Attaching home made drawer handles.

[Amateur]

Hi All,
New to the forum.
Have been making bits and bobs in my retirement, and I have a question for the forum members.
I have made a small chest with three drawers. I have also produced some drawer pulls from 20mm square section, about 80mm long.
How should I mount them?
By this I mean should I just use a screw through a clearance hole through the drawer front, into a pilot hole in the handle.
Or somehow find some threaded inserts, like the ones on bought beech handles that are glued into (I presume) the handle and attached by SS threaded screws, through the drawer front.
The timber is spalted beech, and some of the wood is not as robust as normal timber( because of the spalting.)
I am also struggling to find suitable inserts.
Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Jacob]

If there's room in the handles I'd use 12 mm dowel. Blind hole in the drawer front with a 1mm bleed hole to let the glue out and they'll be stuck forever.
Screws are tricky - once loosened they may never stay tight again. Use short fat ones if you have to, no 12s - more grip inside the pilot hole

 

[marcros]

i wouldnt use them for this job, but the threaded inserts are available from screwfix. They call them "insert nuts" there. This is the cheapest place that i have found for them, although if not local to you, ebay might be cheaper for having them posted.

I would go with the dowel idea if you can.

 

[Amateur]

Am I just putting glue on the dowels, or all along the handle back to stick the whole thing to the drawer?
Just a bit worried how to remove them if they got damaged or needed replacement.
Is this how custom furniture makers attach them?
Strange there isn't more info on the web as lots of people must make their own.?

 

[carlb40]

Am I just putting glue on the dowels, or all along the handle back to stick the whole thing to the drawer?
Just a bit worried how to remove them if they got damaged or needed replacement.
Is this how custom furniture makers attach them?
Strange there isn't more info on the web as lots of people must make their own.?

If the knob gets damaged i would cut it off with fine cut saw. But protect the draw front with a credit card or similar. Then scrape/sand as needed. Fit new handle.

 

[Jacob]

......
Just a bit worried how to remove them if they got damaged or needed replacement.
Is this how custom furniture makers attach them?.....

I turn my own knobs with their own dowels (1/2" spigot etc) and they are firmly stuck forever. If they needed replacing (never ever happens) I'd saw them off, plane up and fix new ones the same way

 

[Benchwayze]

Dowels are the way to go.
For insurance, drive wedges from the inside of the drawer. They won't come out unless the glue fails.
If you don't want to see the dowel ends, bore blind-holes, and squeeze the dowels home onto a wedge with a 'G' Cramp, or a one-handed cramp.

HTH

 

[Amateur]

Ok dowels it is...
Thanks a lot for the help....

 

[Benchwayze]

Ok dowels it is...
Thanks a lot for the help....

Don't forget to provide a means for any excess glue to escape, if you use a blind hole. 8)

 

[Amateur]

I have got the Knobs handles doweled and ready to install....
sorry to now ask
Should I glue them and then finish
or
try and mask off and try to finish..
will be using poly finish with a brush.
Thanks
sorry for being a pain!!!

 

[Jacob]

If in doubt have a go on some scrap. Practice, practice! Everybody else has to - woodworkers aren't exempt.

 

[Benchwayze]

I have got the Knobs handles doweled and ready to install....
sorry to now ask
Should I glue them and then finish
or
try and mask off and try to finish..
will be using poly finish with a brush.
Thanks
sorry for being a pain!!!

If you turn your own, finish them on the lathe, before parting off. That's how you would usually buy them; finished and ready to put on the job. Best of luck.