• 13 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Parts of a Jigsaw Tool

An electric jigsaw from the side, then the blade end close up.

Parts of a Jigsaw Tool

Name Date

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Handle
  2. Saw blade
  3. Trigger switch
  4. Shoe
  5. Motor housing
  6. Cord
  7. Lock-on button
  8. Dust port
  9. Orbital action lever
  10. Blade clamp
  11. Shank
  12. Blade roller
  13. Teeth

Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

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All 13 parts on the diagram

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The whole saw 9

  1. Handle A loop over the top of the saw. There is room for the hand underneath.
  2. Saw blade The motor moves it up and down. It cuts on the way up.
  3. Trigger switch Squeezing it starts the saw; letting go stops it.
  4. Shoe It rests on the wood being cut. The blade passes down through it. It tilts to either side for bevel cuts.
  5. Motor housing The casing round the electric motor.
  6. Cord It brings electricity to the motor. A cordless jigsaw has a battery instead.
  7. Lock-on button It keeps the saw running when you let go. It is pushed in while the trigger is squeezed.
  8. Dust port A vacuum cleaner hose pushes onto it to take the sawdust away.
  9. Orbital action lever It switches between straight up-and-down cutting and orbital action. In orbital action the blade also pushes forward on each cutting stroke.

The blade end 4

  1. Blade clamp The clamp on the end of the moving rod. The blade's shank is pushed up into it and held tight.
  2. Shank The part of the blade that goes into the clamp. On a T-shank blade it is shaped like a T.
  3. Blade roller The blade's back edge runs against it just above the shoe. That keeps the thin blade in line.
  4. Teeth They face forward and point up. This is because the blade cuts on the up-stroke.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30 and kept only where at least two of these use it. (1) A maker's instruction manual for a variable speed orbital jig saw, full text at https://archive.org/details/black-decker-variable-speed-orbital-jig-saw-bdejs-600-instruction-manual : variable speed switch, lock-on button, shoe, dust extraction port, saw blade, shank, teeth facing forward, blade holder. (2) A second maker's jig saw instruction manual, full text at https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-6761900 : switch trigger, lock button, cutting action changing lever (orbital or straight), blade holder, blade, roller, base, motor housing. (3) A third maker's manual for its orbital jig saws, full text at https://archive.org/details/dewalt-jig-saw-dw-31x : trigger switch, lock button, orbital action selector lever, shoe, blade clamp, support roller, cord. (4) A fourth maker's jig saw manual, full text at https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-7332892 : switch trigger, lock-on button on the side of the handle, base, saw blade, dust port, roller guide, blade clamp, T-shank blades, motor housing. (5) Wikipedia, Jigsaw (tool), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jigsaw_(tool) : electric motor and reciprocating blade, cutting on the up-stroke, sole plate that bevels, T-shank blades, blade rollers just above the sole plate, battery-powered models. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's saw, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

An electric jigsaw (the power tool, not the puzzle) from the side, then the blade end close up: the clamp that grips the blade, the roller behind it and the shoe it passes through.

Read the full guide

How a jigsaw cuts

The motor moves the saw blade up and down, and the teeth cut on the up-stroke. The shoe rests flat on the work and tilts for bevel cuts. With the orbital action lever set to orbital, the blade also pushes forward on each cutting stroke; set to straight, it only moves up and down.

Holding the blade

The shank at the top of the blade is pushed into the blade clamp with the teeth facing forward. The blade roller sits behind the blade just above the shoe and supports its back edge, so the thin blade stays in line.

  • The lock-on button keeps the saw running when you let go of the trigger. Squeeze the trigger again to stop.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a jigsaw tool?

A handle with a trigger switch and lock-on button, a motor housing, a shoe that rests on the work, and a saw blade held in a blade clamp. Most also have a blade roller, an orbital action lever and a dust port.

What is the shoe on a jigsaw?

The flat plate under the saw, also called the base or sole plate. It rests on the material being cut, the blade passes down through it, and it tilts to either side for bevel cuts.

What does the orbital setting on a jigsaw do?

In orbital action the blade pushes forward on the cutting stroke as well as moving up and down, which cuts faster. The straight setting moves the blade up and down only.

Which way do the teeth face on a jigsaw blade?

Forward, away from the roller. They point up, because a jigsaw cuts on the up-stroke.

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