I recently purchased an "iGaging Heavy Duty Automatic Center Punch 36-S302".
I really like it! It
is heavy duty. It feels good in my hand. It is big enough to allow me to easily push it down hard
enough to trigger the punch. It is strong enough to make a nice hole in the end grain of hard maple
wood.
Automatic center punches create a center punch hole when you push them down with your hands.
They make a POP sound when you trigger them. You don't need a hammer to trigger them.
iGaging Heavy Duty Automatic Center Punch 36-S302
Their are lots of "Automatic Center Punches" on the web. This one really is heavy duty and
price is reasonable. $20 on 8/2026. I actually purchased mine for $10 at the Wooden Boat School in
Maine.
Google IGaging Heavy Duty Automatic Center Punch 36-S302
Stanley 69-122 Scratch Awl
This is my favorite Scratch Awl. I used it to center punch holes, before I got an automatic
center punch.
Google Stanley 69-122 Scratch Awl
Finding the Center
My wood is almost never square. Thus, I find the center of each piece by drawing lines from
corner to corner with a ruler. See photo on right.
The fancy center
find jigs ONLY work if your wood is square.