Finding the Center of Everything

Whether you are woodturning on a lathe or making a lazy susan, understanding exactly where the center is of a wood piece is critical. This is why there are so many different traditional methods of finding these center points, this problem has been in existence since the very beginning.

We discussed some of these techniques briefly during our previous article Quick Tip: Find the Centre.

Today, we will be looking at a few very helpful jigs and accessories to help you find the center of any wood piece you need to work on.

WoodRiver – Zero Zero Center Finder

Quickly, easily, and accurately determines center for round or square stock up to 8″ in diameter and hexagons up to 5-3/4″ in diameter. Place the plastic center finder over the end of the piece, scribe a line, rotate the center finder about 90 degrees, and scribe a second line. The intersecting lines define the workpiece center.

Rockler Caliper Gauge/Center Finder

Quickly set calipers to any 1/8″ increment between 0 and 5″. The center of the gauge features a vertical line for finding center on round or square stock. Gauge is made of durable black plastic and features easy-to-find white measurement markings

Woodpeckers Pen Blank Center Finder w/Scale

Woodpeckers Pen Blank Center Finder has been designed to make a turner’s first critical layout task easier and more accurate. Instead of fumbling around with a combination square or a large-scale center-finding tool, why not use a tool that provides the precision your next one-of-a-kind pen deserves? The Woodpeckers Pen Blank Center Finder will work on round or rectangular blanks up to 1-1/4″ in thickness or diameter. Machined to exacting tolerances, this little tool will make a big difference in your pen and pencil production. 

The rigid, right-angled registration surfaces enable you to grip the jig and the workpiece firmly together with one hand, freeing up your other hand for marking. The diagonal marking edge is perfectly machined to provide a beefy surface to guide a sharp pencil or pointed scribe. Another feature, a measuring scale marked in 1/8″ increments, allows you to mark the length of the blank to be cut.