Cabinet/Drawer Knob Advice

[donnercruz]

I have a honey-do project, to turn about 15 cabinet/drawer knobs for a new cabinet we have. What I want to make is a knob with a threaded insert to mount them using machine screws. I found the inserts at Rockler, so I'm covered there. What I'm trying to figure out is the best way to go about producing the knobs. From what I've read, drilling and putting in the inserts can be a little finicky, so I'm thinking that doing that before turning might be the best option. I was thinking of creating a screw chuck using a machine screw to mount the knobs on the lathe. I figure if I glue the inserts into the blanks, and am gentle while turning this might work. Is there a better way than this that I haven't considered? Any other ideas or things I should add to the process I've described?

 

[Dick Sowa]

I turned a dozen knobs last year, but I didn't use threaded inserts. Instead, I used a thread box, and threaded a hunk of 1/2" oak dowel and glued it into a drilled hole in the knob. Then I tapped the drawer front, and screwed the knob in that way. I copied the idea from an antique I restored, that had lasted 100 years. Mine seems to be rock solid.

I turned the knobs from a blank I chucked into my Talon. I was able to get several knobs from one blank, using a parting tool to part them off as I finished each one. Then I set them into a friction fit recess in some scrap lumber, so they were rigid, and used my drill press to bore the holes for the threaded dowels.

Here's a picture of what they looked like.

 

[Ken Grunke]

I was thinking of creating a screw chuck using a machine screw to mount the knobs on the lathe. I figure if I glue the inserts into the blanks, and am gentle while turning this might work. Is there a better way than this that I haven't considered? Any other ideas or things I should add to the process I've described?

I think you are on the right track. Make your screw chuck with hard maple or other hard wood, and epoxy a screw with the head cut off into that. If you have a nice flat face for the knob blank to screw up tight against, it should hold quite well without any worries.

 

[Ed_McDonnell]

I have a honey-do project, to turn about 15 cabinet/drawer knobs for a new cabinet we have. What I want to make is a knob with a threaded insert to mount them using machine screws. I found the inserts at Rockler, so I'm covered there. What I'm trying to figure out is the best way to go about producing the knobs. From what I've read, drilling and putting in the inserts can be a little finicky, so I'm thinking that doing that before turning might be the best option. I was thinking of creating a screw chuck using a machine screw to mount the knobs on the lathe. I figure if I glue the inserts into the blanks, and am gentle while turning this might work. Is there a better way than this that I haven't considered? Any other ideas or things I should add to the process I've described?

I made a bunch of Knobs using a home made screw chuck. I turned a tenon on a short cylinder and stuck it in my chuck reduced it to a disk with a flat face. Drilled a hole using the lathe and screwed a wood screw through the disk from the back (used a little glue on the screw). Screw chuck done.

Drilled holes in the blanks, screwed them onto the screw chuck. Used tailstock for roughing anrd removed it to finish the knob. Used woodscrews (same size as used in screw chuck) to hold knob to drawers / doors.

Why bother with inserts?

Ed

 

[john lucas]

The first knobs I ever made I used an electric drill mounted to my workbench and an L shaped wooden tool rest clamped to the bench. I put a screw with the head cut off in the chuck, screwed the knob on and started cutting. Well OK scraping, I had no idea you could actually cut with a tool.
Years later I needed to make more so what I do now is just drill a hole through a waste block. I screw the screw through this hole and with the head still on and apply some CA glue as it's going in to hold it in place. Then I just screw the knob to this and turn it.
Threaded inserts can split the wood so do a test and find the right size hole to drill. Then put some clamps on the wood to keep lit from splitting and screw the insert in. I use a home made insert tool in my drill press to make sure it's going in square. I simply took a bolt of the right thread size and put 2 nuts on and locked them together. I put this in the drill press with the belt tension released. With a combination of pulling on the drill press levers and rotating the chuck by hand I can install the inserts perfecty square. This means I don't have to face off that end of the knob to get is square.

 

[Joe Greiner]

I think you're exactly on the right track, with placing the inserts first, and using the machine screw for alignment. The machine screw inserts will allow re-tightening, which will eventually be needed, and/or tidy replacement.

Not yet mentioned (I think): The inserts will work better in cross-grain turning. Any fastener in end-grain has questionable purchase, and will fail much sooner.

Joe

 

[john lucas]

I find the screw in fasteners work very well in endgrain. The press in ones don't hold as well and will eventually loosen. I've used a lot of these things when making jigs for the shop so I get to see how they hold up over the years. In softer woods start the insert and then put some thin CA on the threads and wood and then finish inserting it. This makes it hold even better.

 

[robo hippy]

First thing I ever turned. I mount with a screw through the back side of the drawer face. I made a mandril out of hard maple, then while it was in the chuck, through drilled it from the tailstock, took it out of the chuck and used a morticing machine to drill from the other side, remounted in the chuck,turned the nose of it down to the base size of the drawer pull, inserted the proper screw into the recess from the morticing machine (with the head of the screw still on), and epoxied it into place. Works fine. I do wax the screw before mounting any block, it makes getting it off and on a lot easier.
robo hippy