How to Make a Dowel Center Finder

A common challenge that comes up in a woodworking shop is marking the center of wooden dowels.

It’s definitely easier said than done.

A search on the internet turned up this awesome center marking tool by Veritas. It’s almost perfect – I just don’t like that it leaves such a big dent in the wood.

I figure I can make a better device for my needs, by using a utility knife blade as the marking tool. That should leave behind a much less conspicuous mark. Still good enough to find the center, but no bigger than need be.

I got right into this project by cutting down a scrap of 3/4″ plywood. These pieces are 3″ wide and about 7″ long.

I’ll glue them together…

…and check for square.

When the glue dries, I take this back to the mitre saw and cut off the sides at 45 degrees.

Then make a straight cut down the middle to separate into two pieces.

These will come together just like that, and support the utility knife in between.

At the router table, I’ll make a slot for the knife. This is basically just a very shallow dado.

For added measure, I’ll also be securing the blade with double-sided carpet tape.

And now the two halves can be glued together using painter’s tape as a clamp while the glue dries.

So there it is, a quick center finder.

This little tool is going to come in super handy when I’m making my wooden threaded dowels.

Although – I guess this time my freehand line was pretty good, I’m usually not that lucky.