166 – How to Install a Drawer Knob

Video - February 6, 2012

In honor of Get Woodworking Week, I decided to take a moment to cover a very basic concept: installing a drawer knob.

I made two Shaker Tables a couple years ago and unfortunately I never got around to making the knob for the cherry version. My mom lost patience with me and purchased a commercial knob. The very least I could do was install it for her.

So here’s a quick review of how I like to install drawer knobs in finished drawers. The key is to use our old shop favorite blue tape, a brad point bit, and a backer block. You’ll end up with nice clean holes and a perfect installation!

Update
Well that’ll teach me! I was in the middle of filming the Roubo workbench build when my mom came in and said, “put this knob on the drawer please!”. So I figured I may as well film it as a Mini. Not having my brain fully in the moment, I forgot about the old trick of simply running a straight edge from corner to corner to find the center point. I was really too focused on the concept of getting a clean hole. I also misspoke when I stated one of the measurements. My apologies for the errors.

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Resources

Discussion

Jon McGrath February 6, 2012 11:49 am

Excellent, I love the Whisper Mini’s. Great looking table and inlay work. Thanks Marc

Reply
Justin February 6, 2012 12:44 pm

Great as always Marc. What Brad Point Bit Set did you end up buying? I know a while back you mentioned you were in the market for some new ones. Just curious as it is time for me to get some new ones as well! Thanks

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- thewoodwhisperer February 6, 2012 10:44 pm
  
  Right now I’m using a set from Festool. Holy crap are they great bits!
  
  Reply
Wilbur Pan February 6, 2012 2:19 pm

Whenever I measure and divide by two, I’m always concerned that I’ll make a mistake either in my math or in reading the ruler. An alternative way for finding the center of a drawer face would be to use a long straightedge lined up with the corners and draw a line on your blue tape. Repeat with the other set of corners. Where they intersect will be the center of the drawer face. No measuring and no math!

Reply
- Jeff Yates February 6, 2012 3:00 pm
  
  I ran across something this weekend when looking through some brochures…
  
  A Center Finder Tape Measure
  
  http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews/cntrtape.html
  
  It seemed interesting, but if you are concerned with that…it might be an easy solution for you
  
  Reply
  - John Verreault February 6, 2012 6:10 pm
    
    Lee Valley also sells these:
    http://bit.ly/zlbYYw
    Cheers
    
    PS
    Wilbur has the least expensive alternative to Marc’s ruler method…
    
    Reply
    - Dan Drabek February 7, 2012 10:06 am
      
      Actually the least expensive alternative is a simple straight-edge. Just strike lines from corner to corner, and the intersection is the center of the rectangle.
      
      DD
  - Frank April 15, 2012 4:52 am
    
    Jeff, you’re not from Florida by any chance?
    
    Reply
Rob Hoover February 6, 2012 3:03 pm

Any tips for installing a ‘U’ shaped pull? One that has two holes like the knob in your video and no posts or protrusions to easily mark the spot where you’d drill the holes.

Reply
- DozersWorkshop February 7, 2012 7:58 am
  
  I was installing a bunch of U-Shaped pulls once and got frustrated since it is so hard to install with the right spacing…it is pretty easy to get close, but I could never get quite right.
  I had a threaded rod that was the same size as my screws, so I used the grinder to put a quick point on two pieces (using a little nut to save the threads, cutting after I sharpened the long piece, etc…) I just hand screwed those into one of my handles and used it as a center punch to mark all of my holes before I drilled. It was a worthwhile 5 minute sidetrack…for me anyhow.
  
  Reply
  - Guido February 8, 2012 8:22 am
    
    There is a trick for the handles with two fixtures.
    Like finding the single center of a square drawing diagonals, you offset the diagonals by the space between holes. Drawing lines from offset to corner gives you the exact center of both holes and the handle centered on the drawer.
    
