The Build Behind This Item
I made the black composite cover to orient the heater vent toward the van interior. The front and side panels were joined with brackets and self-tapping screws before fitting at the seat base.
The angled fastening positions caused the difficulty after the panels were made. That sequence gives me two separate questions for a future job: what blade suits the piece being cut, and how will I reach the fasteners once the shaped piece is in position?
Separating the Cutting Assortment from the Fitting Problem
- I made the front and triangular side pieces for the black cover.
- I assembled them with brackets and self-tapping screws.
- An awkward screw position left a hole that I planned to cover with a larger washer.
Camper Van Project Applications
A mixed jigsaw-blade set covers different cuts by changing tooth pattern, length and material. Choosing one blade for every panel loses the reason to have an assortment. Match the blade to the workpiece and the cut quality needed, then compare the result with the jigsaw's speed and orbital settings.
For a wider view of the build kit, see my van conversion tool checklist and budget versus professional tool comparisons.
Manufacturer Specifications And Instructions
| Specification | Manufacturer Detail |
|---|---|
| Model | DW3742C |
| Set | 14-piece jigsaw blade set |
| Connection | T-shank |
| Storage | Case |
The manufacturer separates T-shank sets from its U-shank range. Matching the connection is the first distinction when selecting replacement jigsaw blades; the individual blade’s tooth pattern and intended material determine the next choice.
My Experience with This Tool
By Steven Smith
I'm happy with this jigsaw blade set and would recommend it. I used these blades for many different jobs on the van, and the set has a good variety of blades for cutting different materials.
My DEWALT jigsaw review covers the projects where I put these blades to work.
Watch My DEWALT And WORKPRO Jigsaw Blade Review
My shared review covers the DEWALT mixed blade set I used on many jobs, the separate metal blades and my WORKPRO set, including the cuts that led me to switch saws.
Press Play To Start The Video.
Read The Video Transcript
Hi, I'm Steve Smith with Camper Van Freedom. Today I'm comparing three jigsaw-blade purchases from my van build: the DEWALT D W thirty-seven forty-two C mixed set, the DEWALT D W thirty-seven seventy dash five metal blades, and the WORKPRO T-shank assortment. These are all tools I used, and the differences became clear when I moved between panel cuts, thick wood and the van walls.
The DEWALT mixed set gave me a good variety of blades for different materials. I used it for many jobs on the van, was happy with it, and recommend it. The matching product picture shows the fourteen-piece T-shank set. That assortment is the starting point for my comparison, rather than a claim that one blade handles every material equally well.
I bought the dedicated DEWALT metal blades because my mixed set did not include thick-metal blades. The D W thirty-seven seventy dash five is a three-inch, fourteen-teeth-per-inch T-shank blade format. It gave me a separate metal-cutting option, but changing the blade did not remove the limitations of the jigsaw or the awkward cutting position.
My jigsaw struggled on the van walls even with those metal blades. Holding it sideways was part of the problem. I broke many metal blades when trying the bed-capsule openings and switched to my DEWALT D C S three-eighty B reciprocating saw to finish that work. The DEWALT D C S three-thirty-four B jigsaw remained useful elsewhere. My experience was about the whole setup: blade, material and how I could hold the tool against the work.
The WORKPRO twenty-five-piece T-shank set was good value for me, with quality I found similar to my DEWALT jigsaw blades. I used its metal blades on Falken Design aluminum composite panel and also used the set on wood. Different blade lengths helped as the material thickness changed. These matching pictures show the actual blade assortment and the composite-panel product from my build records.
The thick-wood cuts were slower. I used WORKPRO blades and DEWALT wood jigsaw blades to cut down my one-and-a-half-inch butcher-block countertops, including my Bme hevea top and the birch top I bought. Both blade sets worked, but the thickness slowed the job. The diagram shows that material-thickness relationship, while the product picture identifies my Bme top.
My heater-cover photos add another part of the story. I made the front face and triangular sides from black composite sheet, then joined and fitted the pieces. Cutting the shapes and reaching the fasteners afterward were separate problems. The illustrative workshop footage shows layout and workpiece holding; my actual cover pictures show the shaped pieces and fitted result.
Each of these three product pages compares the other two blade options. They are alternatives to compare, and all three are also purchases I used. The two mixed assortments offer variety; the dedicated metal pack repeats one blade type. My experience with the wall openings is why I compare the tool position alongside the blade, rather than choosing from the label alone.
Thanks for watching. I'm Steve Smith with Camper Van Freedom. The three full reviews, matching product pictures, related tools and current Amazon buying options are linked below. My takeaway is that both mixed sets were useful, the separate metal blades filled a gap in my kit, and the reciprocating saw was the better choice for my awkward van-wall cuts. Until next time.
Watch This Review On YouTube · English Captions (VTT) · Download The Transcript
My Takeaway for Choosing the Kit
DW3742C and the WORKPRO alternative group different blade shapes and tooth patterns together. DEWALT DW3770-5 is a focused thick-metal blade pack with repeated blades of one type. I would choose between assortment and repetition based on the planned cuts, while allowing time for the fitting problems that my cover project revealed afterward.
