Ideas for shop-made drawer pulls

Have you thought about using the end of your tablesaw as a router station. you can than use your T/S fence on the router table.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

Hesed, I did something similar on one of my workbenches. However, before crosscutting I also routed a groove (using a small cove bit) in both sides to give an indent to grip on to. I also crosscutted on the 45 to minimize any catches.

-- I'm a wood magician... I can turn fine lumber into firewood before your very eyes! - http://www.woodworkersguide.com

I did something similar on my miter saw bench. I put small drawers in the wings and to create the pulls I simply routed a cove in 3/4 oak offcuts, ripped off 1” strips and crosscut them into 5” lengths.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Be creative. You can have fun with this and make something unique

-- making sawdust....

I did mine like that…but route the cove first, then rip it out on the TS. You have better control of your hand held router on wide boards.

Some of us have also used copper wire and/or copper flashing. Get some heavy stuff, weave it, braid it, hammer it. Makes for some unique rustic pulls.

Iron rod is cheap too, just harder to manipulate.

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

Great ideas, all. I knew you guys would come through.

Grumpy, yeah I’ve considered that but the router I have isn’t actually even mine. I’ll get my own at some point and probably go that route (da bum ching). But just getting started, I have to scrounge together anything I can.

Dadoo, assuming I route a cove before ripping, I would only have the cove on one side (the bottom), correct?

Does anyone have a thought on how to safely route a cove on both sides with a hand-held router? If I can’t make that work I’m sure the one side would probably be sufficient.

Thanks again guys!

If you have an Ikea nearby go buy the 6 pack for a $1.99 handles. Even if you have to order longer Metric screws from Fastenal you will come out way ahead. As a FYI the screws that come with them are good for 1/2” and 3/4” thickness. After that you have to order screws from some where unless you can find a local place that sells metric screws. I am using M4 .7×40 MM for drawers that are 1/2” box with a 3/4” front. For 3/4” boxes and 3/4” fronts you will need 45MM length screws. While looking at the latest McFeely’s catalog I came across these screws that would work in the 1/2” box 3/4” drawer front applications and would be truss head vs pan and much cheaper than Fastenal. Hope this helps. Btw you can see the pulls in my Miter Bench and Storage Project. There are 20 handles in the project that cost me $8 plus another 12$ for screws. I am still way ahead here IMHO.

-- //FC - Round Rock, TX - "Experience is what you get just after you need it"

Yeah, what I did to keep mine simple (and cheap) was to route a cove in a 4 foot piece of pine. (The cove gives your fingers a place to pull from.) Then rip it to a 2” wide piece. Then rip another 1” wide piece. Glue those together…you’ll have a handle 4’ long now. When the glue is dry crosscut your handles to whatever length you desire. Then screw them to the drawer front. Can’t get much cheaper than that.

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

Aaaaah, I see. Good thinking. Thanks!