    Reply
- Mike Pugh February 17, 2012 6:04 am
  
  I ran into this once and decided to take a piece of scrap paper, put it up against the U handle and then I pushed the screws for the handle through the back side of the paper and into the handle. This creates two holes exactly where you’d need to drill – line up the paper on your work surface and drill away. Just be sure not to tear the paper when inserting the screws since that’d give you a sloppy reference point.
  
  Reply
- Frank April 15, 2012 4:54 am
  
  A method I have used before for hanging pictures was to put masking tape where you know the holes will go, and put something on the pull you’re using like lipstick or something similar that when pressed into the right spot will leave a mark clearly showing the hole where the screw will go. Not really good for getting the placement exactly right, but good for knowing exactly where to drill your hole.
  
  Reply
MikeM February 6, 2012 5:20 pm

Often when looking for center, I often take a straight edge across the diagonals marking the center where the two lines intersect. Is there a drawback to doing this vs. measuring to find center?

Reply
- Sam February 6, 2012 6:12 pm
  
  Hi Mike, I was thinking the same thing. I see no reason why we couldn’t use the diagonals, and I think it is more accurate than measuring, unless geometry does not apply here :)
  
  Reply
Andrew B February 6, 2012 6:44 pm

Mike and Sam: I’d have to agree. It looks like Mark put the whole in the right place, but you’ll notice that he said the drawer was 2 1/2 inches tall, so he’d put the hole at 1 3/4 inches (when half of 2/12 is actually 1 1/4). That’s a mistake that is impossible to make with the diagonal intersection approach.

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer February 6, 2012 9:41 pm
  
  Well to be fair, I only misspoke. Clearly the hole is in the right place, lol.
  
  Reply
Charlton February 6, 2012 8:44 pm

Uh…Mark…if the drawer height is 2-1/2″ then the mid point is 1-1/4″ not 1-3/4″ :)

Just checking to make sure you didn’t mess up your mother’s drawer! :)

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer February 6, 2012 9:34 pm
  
  Do as I do, not as I say. :)
  
  Reply
  - Charlton February 6, 2012 9:40 pm
    
    If I could do as you do, I would be making my living as a woodworker and enjoying it. :)
    
    Reply
John F February 6, 2012 9:36 pm

Nice ‘mini’ Marc. “Backer block” = ‘good’.

I’m curious about the drawer bottom – it looks like it is flush with the bottom of the sides. Was the bottom installed in a rabbet on the sides, or was the bottom rabbeted and then inserted into dadoes on the sides?

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer February 6, 2012 10:51 pm
  
  The bottom was rabbeted and dropped into a groove in the sides/front.
  
  Reply
Warren February 7, 2012 2:19 am

The first question (before which method of finding the center) is “Why use the center at all?”
Placing the knob lower (say one phi’th from the top) would create the tendancy to pull up slightly when opening the drawer (acting against weight and reducing friction for easier sliding). It’s also be more easily accessible on this drawer which is low relative to human visual height and arm height. Not that yours is out of the way or anything. Just thinking what might be better.

If one is going to use measurement instead of crossing lines between corners, then i highly recommend measuring and marking from both sides. Ideally with some form of arc like using a compass. This way, even if you’re off by math or measure, the point between your inaccurate marks is the accurate mid-point.

How about a countersunk hole on the inside of the drawer to hide the screw head? This would also remove any flaring fibres that there might be from break-through of the bit when drilling the main hole.)

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer February 7, 2012 5:13 am
  
  Well the reason I would go for center is because it looks “right”. An off-center knob in a small drawer like that would just look odd to me. Also, given the height of the table, any adult that pulls on that drawer will naturally be pulling upward, so I don’t see there being any sort of benefit there either.
  
  As for the countersink, that is definitely one way to go. But you have to like the look of a countersunk panhead screw for that to be ok.
  
  Reply
Mark Loughran February 7, 2012 7:39 am

Great video Marc as always, and just wanted to say that ‘Get Woodworking Week’ is a fantastic idea!! Nice one Tom and Marc!!

