5 Beginner Woodworking Tips Plus 1 That Doesn't Work! 

To find the center use a speed square to draw a line all the way across close to the end of the board. Then an x from each end corner to the line. Where they intersect is the center.

Wow!!! John and Norm in the same sentence - I always enjoy your Saturday post. Thank you.

Good video but it would be nice to see a more advanced tips video from you guys. Most RU-vidrs all give the same rehashed beginner tips but I suspect you have some pro tips up your sleeve. I’ve already started carrying my measuring tape on the left side after seeing your other video and it is a game changer

The last tip works, but only if you use the side of the tape that goes through the pivot point. And you have to be careful with slippage. If I had to try it with a tape measure I'd use the 2 and 16 marks and lock the tape so it won't slip. Still too easy to mess up, I'd just do the math. The technique works pretty well with a solid ruler.

Thanks for sharing!

Those are great tips for beginners, Jeff. To stand up a panel, I usually use wooden screw clamps. They're also good for holding small parts while routing them. Bill

Great tips thanks for sharing.

Utilized tip #3 yesterday. Thanks for sharing.

Great tips and love the outtake~! LOL

At the end trying to easily find the center, you were marking on the wrong side of the tape. Mark on the other side and it should be closer.

lol I feel dumb. I never thought of laying out the two pieces for figuring out the rail math was that easy smh! Thank you for that The pulling the tape to an even number does work for the most part. I think sometimes when it gets into the 32nds you have to think about it landing between the marks on the tape. Quick tip in case you guys didn't know - To find half of a fraction, double the bottom number. And engineer friend showed me this and it was life changing LOL Thanks again for the videos!

easier way to measure the same distance from both sides and then the center of the two lines will be the exact center you can usually do it by eye

Love the extra at the end

Very nice

..."this tip is bullshit"...🤣. Never had that one come out perfect either. Great list of tips, great channel. Keep doing what you do.

Nice tips except for the last one! Now I have to head to my workshop to figure that one out. 🤔

That last tip does work, just need to use one side of the tape measure.. you were using the pivot point on the left (view from camera) but using the right side as the measured length, need to use the left side for the pivot, the length, and the middle marking. If it’s off you have a bad tape measure.

Use a steel ruler instead of a tape measure.

That last tip should work in principle. As for your last attempt, it looked to me like you weren't holding the tape perpendicular to the edge when checking the result. Unless that was just an optical illusion from the camera angle.

Don't use a tape measure when trying to shortcut the center. Use a solid measuring device. I know you know how to do it. Just don't use a tape measure.

Were you trying to show the trick where you draw 2 parallel lines then draw another 2 lines at the opposite point of parallel lines. Centre is where the cross intersects. Great videos too!

"6 5/16" LOL 🤣

The last tip makes sense in theory, and might be handy for something rough and quick, but with the extreme lengths we go to to be precise in a woodshop, there’s really no place for it.

this tip is BS! lol keep the tips coming fellas

Looks like you need a woodpeckers center rule to find the middle of that board! 🧌

That tip is BS, its fine for if you just want to be close to center but sucks for accuracy.

This tip is bullshit " I laughed out loud . I think you might be on to something. You're reinventing Tim the Tool Man Taylor and the Binford line of tips and tricks. On a serious note how do you like your Bosh saw? It's time for a new one in my shop.