Drawer pull: Wood choice and fabrication suggestions wanted

[Paul F Franklin]

Hi All,

For my office remodel project I'm leaning toward drawer and door pulls like this:

430355

The desks and cabinets will be shaker-ish, frame and panel with inset flat panels, all in cherry. I know these aren't classic shaker pulls, but frankly that's the part of shaker furniture I never really cared for. But I like the look of the one in the pic; not sure whether I saw it here or on the web somewhere.

Looking for wood suggestions for the pull and hints/suggestions on how to fabricate them. I'll need to make about 40 of them, give or take, so need a semi-production method.

For the wood, wenge seems a reasonable choice. I've never worked with it myself, but I've read it can be kind of hard to machine and work with. True? Other wood suggestions? I could always stain something I guess.

What about fabrication? I don't have a shaper, but have a router table and most common woodworking tools. One thought would be to turn a cylinder and then make a sled to slice it lengthwise on the bandsaw. Then hog away the waste for the notches (somehow) before slicing off individual pulls. I can't really tell from the pic if the part of the pull that sticks into the recess is thinned down to provide a place to grab, but it seems like a good idea. That would be another step.

One issue with that approach is the grain wouldn't run side to side. I suppose I could glue up the blank for the cylinder out of a bunch of flats with the grain aligned rather than just getting a turning block....

I'd appreciate any suggestions!

[Dan Cameron]

You might make the pull out of two pieces, the back being thinner to provide relief for the fingers. Before forming any curve, glue the two pieces together and drill a pilot hole for the mounting screw. Make a curved router template for use with a flush trim bit, perhaps using a screw through the mounting hole to attach the rough cut (bandsaw) piece to the template and trim to exact smooth arc.

[Dmitri Joukovski]

I don’t recommend using wenge for anything you will touch. Once I made a tea box out of wenge and birdeye maple following this plan https://www.finewoodworking.com/2018/05/16/dovetailed-tea-box-plan (https://www.finewoodworking.com/2018/05/16/dovetailed-tea-box-plan) and I really like the way it looks, but I am afraid to get a splinter every time I open it.
For a drawer pull I would use the darkest shade of walnut I can find.

[lowell holmes]

You might practice on oak or pine.

[Jamie Buxton]

Here's two pulls I've made like that.

430409

430410

Unlike you, I made only a few of each. The first pic was in a small chest with only four pulls. The second was a single drawer in an entry table. I hand carved the recesses, and made the pull parts one at a time. With 40 to make, you might do other things. Here's some thoughts..

Make the recess with a plunge router equipped with a template guide. Unlike mine, but more like your original post, the recess will have a flat bottom. Because you'd be using a template, you can make the recess any shape you like. You could do a circle like the OP, but you can do oval more like mine.

You do want to run the grain of the pull along the long direction of the pull, for strength. For mass production, I'd start with a wide board, and carve the curve on the back of the pull with that tablesaw technique where you slide the board sideways across the top of the blade. To make 40, you'll have to make multiple chunks of wide board. Then I'd cross cut the blank to make each of the pulls. After that, I'd shape them a bit on a sander. A stationary sander, like a belt sander clamped to the bench, would be good. You get to use two hands to hold the pull as you're shaping it. There's a perception trick here: the pulls don't have to be 100% identical. Folks will assume that they are, and never notice if they're a little different. That is, if you're hand-shaping the pulls, don't agonize over making them identical. Don't believe me? Look carefully at hand-turned legs on antique furniture. They're all over the place, and nobody notices -- except obsessive woodworkers.

To fasten the pull to the drawer front, just use glue. That's actually the most challenging part of the job. You want enough glue to make sure you get good bonding, but you need to remove all the squeeze-out. One helpful trick is the soda straw trick.

[Bill Dufour]

Walnut or oak fumed to as black as can be. I would make long sticks on the shaper and cut into lengths. Then mount to a angle plate and round off the edge on a bandsaw then a lathe. If no lathe a router table or sander will work. Even a hole saw and a jig would rough them out.
Bil lD

[Paul F Franklin]

Thanks all, a lot of good ideas here. Dmitri, thanks for warning about Wenge....read that it was splintery, but it didn't sink in....seems like walnut is the way to go. I think I have some old air dried walnut in my barn; will have to dig it out.

I like the idea of using a template and flush trim bit. I was thinking that routing might be a problem with the changing grain direction, but I think if I cut them very close to final dimension first it should be ok. If all else fails, I have one of those robo-sander things...like a flush trim bit but with a sanding sleeve.

Jamie, those are beautiful pulls! I especially like the scalloped recess.

Thanks again all!

[johnny means]

I would just trace those out onto a blank, rough cut on a bandsaw, then sand to finished shape on a disc sander. You should be able to knock these out in a couple of minute per, plus finish sanding. I can't see a whole lot of efficiencies to be gained from jigging things up.

[Dave Mount]

If the contrast is part of what appeals to you, I would not use walnut. The contrast will be lost over time, even if you choose a dark piece of walnut. Cherry darkens with time, walnut lightens. Walnut and cherry look so great together when freshly finished, but they lose the contrast over time, even to the extent that the walnut will be lighter if there's a fair amount of sunlight where the piece resides. You could ebonize the wood for the pull (black looks good with cherry), or use something whose color will be more durable. Might be a time to spring for some African blackwood for the pulls. . .

Best,

Dave

[Bill Dufour]

Will fumed oak or walnut lighten the color over time.
Bil lD