. Not only does it let you pay attention to detail and create a masterpiece out of a wooden block, but it is built to last long. Made with cast iron, you don’t have to worry about damaging the tool even if you use it frequently.

Besides featuring a solid construction, this scroll saw carries a ⅛ HP motor that can run at variable speeds to tailor the cuts to your specific requirements. Additionally, there’s a large tilt table to work on, angled at 45 degrees and equipped with an effective dust blower and dust port to keep the wood free of sawdust.

The continuous cleaning of your workstation allows you to see better so that you can make fine adjustments as needed. Furthermore, the tilt component of the table, lets you make cuts at a range of angles from 0 to 45 degrees, based on the requirements of the project you’re working on.

The speed of the strokes can be adjusted between 550 to 1650 strokes per minute and you can use a variety of blades on the scroll saw to adjust the results to your liking. The tool is compatible with both, plain and pin-end blade so you can use whatever you find most suitable for your project.

Pros: The tool is affordable, highly adjustable, includes an effective dust removal unit and an adjustable LED lamp for better results.

Cons: The motor can overheat after excessive use and the blade change mechanism isn’t too simple to comprehend.

My Opinion It’s an excellent scroll saw to cut wood shapes, for both professionals and beginners. It maintains a stable footing on your workstation and allows you to make accurate cuts and create intricate designs with ease. Overall, you can consider it a wise investment. Rest assured that you won’t be disappointed with the outcomes and will love using it every time you have an intricate wooden project in mind.

BLACK+DECKER Jig Saw, Smart Select, 5.0-Amp (BDEJS600C)

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This jigsaw is a budget-friendly, handy tool to upgrade your woodworking capabilities. It’s an Amazon bestseller for the category of jigsaws and for good reasons. The most prominent feature which attracts most woodworkers is the innovative Curve Control Technology. This new technology allows you to adjust the orbit of the saw between four customized settings to create new designs for your wooden projects.

Besides the cutting orbit, the speed of the cuts can also be adjusted to suit the exact requirements of your project. The maximum cutting power that the strong 5 Amp motor delivers is 3000 stroked in a minute. This speed is high enough for fast and efficient woodcutting.

Furthermore, the tilt of the workspace can be adjusted between the angles 0 to 45 degrees. By adjusting the tilt of the table, you can adjust the angle of the cuts to your preference.

Other than being a highly adjustable jigsaw at a fairly low price, plenty of additional useful features are also a part of the package. The wire guard lets you add even more precision to your cuts, while the dust blower clears the wooden surface of sawdust so that you can see it better and work more accurately on it.

Being one of the best saw for cutting shapes out of wood, it is convenient to use. The blade change mechanism is simple to use too. It will take seconds to change the blade and tighten it and does not require any tools for the process.

Pros: This Jigsaw by Black and Decker is inexpensive, adjustable with varying speeds and varying tilt angles, it uses a tool-free blade change and is covered by a two-year warranty by the manufacturer.

Cons: It’s lightweight so it may vibrate while cutting and the parts aren’t very durable.

My Opinion It’s an entry-level saw to cut wood shapes and may not be too impressive to a professional woodworker. However, if you have just started out with woodworking, you may want to make a smaller investment in an entry-level saw such as this one. Despite being budget-friendly, it has a few very clever features that will make your work simpler and add a professional touch to your project.

Genmitsu CNC 3018-PRO Router Kit GRBL

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Last but not the least, this one is a premium quality wood carving machine designed to deliver the highest levels of precision and intricacy. The tool will first need to be put together before you can start using it. The assembly instructions are quite simple and you can also check out their wiki page for further details.

Once the tool is ready for action, you’ll find it simple to use. There is customized software that works within the mainboard of the unit that interacts with the movable parts to create intricate designs of the wooden piece that you place on the table.

Grbl is the software that controls the movement of the blades and since it’s open-source, anyone can adjust it to match the requirements of his or her project. It’s also worth noting that this tool isn’t specifically designed for woodcutting. Besides cutting wood, it can be used on a range of different materials including acrylic, plastic, and aluminum. It can also engrave PCBs to fabricate intricate circuits that are exceptionally hard to make with other tools.

Pros: It’s a versatile tool that works on a range of materials, the structure is sturdy, designing is easy through open-source software and the results are precise.

Cons: It’s expensive, assembling is difficult and adjustments to the operation can be a little difficult, especially for those who don’t have much experience with programming.

My Opinion It can be a little difficult to comprehend in the beginning, but once you get used to the design and the working of the software, you’ll find it rather simple to use. Genmitsu CNC 3018-PRO is far from a conventional wood saw, yet it pays attention to detail and creates intricate designs on wood with a much more professional touch than is possible with a conventional saw. Cutting intricate shapes in wood using this saw is quite simple once you get the hang of its operation.

Final Verdict

All of these saws discussed in the list above will do a phenomenal job at cutting wood into complex shapes. However, the operation of Bosch JS260 stands out among the lot. It’s truly the best saw for cutting shapes out of wood. It boasts an attractive price and a simple design that is easy for everyone to use. Despite being low-priced and user-friendly, it’s fully capable of creating amazing results that won’t disappoint even a professional woodworker. Besides Bosch JS260, WEN 3966 is also a solid option, especially if you are in need of a free-standing unit with work light which gives you more room and better visibility for your project. It may be just a bit expensive but will undoubtedly make a worthy addition to your workshop and will help you create beautiful wooden structures that you can display in your living room.

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