Just my 2c on the measuring thing, sometimes I measure, then do a rough calculation of what half that measurement is (as sometimes my maths is not rocket scientist level :-).

And then I mark that approx calculation from both ends of the board, and if the measurement is off by a bit, the middle point between the two marks should be dead centre.

This means even if you miscalculate, by too much or too little, it still works. I guess its fits with the old motto, ‘measure twice, cut once’.

Sometimes its surprising, even if you are correct in your calculation, the marks can still be off by a little, due to minor factors that lead to error, and this method corrects that too.

Just thought this might be an option for those like me with maths issues :-) LOL

Reply
Texfire February 7, 2012 7:53 am

You have no idea how much better I feel about my work pace knowing you took two years to install a knob. ;)

Reply
NotSoFresh February 7, 2012 8:09 am

I have an additional tip: If you want to countersink the screw but have no room for the drill, I made a tool to do it. A reverse countersink can be made out of an old spade bit. Just grind and sharpen the top shoulders of the bit into the profile of the countersink, insert chuck end of bit first through the screwhole in the workpiece from the backside. Then attach the drill to the bit on the frontside and pull the bit into the piece to create the internal countersink.I have made a few of these i keep around for various uses. Great use of an otherwise useless spade with a broken point.

Reply
Jeff February 7, 2012 10:50 am

Marc, thanks for taking us back to the basics. I also enjoyed knowing that I am not the only one that can keep a project going for years! haha!

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Gary Bell February 8, 2012 6:34 am

Nice Whisper Mini. Looks like you took enough crap about the inch and a quarter thing. Seriously though, I got this really great 24 inch centering rule from Woodcraft that has inches on one side and the center of those inches on the other side. Saved my bottom a lot of times. Usually when I mis-speak in my mouth I also mis-speak in my brain which gets translated down to the fingers and the marking and well that ends up with a mis-take. Hang in there kid you’re doing great!

Reply
Gary Bell February 8, 2012 6:37 am

Nice Whisper Mini. Looks like you took enough crap about the inch and a quarter thing. Seriously though, I got this really great 24 inch centering rule from Woodcraft that has inches on one side and the center of those inches on the other side. Saved my bottom a lot of times. Usually when I mis-speak in my mouth I also mis-speak in my brain which gets translated down to the fingers and the marking and well that ends up with a mis-take. Hang in there kid you’re doing great!

p.s. don’t feel bad about the two year thing. I have a Hammered dulcimer I have been building for my wife which is now going on 9 years. [she loves me anyway][I think]

Reply
Ted Ames February 8, 2012 7:49 am

Marc,
How about using a straight edge from corners to opposite diagonal corners to mark the center point?

Reply
Derek February 8, 2012 10:27 am

I don’t remember that inlay being part of the guild build…. or is it just that I don’t remember!

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer February 8, 2012 12:07 pm
  
  Boom! http://www.thewoodwhisperer.co.....sed-inlay/
  
  Reply
Jim D February 11, 2012 11:46 am

Good helpful video as we are just finishing remodeling a very old kitchen that has old hand built cupboards,Thanks,

you have talked to Ravinheart,he is my son

Reply
Jimmy B February 11, 2012 5:37 pm

Blue Tape a.k.a. Duct Tape for woodworkers.

Reply
Arooka February 12, 2012 5:02 pm

My little alder Shaker table had a madrone veneer top and a knob turned out of some plum from a tree that grew in my yard for the first 25 years I owned this house, and had to come down a few years ago. Nice little video- wish I’d seen it before I installed my knob.

Reply
Kris Lauer February 13, 2012 6:46 pm

You could always use a tapered bit for your through hole to avoid blowing out the back. You don’t need to have a block clamped to the drawer face so you save a step.

Reply
Ben Evans August 30, 2012 9:31 am

ProTip: if your rectangle or square is perfect, you can get the centre without measuring by putting a line in between opposing corners

Reply

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166 – How to Install a Drawer Knob

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