Knob installation tip

drilling the holes

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Once the knobs are located to satisfaction, having been stuck on the cabinet with double sided tape, measurements are taken to locate the center of the screw or bolt hole that will fasten the knob.



The task of accurately, and repetitively, locating these centers is aided by blue painter tape. It is fastened to the vicinity of where the hole will be. With the aid of two squares preset to the desired distances the center is located relative to some part of the furniture. It could be the drawer side and top, or a door frame bottom and stile side.

You can see on the tape where I have been marking centers on the doors. In the picture the tape is located to mark the drawer knob center, the crossed black pen line. Where X marks the spot the awl is used to make a dent that will be where the brad point of the drill gets stuck.

Lee Valley ultra sharp brad points are best for drilling these holes. With care the hole does not have to be backed up to prevent splintering of the exit hole.

bits

Jack Guzman from Maine

The clean exit holes is one of the main reasons those bits are ideal for windsor chair making. btw-that corner cabinet is a beautiful piece.

Thank you

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Can't wait to get the leaded glass installed and delivered.

Re: Knob installation tip....Excellent tip!

Barry Irby

I worked my way through college building kitchen cabinets and was a builder afterwards. In stalled hundreds (maybe a thousand) knobs and pulls. Maybe because I did not have nice brad point bits until much later, I did not trust my bits to not wander a few thousandths. I always made a template or bracket to guide the drill. Old habits die hard, I still do it.

I really like the idea of the double stick tape and observing for a day or two. Excellent. Nothing beats staring at it and letting it soak in for a while or maybe moving it a half inch and checking that out. I will use that one. Thanks you.

Beautiful piece. Can't wait to see the finished product.