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Cabinet Knob Drilling Guides
Question
Forum Responses
From contributor F: I usually do something along the lines of what Contributor K does. Sometimes I just use a small adjustable square in one hand and a tape measure and awl in the other to mark the centers. I think everyone uses a scrap of wood to prevent splintering on the back side as you drill. An aluminum jig with adjustable drill bushings would be a handy tool though. I have a dedicated one to bore pilot holes for Blum faceframe plates and I like it. From contributor B: I use a Blum hinge machine to drill the doors for pulls before they go out the door. Also drill the drawer fronts before mounting on the cabinet. The Blum machine has a fence for set back and side stops for distance, what more could you want? From contributor F: It sounds efficient Bruce. I can’t remember any client ever having their pulls selected or purchased before I installed. From contributor T: To the original questioner: I think they have a pretty good drilling guide at the True 32 website. It has some hardened bushings to keep the bit from drifting and some self centering gizmos that will give you a lot of confidence in alignment. From contributor J: I would suggest checking out Sommerfeld Tools for woodworking. They have an excellent jig. I keep two of them and I'm sure you could make your own, but this one is quality and worth the money. From contributor B: To contributor F: I just don't finish the doors until they have decided. I drill before the last coat of finish. If I am not installing then I don't worry about, and I don't drill the holes. The Blum machine is very efficient; we drill for hinges then turn around and drill for pulls while we have the door in hand. From the original questioner: Contributor K - I'm curious as to what you found deficient in the guide you purchased and then sidelined. The True32 unit looks like the Bentley of guides, and priced similarly. I get $5 per pull to drill and install, which backs probably around 60% of clients out, but I guarantee the work. If I screw up placement it’s my nickel to fix. So a typical charge is $125-200 per kitchen. If I were doing a little more, I could justify the $325. Five or six jobs would pay for it, and then (assuming it works as stated) it should be cake. Recently I drilled and installed a kitchen with 28 doors and 9 drawers. I used a marking jig on the DF and freehand drilled. It took around an hour of total time. If that Bentley jig works, I can imagine the time cut in half, so in essence I doubled my wage. It's a small piece to a big puzzle, but amortized over time, it really could pay for itself, and that's a good thing.
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