Installing Cabinet Hardware (How-to guide)
Oct/31/08 04:01 AM
In this post I will attempt to unravel the mystery of
where to drill for cabinet hardware. Fact of the
matter is, there is no "right" way considering there
are so many variables. Cabinet hardware comes in
enough varieties and styles to make your head spin.
Cabinet doors are equally diverse, further making the
"single method" even more elusive. Mix in a little
"personal preference" with that and all of a sudden
you have the same dumbfounded look on your face as I
did when I began this project.
During my research, I came across a guide that told me to measure up (or down if on a lower cabinet) 2.5" and over 1.5" and drill the hole for the knob. Had I done that I would be purchasing new cabinet doors, or filling a bunch of ugly holes in the face of my cabinets. This method would have worked fine if I had flat faced cabinets, but most of us have recessed panels making it a little more difficult. The point of this is that everyone's cabinets are different and following this guide could leave you in a situation similar to what I just described. There is just no substitution for good ol' fashioned thinkin'.
That being said, let's start with a simple cabinet knob. I took a ruler (a tape measure is a little too bulky and inaccurate for this job) and measured the width of the door's stile and divided that in half to find the center line (A) then I moved the knob around on this line until I found the location height-wise that I liked which happened to be on the same line as the top of the rail (B). You might be inclined to make the height the same as your horizontal measurement, but I wouldn't recommend this unless it is a square door. In art-school we learned about an artistic principle called "visual weight" which by varying the height you can create visual weight and interest. That is the reason most cabinet makers install knobs this way, weather they know of this principle or just think it looks pretty, just know that there is a reason. Take our cabinet door design for example (C) it is a typical craftsman design, having longer panels at the bottom creates visual weight, therefore I want to mirror the effect by placing the knob so that it's placement accentuates the visual weight of the door. For the lower cabinets I just moved the same measurements to the top of the door (D).
Here is a good tip: Put a piece of painter's tape on the door and mark the location on the tape. This serves two purposes, first it allows you to mark a measurement on a door that may be painted or stained too dark to otherwise see your mark. Second it keeps the drill bit from slipping when you drill the hole.
After that I double-checked my measurements (a VERY important step) then drilled the holes. When drilling remember not to "force" the drill, doing so may result in splintering on the backside of the door, just let the drill do the work.
Then I screwed in the hardware and that was it.
Check back for the next post on how to install Bin Pulls.
During my research, I came across a guide that told me to measure up (or down if on a lower cabinet) 2.5" and over 1.5" and drill the hole for the knob. Had I done that I would be purchasing new cabinet doors, or filling a bunch of ugly holes in the face of my cabinets. This method would have worked fine if I had flat faced cabinets, but most of us have recessed panels making it a little more difficult. The point of this is that everyone's cabinets are different and following this guide could leave you in a situation similar to what I just described. There is just no substitution for good ol' fashioned thinkin'.
That being said, let's start with a simple cabinet knob. I took a ruler (a tape measure is a little too bulky and inaccurate for this job) and measured the width of the door's stile and divided that in half to find the center line (A) then I moved the knob around on this line until I found the location height-wise that I liked which happened to be on the same line as the top of the rail (B). You might be inclined to make the height the same as your horizontal measurement, but I wouldn't recommend this unless it is a square door. In art-school we learned about an artistic principle called "visual weight" which by varying the height you can create visual weight and interest. That is the reason most cabinet makers install knobs this way, weather they know of this principle or just think it looks pretty, just know that there is a reason. Take our cabinet door design for example (C) it is a typical craftsman design, having longer panels at the bottom creates visual weight, therefore I want to mirror the effect by placing the knob so that it's placement accentuates the visual weight of the door. For the lower cabinets I just moved the same measurements to the top of the door (D).
Here is a good tip: Put a piece of painter's tape on the door and mark the location on the tape. This serves two purposes, first it allows you to mark a measurement on a door that may be painted or stained too dark to otherwise see your mark. Second it keeps the drill bit from slipping when you drill the hole.
After that I double-checked my measurements (a VERY important step) then drilled the holes. When drilling remember not to "force" the drill, doing so may result in splintering on the backside of the door, just let the drill do the work.
Then I screwed in the hardware and that was it.
Check back for the next post on how to install Bin Pulls.