Foolproof Tool for Marking the Center of a Board

There are plenty of ways to find the center of a board, but my favorite is a shop-made tool. I cut a piece of 3/4-in. plywood to 1-in. x 5-in. and screw two 3-in. lengths of 1/2-in. dowel to opposite ends of the plywood. I then drill a hole the exact size of my pencil precisely through the middle of the board. To mark the center of a board, put one dowel on either side of your workpiece and rotate until the dowels contact the workpiece. With your pencil in the center hole, slide the center finder along your workpiece. This is a great little tool that gets a lot of use. Make several of them in different sizes to accommodate large and small boards. Plus: Check out these other amazing woodworking tips for beginners.