Cabinet handles

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Hi
I have loads of cabinet handles to put onto cabinets and I have purchased a jig which doesn't appear to be square, I have tried adjusting it (its cheap but had good reviews etc) to no avail.

When I set it up and draw a line, I can see from using a square that it is not at 90 degree which is disappointing. I have tried using masking tape to level it but to no avail.

Is there a tool that is likely to work for this or is there another way of doing this easily. I was really hoping this would work but just isn't doing it.

How does everyone do these? Masking tape and a square? Going to take a while.
 
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I use a small piece of say 6mm MDF about say 150mm x 50mm

Just mark a line across to show top of bottom of door
then another 2 lines for the handle holes.

on the other side of the mdf, put 3 lines to show the width of the door stiles and the centre.


It takes a few seconds to mark each door.



If you want to get a bit more sophisticated, use 2 bits of mdf and screw a little batten on each to act as a stop.



If the doors arent on the cabinets make awfully sure you put the holes in the right place -bottm for wall cabinets, top for base cabinets
 
I have a Hafele jig... but I also make up MDF/thin plywood and softwood lath (batten) jigs. For a one off handle a combination square can be very handy
 
my biggest problem here is I need to drill hole on the front face which is (I think which is 2mm) and then drill the hole for the handle on the reverse to stop knackering the finish. The holes on the actual handles are 4mm (fish). I have worked out that the distance between the two holes in 210mm.

The tool that I purchased has holes on it which you can mark but these are around 6mm in diameter

Trying to mark the hole in the first instance is the tricky bit, I am using a braddel but this is not 6mm (more like 3mm) so there is a chance of miss alignment there. Can you purchase braddles in different thicknesses?

Once I have the mark then I need to make sure the drill goes through straight which is another variable, then drill back through.

Too many chances of getting this wrong at the moment
 
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Was thinking of a No 6 nail to get the centre of the hole?
 
I was looking at the Hafele jig but not too sure it can cope with 210mm centres
 
OK I tried the tool again using one drill movement from the front. Holes are good issue is the top one (or the bottom one) are not square and out around 4mm

This jig is total crap, emailed the vendor and they are going to send a replacement but I don't hold up much hope for this one being any different. Im going to see what I have mdf wise and see what I can make. I've got like, 42 to put on hence my concerns
 
Clamp an offcut of plywood or MDF to the back of the door - that way you won't get amy blow out

Drilling straIght is partly a matter of practice, although the 6mm hole combined with the mushroom heads of the screws gives you a bit of leeway. Try using a square to eye up if your drilling is square
 
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Nothing usual about this blooming kitchen I tell ya
 

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I made a cardboard template when I drilled mine, mark pilot holes using template then remove and drill to suit the handle taking precautions to prevent breakout etc. Cardboard edges ran along sides and top/bottom of door to make sure all remained square.
 
OK I have got a new jig from the supplier, what I am finding though is the holes that I am drilling (test ones) are not going in straight and there is no wiggle room. The drill bit I am using is I think a 4.5mm and the screws are 4mm so I think I need a 4.8mm or a 5mm bit (the holes on the jig are 5mm so can't really go bigger than that really.

What would the best type bit be for drilling through an mdf painted (wrapped) cabinet door, do they have a name?
 
I find the best type of drill to use in wood for small diameter holes (say from 3 to 7 or 8mm) is a brad point twist bit:
ae235.jpeg.jpg

With small diameter drill bits you often need to withdraw the bit part way through clear swarf from the drill. They ideally should be run at 500 to 1000rpm because at too high a speed they can clog up and scorch. Unlike auger bits, which have a screw thread nose, these bits do not pull themselves into the material, so you need to press lightly to advance them into the work piece. Do not confuse this type of drill bit with a metal worker's twist bit. The brad point bit drills a much truer hole in fibrous materials because it follows the point. They are cheap as chips from Toolstation (who are doing a clearance at the moment on cheapies) or Screwfix - so cheap, in fact, that they aren't worth sharpening. Above about 8mm (5/16in) auger bits perform better in wood providing you don't run them at too high a speed.

If you can't get a straight hole with one of those that often indicates a problem with the user technique, not the jig or the drill bit. Can you drill a perpendicular hole in a piece of MDF, chipboard or even OSB?

There is no reason why you couldn't use the jig as a marking jig to make, say, 3mm pilot holes a few millimetres deep using a metal twist drill, then remove the jig and use a brad point twist bit to finish the hole off to the required diameter. This might not be a bad idea as ideally you want to clamp a backer board onto the back of the door to minimise blow out. It also allows you to check how perpendicular you are drilling with a square
 
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