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There's a Better Way Video Tips

Build a Simple Jig to Drill Cabinet-Handle Holes Perfectly

Learn a foolproof way to locate and drill handle holes in cabinet drawers or doors.

By Chuck Miller

If you have a kitchen full of cabinets that need door and drawer pulls, you could measure them all individually and hope you get it right, but there’s a better way.

Mark from Santa Cruz, Calif., has devised a simple jig that allows him to be completely accurate and do the job very quickly. The jig is simply a piece of 1/4-in. plywood with a slot at the top that allows him to locate the center of the drawer, and it’s laid out so that different drawer depths can be done with the same jig. We locate the center point of our drawer front, lay the slot in the jig right on the mark, and just hold it in place as we drill the holes for the drawer handle. The beauty of this jig is that it can be turned sideways and used for the cabinet doors as well. The jig is made in such a way that the side of the jig can be aligned with the top of the cabinet door to locate holes for door pulls or handles.

Mark, that’s a great tip. Thank you so much for sending it in.

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View Comments

  1. sammbard | Dec 21, 2013 07:05am | #1

    Love it! I did something very similar in the last kitchen I did. The only thing that makes it better is to tape over all unused holes with blue tape and only do one size drawer face at a time. That will minimize the chance of drilling through the wrong holes. Great tip

  2. richardi | Dec 23, 2013 05:22pm | #2

    How about a tip on making the jig?

  3. somefun | Dec 28, 2013 11:30am | #3

    A template or measurements (vertical mounting specs) would be awesome!

  4. BobboMax | Dec 30, 2013 03:08pm | #4

    There are comparable templates available commercially- plastic, of course, but with lots of options as to pattern spacing and location. Cheap enough it's not worth making them, in general.

    http://www.homedepot.com/s/cabinet+template?NCNI-5

  5. somefun | Dec 31, 2013 12:22pm | #5

    Thanks for the link!

  6. Fonzie777 | Nov 06, 2016 08:33am | #6

    Aw, I'm reminded how much I miss these CM videos - I just put

  7. Fonzie777 | Nov 06, 2016 08:34am | #7

    and pulls on this week - my jig wasn't this ingenious

  8. jeremiahschwenger | Nov 06, 2016 10:44am | #8

    I sure miss the chuck Miller videos. He would always have a great April fools video!

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