Making Wooden Drawer Handles

Posted 22 November 2013

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In this video, Paul shows how to make your own handles that can be used for drawer pulls. They are fixed into the front of the drawer using a tenon and then wedged and glued to hold them firm. This design and the techniques can be adjusted to make all types of handles.

Previous: Tool Chest Episode: 16

41 Comments

  6. The chisel only method for chopping the mortise works, but it seems kind of like the bore and pare method might have worked out a little more conveniently on the already assembled drawer. That way you don’t have to lean out to get the mallet on the back end. Would this work as well, or does it introduce worse problems?

    1. David,

      I’m very much looking forward to veneering too. I’m relatively new to the site (a bit over 2 months now) so I’ve been taking the classes as they come and playing catch-up so I haven’t given much thought to what’s ahead. Now that Paul responded that he would be covering veneer in a future class he’s piqued my interest and has me wondering just what he has in store for us. Paul has been doing this long enough that I’m sure he knows precisely what’s coming well in advance and perhaps all the way through. Still, its so exciting to fantasize about the kind of things a real craftsman like Paul can and will teach us in the months and years to come. I’m definitely in for the long-haul!!!!

    1. Good Day Paul Sellers and crew. I find your teaching style most helpful for me. I have joined a few online woodworking classes but keep coming back to your channel as your instruction and technique are presented and recorded very well.

      I too would like to see your method of making and installing cock-beading on drawer fronts. Please also address if wood movement is an concern if I choose to use a complementary or contrasting species for the cock-bead. Thank you in advance.

    1. Hi Bobbie, How is the house building going. Always build the workshop first. Oh, my hands haven’t cracked in three decades but they still get frazzled from time to time. I think they look worse than they are.
      Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.. We are having ours tomorrow.

  12. I am planning on making another smaller writing box for veneering and inlaying in the new year. It will be a smaller version of the tool chest; about a quarter size. I used to sell them as special jewellery boxes back in Texas and made them from mesquite with mesquite burl veneers i made and then i used holly and ebony for the inlays and such. Used to sell them starting at $1200 and up, but that’s over 20 years ago.

    1. Hi Paul. I should have searched on ‘veneer’ before leaving my post on future projects – sorry. I had suggested a tea chest as a way to get into veneering and inlay / banding (and because my niece is a big tea drinker). A small writing or jewelry box would also be an enjoyable challenge for us, and a vehicle to explore design and some advanced techniques. Maybe even some classic techniques, such as hide-glue for the veneer. It is becoming generally available again, and at a reasonable price.

  13. Bonus video? Nice surprise on a Friday, thank you Paul. The wedged tenon punches above it’s weight when it comes to strength. I’ve used them on a little softwood, three-legged stool and they haven’t budged.

  14. Paul, as usual, you make everything look easy. I’m hoping that I will be able to make some of your projects when our kitchen renovation is complete. Some of your techniques have been put to use already in the kitchen project. Marking out, sawing, and chiseling, openings for a few electrical boxes in the cabinets is good practice even though great accuracy is not needed.

    Your videos are very instructive and I look forward to each new one.

  16. Oh that was a nice finishing touch, that really adds to the project. In my opinion adds a flair to the project without having to use a “manufactured” handle which at times looks to commercialized. I have really enjoyed this project very much.

    Thanks for sharing this !

    Steve

  17. Paul, What a lovely design for this drawer pull. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and for selflessly sharing your designs with us. I appreciate that there are many woodworkers/designers who are quite protective of their intellectual property and its generous of you to allow us to use your various designs for our private woodworking endeavours.

    I did want to ask what you thought of the idea of securing the post with a half-blind dovetail such that the end grain would not be visible at all from the front? I think your design is quite elegant and the dovetail adds and accent, but for variety’s sake or merely for a personal aesthetic preference, do you think a half-blind would be strong enough in such an application? Thanks in advance for your reply if you can manage one. I’d be happy to hear the thoughts of my peers as well.

    1. Half-laps work well too. I have done that too.
      I can’t say it was influenced by anyone or any sphere. I just thought I’d make hand made handles one day and did it. I have dozens of designs based basically on the tenon-through theme. I have another handle I like that I will post on my Blog one of these days.

    2. Erik,

      I suppose you probably saw it and are looking for a more in depth discussion of finishing, but Paul has talked about a Shellac finish (one of my personal favorites for several reasons). If you haven’t seen it I think its talked about in one the Dovetail Caddy #5 video, great stuff. You’re not alone in looking forward to a detailed discussion of Paul’s knowledge of finishing techniques as well. My only wish at this point is that Paul would have started his Masterclasses in the early days of the internet. I can only imagine how much I could have learned from him by now.

      Respectfully,

      Damien

  20. I’ve just made a drawing of these for an assignment where I was supposed to include drawer handles. I’ve no doubt it will come back with a note that it would take ‘too long’ to make and I should just get a metal handle from a catalogue next time, but it was more interesting…

  21. This was great. I just made a smaller box with drawers to store my brace bits. I couldn’t find any hardware I liked for the drawer pulls, then I thought, “I wonder what Paul did on the tool chest.” This will work perfectly for my smaller box. However, since the drawer fronts are only 1/4″ thick, I’ll probably screw the pulls on with a couple of screws from the inside. Not sure there’s enough meat there for a wedged tenon to make sense.

  22. The best thing you have taught me is that if you will slow down and make the next cut as accurately as you can, it will save you time. You will not have to revisit it, compensate for it or work around it. You move to the next step making constant progress. If you keep saying that’s close enough………it’s not.

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