What size drill bit for cabinet knobs?

If you’ve decided to renovate your kitchen, then you’re probably fed up with looking for new hardware, what finish to put on the front of the cabinet, and so on. One thing you need to know though is what size bit to use for cabinet knobs. The last thing you want to do with those new cabinet doors is damage them. There are just a few tricks you need to get the job done right without risking the cabinet’s finish.

First, a brief introduction to drawer handle pulls. You basically have two types, knob and pull. They can be attached in different methods.

Many handles will have two small screw holes built into the outer flange. These are the easiest to install.

For thicker flush mount pulls and individual knobs, they are attached with a bolt through the back of the cabinet and then threaded into the hardware. You will have to be much more careful when drilling the holes for this.

The first step of any job is the prep work. You’ll need a couple of different size bits, so choosing a drill rate is a good idea. You won’t need a full index, you can achieve everything you need with a selection of bits ranging from ¼ to ½ inch.

Make sure the tips are sharp. The last thing you want is to risk the bit walking across the surface of the cabinet or chipping the wood.

For the screw type handle, the installation is really simple. Just mark where the screws go. Punch in a pilot hole about a third of the way through the face of the cabinet and drive in the screws.

The bolt on handles will take a bit more time and prep work.

A single bolt knob is the next step in complexity. For this you will need to measure from the edge of the knob to the center of the bolt hole. This will be your drilling offset.

Place a piece of masking tape over the face of the cabinet where you will install the knob. Now trace around the perimeter of the knob. Take your offset measurement to mark where the center of the bolt hole is.

Use the ¼-inch drill bit to close a pilot hole. Be sure to drill from front to back, I know it’s counter intuitive, but this way if you have any chips they’ll be on the inside of the cabinet.

Now simply increase the size of the bits until you get to a size large enough to sink the bolt through the door.

Remove the tape, put the bolt in place and tighten the knob.

The most complex door handle will have two bolts. The basic principle is the same.

apply tape

measure displacement

Trace the handle.

Mark the tape.

Drill the pilot hole and then scale up to the bolt size.

The only difference in the connection is that you will be tightening the bolt from the back of the cabinet.

So what size bit to use for cabinet knobs is a bit of a misnomer. You’ll need quite a few different sizes to achieve a sleek, professional look.