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How to use a Bosch jigsaw

Updated: 21 October 2026

You have a GST on the bench, a pencil curve on a kitchen door, and the first pass has already lifted the veneer. How to use a Bosch jigsaw, for the saws in this set, is mostly what you set before the blade moves: the right blade, pendulum off when the edge matters, the work clamped, and the shoe flat. The brand colour does not save a torn face. Which listing to buy stays on the [Bosch professional jigsaw comparison](/hub/power-saws/bosch-professional-jigsaw). Products Compared followed Bosch’s DIY round-sawing notes, the GST 18V-125 manual and the faults reviewers describe, not a lab, on 19 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a GST on the bench, a pencil curve on a kitchen door, and the first pass has already lifted the veneer.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch GST 18V-125 S in L-BOXX

Best overall

Bosch Bosch GST 18V-125 S in L-BOXX
9.6/10about £207.12
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Bosch Bosch GST 90 BE corded

Best value

Bosch Bosch GST 90 BE corded
9.2/10about £129.31
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Bosch Bosch GST 12V-70 in a carton

Rank 3

Bosch Bosch GST 12V-70 in a carton
9.0/10about £106.99
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On this page
  1. 1.Set the saw before you follow the line
  2. 2.Curves and internal cuts
  3. 3.Dust, blower and a shoe that will not square
  4. 4.When a jigsaw is the wrong saw

Set the saw before you follow the line

Clamp the board so the offcut can fall without trapping the blade. Fit a blade that matches the job. The cordless scopes list one wood blade, a T 111 C on the GST 18V-95 B or a T 144 D on the 125s, and the carton 12 V title names two blades. The GST 90 BE includes a T 144 DP. The GST 18V-125 manual keeps pendulum off or low for a clean edge, off for thin sheet, low for steel, and high only for soft wood you will hide. For a veneered door, set it off, fit the anti-splinter guard, and trial the blade on scrap. What belongs in the box is the buying guide.

Curves and internal cuts

Drill a starter hole wider than the blade, in the waste, then lower the blade in with the saw off and the shoe flat. Set pendulum to 0. Turn slowly, and let the blade follow the curve instead of twisting until it bows. A shoe that rides up on a clamp slopes the cut even when the lock says 90 degrees. Support the offcut so it cannot pinch the blade. Cutting from below, so the show face stays up, is a barrel-grip job, on bow handle or barrel grip.
Bosch Bosch GST 18V-125 S in L-BOXX

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch GST 18V-125 S in L-BOXX
9.6/10about £207.12
View offer

Dust, blower and a shoe that will not square

Both GST 12V-70 listings draw the same comment: there is no dust blower. The GST 90 BE blower works mainly at high speed, which fights the slow feed you wanted for veneer. A suction nozzle, included with the 95 B, the 125s and both corded saws, still needs a hose that fits. A nozzle in the box is not a vacuum. Bevel cuts on the 125 need the covering hood, the outlet and the splinter guard off before the shoe will tilt. Reviewers of the GST 18V-125 S say the shoe has no fixed positions, so you reset 90 degrees with a square. The GST 90 E angle cell says 90 degrees, so do not assume that shoe tilts. At work, HSE expects extraction and suitable RPE for longer cutting.

When a jigsaw is the wrong saw

A jigsaw is a poor tool for a long rip. The blade walks, and a circular saw with a straight edge is squarer. Use the GST for the curve, the notch and the internal cut-out, then stop. A joist, a stair string or a worktop you cannot replace is the point where a fitter should take over. If the blade burns, the pendulum is still on, the blade is too wide for the curve, or the wood is too thick. The 12 V title stops at 70 mm. The GST 90 E states 90 mm in wood. Bosch states 125 mm for the 18 V-125 class. The listing that matches the depth is on the best pick page.

Common questions

What pendulum setting should I use for a curve?
Turn orbital action off. Bosch’s DIY round-sawing note and the GST 18V-125 manual both keep pendulum at zero when the line bends or the face must stay clean. A higher stage speeds a rough cut in softwood you will hide. On a veneered door, off is the setting, checked on scrap from that sheet. The 12 V listings do not print orbital stages, so look at the switch on the saw you hold.
How do I start an internal cut-out?
Drill a hole in the waste that is wider than the blade. Rest the shoe flat, fit the blade through with the saw off, then start and follow the line slowly with pendulum off. Support the piece so the offcut cannot sag and pinch. For a hob or a socket, drill the corners and stay on the waste side. A plunge through a finished face, with no hole, tears the veneer before the cut has begun.
When do I remove the anti-splinter guard?
Leave it in for a clean top edge on a square cut. Remove it, with the hood and the dust outlet, before you tilt the shoe on a GST 18V-125, because the manual says those parts block the bevel. Fit it again when you return to 90 degrees. GST 90 BE reviewers call the guard fiddly, so fit it on the bench before the board is clamped.
Why does the pencil line disappear?
The 12 V-70 reviews say there is no dust blower, so the line fills as soon as the blade is working. The GST 90 BE blower is described as useful mainly at high speed. Brushing with a free hand next to a moving blade is a poor habit. Fit the nozzle to a vacuum, or stop and clear the dust. A plastic guard that covers the line, mentioned on a 12 V review, is a second reason to sight the blade itself.
How do I get the shoe back to 90 degrees?
On the GST 18V-125 S, reviewers say there are no detents, so you set the shoe with a square against the blade and lock it. On the 125 generally, refit the hood and splinter guard after the bevel, then check 90 degrees on scrap. The GST 90 BE states bevel cuts and a 45 degree cell. The GST 90 E cell says 90 degrees, so confirm on that saw rather than copying the BE.

Related pages

Circular saw comparison

Bosch professional jigsaw

Bosch 12V or 18V jigsaw: depth and the pack you own

Best Bosch Professional jigsaw for the job you cut

Bosch jigsaw bow handle or barrel grip: which hand

Bosch Professional jigsaw buying guide: depth, pack

Sources

Manufacturer pages and UK public sources for this comparison. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk listings read on 19 October 2026. We did not run a lab test.

  1. Bosch Professional GST 18V-125 B (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Bosch Professional GST 18V-125 S (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Bosch Professional GST 18V-95 B (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Bosch Professional GST 12V-70 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Bosch Professional GST 90 BE (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. GST 18V-125 English manual (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. HSE hand-arm vibration advice to employers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (retrieved 19 October 2026)