Making shop handles for draws

Rob Keeble

Member
Messages
12,633
Location
GTA Ontario Canada
Well my finger cuticles are tired of being beaten up each time i go to open a draw in my shop especially in winter when your hands dry out. I made the sets of draws but never got round to handles.

Was going to put inserts in to hold them and did make a couple that way but having now been there done that and got the T shirt i decided Dons advice was the best. Screw them on. Besides inserts are expensive and these are meant to be cheap handles.:)

Here is a shot of the first prototype. After my experience with the red oak i decided to use cherry scraps i had lying around.first off handle prototype.jpg
handle prototype mounted.jpg

So i had made the prototype last night then got to thinking while in bed this is no way to go. All i had been doing is cutting on the bandsaw and using round drill mounted sander to smooth it all out. Did not look good and too much dust.

So this morning i woke up with a bee in my bonnet and got out to the shop with a sketch i had done on a piece of paper to make a jig to rout out the inner and outer edge on a template to get consistency and make it unneccessary to cut so carefully on the bandsaw.

Here is the jig and the process i used. Lots to change if i did it again but hey this was meant to be quick and nasty and on the fly.

The first wake up call i had was that the router bit i had with the bearing on had the bearing at the top rather than the bottom. I found that out after cleaning up and moving my grinder which sits on the router table normally.:(

Thought of a quick trip to the store to get one but then decided that would be half my day wasted. Instead i decided on a patter jig but doing it as a flush cut with the router in my hand.

So here is the improvised jig
jig in action mounted on new workbench.jpg

What i did was layout the handle and cut the template side of the jig

Designed the jig to hold the block of wood.
16 blocks to be turned in to handles.jpg
Used the jig to mark out the cut then cut it out on the bandsaw and place the block back in the jig.handle routing jig.jpg

Use the jig now to rout the cut side smooth as a flush cut with the bearing running on the bottom of the template. block fits in jig.jpg

mark out one side of block.jpg

Then reverse the jig and insert the block now with the cut out resting in the jig.
jiig for outer side of handle.jpg

Then first use the jig again to mark out and then cut out on the bandsaw.

At this stage if forgot to get a picture of the cut handle in the jig for routing the outer edge so i put a finished handle in to show how i did it.
jig used to smooth edges after cutting with bs.jpg
This was not the greatest method since i had to use a small clamp on one edge to hold the handle there and could only route one side. Then loosen and flip. and router the other half.

After all that i rounded over the edges with a roundover bit mounted in the router table and used the edge of the handle for the bearing to run on. Worked very well and much safer.

Next time i go and get a straight bit with a bearing to be able to use the router table.

After i had done with rounding over the edges i took a sheet of sandpaper and used spray adhesive and mounted it to a scrap piece of mdf. Then clamped it on the jointer table and flattened out the ends of the handles which had quiet a bit of tear out to clean up.

Here is all finished and sanded 16 handles.
16 new handles.jpg
Have fitted 8 so far then called it a day.

Made lots of noise and sawdust just to aggravate the NN ran the planner, jointer drill, router, radio and air cleaner. I hope they were standing outside in the cold listening:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Bottom line is I had fun in my shop for a change and its nice and warm in there with my heater.
 
Rob your post couldn't have come at a better time for me. I have to make 20 handles for the new tool chest I am building to handle the overflow of hand tools I have. Thanks for the tutorial. You gave me some great ideas.
 
Great design for a comfortable looking handle on shop drawers. I get almost as much pleasure in building furniture and fixtures for the shop as the house. Bet you are enjoying your great new shop.:thumb:
 
Looks like it worked great, Rob. I think I might have approached it a bit differently, depending on the lumber available. When you mentioned a jig, I was envisioning something to make one of these, which could then be sliced up to make a batch of handles...

Drawer Pull Blank.jpg
 
Rob your post couldn't have come at a better time for me. I have to make 20 handles for the new tool chest I am building to handle the overflow of hand tools I have. Thanks for the tutorial. You gave me some great ideas.

You are welcome Kevin. Just beware some of my jig is pretty dangerous. I did not show but i could only do the outer edge one half at a time and had to clamp the left hand side to the jig to do it. Remember i was using a rounter from the top. Not the safest method but again i was in a hurry.

Wayb to go Rob... is that a stealth gloat on using your new bench..:D

Hey Don I thought of that after the event. Wanted to show you i do use it.:rofl::rofl:

Looks like a ton of fun Rob! And some darn nice handles!

Thanks Brent they were fun and came out better than i had imagined they would. Of course having got them to that state i wanted better. :dunno: The quest.

Great design for a comfortable looking handle on shop drawers. I get almost as much pleasure in building furniture and fixtures for the shop as the house. Bet you are enjoying your great new shop.:thumb:

I do too. My most inspiration comes from Stu in Japan. He rejuvinated me to do what i used to do when i was younger and make my own. I priced out cheap handles and decide nah i can make me and enjoy making them and not lay out a penny. And Larry you hit it right I think yesterday i enjoyed my shop cause i also know the NN cannot do anything anymore.:D:thumb:

Looks like it worked great, Rob. I think I might have approached it a bit differently, depending on the lumber available. When you mentioned a jig, I was envisioning something to make one of these, which could then be sliced up to make a batch of handles...

View attachment 41684

Vaughn dang, I knew there had to be an easier way. Why did i not ask.:eek::huh: Oh well next time. But that would have been far too simple for a person like me who likes to complicate things.:rofl::rofl: Hey would not have been half the fun or risk.;)

Well, well, well... It seems that you're getting some work done Rob! :thumb::thumb::thumb:
It is clear that all you needed is your fantastic bench:thumb::thumb::)

Ah Toni the bench certainly helped but passing the fire inspection was a big boost. You cannot imagine what a damper dealing with my NN has been to my shop. They took the shine right out of going in there. Passed that now though. They just have to lump it.:D:thumb:
 
Top