Simple, Clean Door Pulls

At the close of every project, I'm left with a few scraps here and there and in an effort to organize my shop, I've been able to build several cabinets out of these extras. I use these cabinets to store all my shop stuff, from tools to stain. I like closed cabinets as opposed to open shelving as sawdust goes everywhere and doors and drawers do a great job of blocking a lot of that out.

For me, I really want to spend time in a creative space, so making these cabinets look nice is really important. I love the traditional look of the old woodworking shops and I took a lot of notes from those when making my cabinets. I also like to add hints of modern style to things of old. This is where the pulls come in.

Step 1: All the Tools

For the pulls, I used scrap alder, but you can use anything.

The rest is all hand tools.

Step 2: Selecting, Shaping and Cutting

I chose to cut around the knots as the knots could make things difficult during the installation.

My pulls are 1.25" deep, 1" wide and 4" long.

I used a straight edge to make my angle. This is mainly just guessing by what feels right.

Once my lines are marked, I use my vise and plane the sides to the marking line.

After the pieces are shaped, I cut them down using my homemade miter box. I'm using it backwards that you traditionally would because I'm using a pull saw and I need the fence on my side to help eliminate blowout.

Step 3: Installation

I found a door and drawer hardware marking kit at Home Depot a while back. This helps me keep my holes consistent. I use an awl to mark the location to drill.

http://thd.co/1JPkCoL

When drilling, I clamp a sacrificial piece to the back of the door to eliminate blowout as I drill through.

I then hold up the handle in the position I want and drill in with washer head screws. Kreg screws are great because they are self tapping. The self tapping essentially drills a pilot hole for me so I don't crack the handle.

Easy enough. Hope you enjoyed the process.