Like the usual saw cuts in wood, which are made from the outside to the inside, there are also cuts on the inside where you cut something out of the wood. This can be, for example, a hole, or another geometric figure. So this article is all about how to saw a heart in wood and what to watch out for.
You need the follwing
To saw a heart out of a piece of wood, you don’t need very much:
- Suitable saw with saw blade (more on this below)
- Wood drill bits with Ø of 6 mm or 8 mm
- Pen for drawing
- Attachment option (clamps) for the workpiece
Which saw can you use to saw a heart in wood?
There are essentially two ways in which you can adjust it, namely a jigsaw or a coping saw or scroll saw:
The jigsaw
If you want to saw the heart out of a plate or board, a jigsaw is very practical in most cases. Make sure that you have the right saw blade for this. You have many curves to saw for a heart, so you also need a saw blade for a round cut. You would not be able to neatly carve out the radii and curves with a saw blade for straight cuts.
You should also use a sharp and, therefore, rarely used sheet that does not tear the cut edge.
The fretsaw/scroll saw
If you want to saw a heart out of a thin sheet of plywood, the fretsaw is a better choice. This is a real hobbyist’s saw. In contrast to the jigsaw, it is a hand saw. The saw blade of a fretsaw is ideal for a curved cut. It does take a bit of practice, but it is no problem to saw shapes and figures when you have this.
The fretsaw’s electric counterpart is the so-called scroll saw, which works similarly: The saw blade is firmly clamped and cuts with a constant up and down movement. The workpiece is turned and guided by hand so that the part to be cut falls away.
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Sawing a heart in wood – this is how you proceed.
The first thing you need to do is draw a heart. If you have a talent for it, you can do it hands-free. I can’t really do it myself because the two arcs never work equally well.
First, you have to draw the heart on the wood.
A good alternative is a self-made stencil. One possibility is to use a (stronger) cardboard and apply the heart to it. Then you can cut out the heart shape with scissors, put it on the wooden board and trace it.
Tip: If you get a heart template from the Internet (or somewhere else) and stick it on the box, you don’t even need to design something yourself. A heart template could also be a good option.
The next (and also last) step is to cut it out. You have two options, depending on whether the inner part is to be used or not.
Saw out the heart and use the inner part
You don’t need to pre-drill anything. Place the jigsaw with a curved saw blade on the edge of the piece of wood and first saw the lower part of the heart on both sides:
In the beginning, saw the heart from below.
Then continue sawing on one side up to the middle and repeat this on the other side. Then the heart is cut out:
After a few cuts, the heart is already released from the wood.
Related article: Best scroll saw blades for thick wood
Saw out the heart and use it
This requires that you drill a hole in the heart itself (i.e., the part that will later fall away). You can then insert the jigsaw (or fretsaw) into this drill hole and start sawing out the heart:
You can practically attach the jigsaw or fretsaw with a hole – the inner part is omitted here anyway.
Make sure that the drill hole is large enough to allow space for the saw blade. Usually, a hole with Ø 8 mm or larger is sufficient.
Saw away from the borehole. You may need to drill a second hole to see the other side of the heart.
Saw quickly but not too quickly and pull the cut through and as little as possible to put it down. But sawing too fast is not necessarily good either. In addition to the higher source of errors (through waste), there is also the risk that the cut edge will not be clean (and tear off).
If you’ve done everything right, the heart will pop out when you’ve finished cutting.
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Which saw blade is suitable?
In any case, to saw a heart out of wood, you need a curved saw blade.
If you are looking for a suitable saw blade to cut a heart into the wood with a jigsaw, take a closer look at this one:
It is the jigsaw blade for extreme curves from Connex. It is made of chrome-vanadium steel, cross-ground, and toothed on both sides.
The total length is 115 mm, the working length 95 mm. The blade has a tooth spacing of 2.2-3.2 mm. Two pieces are included in the scope of delivery.
It is ideal for quick, clean cuts and extreme curves in hard, softwood, glued wood, plywood, chipboard, and laminated fibreboard.
I love to share my expertise and love for the art of woodworking with others, providing tips and tricks, reviews of saws and other tools, and inspiration for new projects.