If you’ve decided to refinish your kitchen then you’re probably sick of looking around for new hardware, what finish to put on the cabinet face etcetera. One thing you do need to know though is what size drill bit to use for cabinet knobs. The last thing you want to do with those new cabinet doors is to damage them. There are just a few tricks you need to do the job right without risking the cabinet finish.
First a brief primer on drawer handle pulls. Basically you have two types, knob and handle. They can attach in different methods.
A lot of handles will have two tiny screw holes built into the outer flange. These are the easiest to install.
For chunkier flush mount pulls and single knobs they attach with a bolt through the back of the cabinet and then are threaded into the hardware. You’ll have to be much more careful when drilling the holes for this.
The first step of any job is prep work. You’ll need a couple different sized drill bits, so picking up a drill index is a good idea. You won’t need a full-blown index you can accomplish everything you need with a selection off bits ranging from ¼ to ½ inch.
Make sure the bits are sharp. The last thing you want is to risk the bit walking across the cabinet surface or splintering the wood.
For the screw in type handle the installation is really simple. Just mark where the screws are going. Tap in a pilot hole about a third of the way through the cabinet face and sink in the screws.
The bolt in handles will take a bit more time and prep work.
A single bolt knob is the next step up in complexity. For this you’ll need to measure from the rim of the knob to the center of the bolt hole. This will be your drill offset.
Place a piece of tape over the cabinet face where you’ll be installing the knob. Now trace around the perimeter of the knob. Take your off set measurement to mark where the center of the bolt hole is.
Use the ¼ inch drill bit to zip in a pilot hole. Be sure to drill from front to back, I know it’s counter intuitive, but this way if you do have any splintering it will be on the inside of the cabinet.
Now just move up drill bit sizes until you get to a size just large enough to sink the bolt through the door.
Remove the tape, shoot home the bolt and tighten the knob to it.
The most complex door pull will have two bolts. The basic principal is the same.
Apply tape
Measure the offset
Trace the handle.
Mark the tape.
Drill the pilot hole then move up in size until you reach bolt size.
The only difference in attachment is you’ll be tightening the bolt from the back of the cabinet.
So what size drill bit to use for cabinet knobs is a bit of a misnomer. You’ll need quite a few different sizes to achieve a sleek professional look.