Orbital Puzzle Tips: How and When to Use Orbital Actions

Many jigsaws today have an orbital mode that you can use to adjust the intensity of the cut. But why do you need 3 or more schemas? Even some of the best reciprocating saws are usually content with switches. Of course, track puzzles are not demolition tools. However, knowing how and when to use orbital actions on your puzzles can help you get the best performance and get the job done.

What is a track puzzle?

A track puzzle is just a type of puzzle that has at least one track set, although most have three. You can find Orbit Mode on both corded and cordless models, a feature that lets you cut wood very quickly.

What does the puzzle track action do?

The jigsaw orbital action takes the straight sawing motion of the blade and adds a level of elliptical motion. This motion produces a faster, more aggressive cut, in exactly the same way as a reciprocating saw.

With the elliptical motion, sawdust and material splinters clear teeth more easily and cut material faster. The tradeoff is that you experience more tear, higher vibration and less control during the cutting process. Managing these tradeoffs is how you decide when to use it and at what level.

Using orbital actions on puzzles is very simple. Most saws have a dial on the side marked 0 – 3 (0 – 2 or on/off if the mode is less). Just flip the dial to your desired setting and pull the trigger.

When to Use Track Puzzle Settings

The key to bringing this all together is knowing when to use the track puzzle setting. Depending on the material you're cutting and the type of cut you're making, there are some guidelines to follow.

In general, track puzzle modes work best in wood, and metal with them turned off. However, qualifiers have a wide range.

Metal

Metal cutting is the easiest. Keep the orbital action off and watch your speed. Slower blade speeds generally cut faster in metals. Feel free to experiment on the scrap, though. Some of our pros prefer thicker metal and light rails over aluminum.

wood

When cutting wood, turn off the orbital motion when you need the cleanest finish or for rolling cuts. Orbital action can really work against your control, especially if you're trying to make tight curve cuts.

If you're going for rough straight cuts, keep kicking it all the way up to the most aggressive track action settings.

When you're making wide, soft, curved cuts, that's when you want to use one of the middle settings to balance your speed and control.

Pro tip: For someone new to jigsaws, faster cutting speeds can quickly lead to loss of control. Quality results trump quick cuts, especially when it means wasting material. If you feel like you can't follow the cut line very well, slow down and turn off track mode.

The exception to the orbital action of using a jigsaw on wood is when you're making a plunge cut. You need the tip of the blade to stay in contact with the material as you push down, making even a slight orbital action difficult.

other materials

When it comes to plastic, we don't usually think about rail action. The same goes for fiberglass. A jigsaw is fast enough to cut quickly with a straight cutting action. There was some disagreement in our ranks, some of us would use light or even medium track moves in plastic.

Laminates such as countertops can handle medium or high track settings.

You can use the most aggressive orbital moves on drywall. Most of the cutting happens on the hanging drywall, without which it is easiest to start cutting out a combination box with a plunge cut.

final thoughts

Today's track puzzle options include models well within the DIY budget. This is a very useful feature that can help you cut faster for the right material and cut type. We highly recommend buying a jigsaw with orbital action and spending some time with scrap to get a handle on how and when to use it.

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