# Jig for Edge Drawer Pull Inlays



## Troy_Utah (Jan 29, 2010)

Hi to all. I'm new to the forum and have not been able to find a post for what I'm looking for so if I missed it I apologize. 

I have kitchen cabinet drawer and door fronts I need to mount pulls to. 
The pulls are made of extruded aluminum, are 5 inches long, and sort of a J shape where the body of the J will be inlaid into the edge of the drawer or door, the top will "hook" around the back and have a couple small screws hold it to the drawer/door front, and the bottom will protrude from the front and is what you will actually pull on to open the drawer or door. The doors are a wood veneer slab type with matching wood edge banding and the body to be inlaid into the edge will remove enough edge banding material so the pull will inlay smooth on the edge.

I think a straight bit on a router will do a nice job for the inlay and it strikes me that a jig of some sort would help me to stabilize the router since I'm working on the 3/4 inch edge and also to get a perfect fit and avoid gaps. I'm having a hard time thinking of how to build a jig and the ideas I come up with seem overly complicated. Also, the drawer fronts are different sizes but all cut outs will be centered. On the door fronts, the cutout will be on the vertical edge and start about 1 inch up from the bottom.

Anyone done anything like this or have any ideas? Thanks a ton.

Troy
-Salt Lake City


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Welcome to the RouterForums Troy.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

Greetings Troy and welcome to the router forum. Thank you for joining us.


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## gav (Oct 12, 2009)

I'm having trouble visualizing exactly what you're doing, but it sounds like maybe a hinge mortising jig could work for you.
Milescraft - Universal Power Tool Attachments & Accessories - Router Door Mortising - Hinge Mortise Kit

Maybe if you could direct us to a picture of the 'pulls' on the net somewhere it would be easier.


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

Troy:

take some quad paper (the paper with the blue lines and little squares) and draw it out as best you can. We need to see this better. I'm doing something similar (I think) with my doors and cabinets and need to see this clearer.

Send me a private message if it will help draw this out.


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## Troy_Utah (Jan 29, 2010)

Thanks for the welcome's. Here is a link to the hardware I'm trying to install:

ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60116700

Here is another link that shows a better diagram although not the actual pull I am using.

cabinetmakerssupply.com/extruded_aluminum_cabinet_supply_797_ctg.htm

The back mount pulls are the closest to mine. It's not necessary to inlay the pulls but because I only have 1/8 inch between door fronts, they will rub if I do not inlay, or mortise them. I hope that helps and thanks again.


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

Troy,

If I'm visualizing what you're trying to accomplish, most if not all of it can be done by starting with a wider board (?4-6"?), making your cuts and then ripping it on the table saw. I've found that technique very helpful for routing trim pieces.


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

Troy_Utah said:


> The back mount pulls are the closest to mine. It's not necessary to inlay the pulls but because I only have 1/8 inch between door fronts, they will rub if I do not inlay, or mortise them. I hope that helps and thanks again.


Alright, it sounds like you want to position this on the back side of the door and have it wrap around to the front. To do this you perceive that you have to recess it both on the back and the edge. This will take two jigs, one for the back recess and one for the edge recess.

The edge jig will require a surface to clamp your door and a reference point so you can get the same place on the edge every time. Are your doors already built? If not, two blocks of wood, one for either side of the door stile and a template attached to one of the blocks to locate the handle should do it. The back side would be a simple template sitting on a spacer to locate the template at the thickness of the stile. If the door is already built, your jigs will have to be large enough to support the entire door.

Does this make sense? It seems confusing to me!


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## Troy_Utah (Jan 29, 2010)

To add some clarification, the doors are already built, and finished. They are slab doors so no frame and panel, just a flat mdf veneer with wood edge banding. I'm not anticipating mortising the back side as I don't want the pull to extend any further than necessary, so I'm just wanting to mortise the edge. I guess I'm not getting it allthumbs. I presume I'll need to secure the door on its edge, and then arrange some sort of jig on the top edge that I'm going to work on. I'm concerned about tear out, and making them consistent from one to the next. Is this something I would use a brass router bushing for? Also, any recommendations on type of bit to minimize tearout? Thanks.


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

Troy_Utah said:


> To add some clarification, the doors are already built, and finished. They are slab doors so no frame and panel, just a flat mdf veneer with wood edge banding. I'm not anticipating mortising the back side as I don't want the pull to extend any further than necessary, so I'm just wanting to mortise the edge. I guess I'm not getting it allthumbs. I presume I'll need to secure the door on its edge, and then arrange some sort of jig on the top edge that I'm going to work on. I'm concerned about tear out, and making them consistent from one to the next. Is this something I would use a brass router bushing for? Also, any recommendations on type of bit to minimize tearout? Thanks.


Hi Troy:

Yup, you got it. You want to create a platform on your bench that will support a template with the router on top. Make sure it is large enough to allow the router to move adequately but still fully supported across the entire baseplate. That platform will also create the template. The router bit will be controlled by that template/platform. The bit is controlled by a bushing running in that template. There are lots of examples of hinge mortising jigs around which is what you're creating. 

The door will be clamped so the edge is exposed to the bit, exactly where you want the cut. To prevent tear-out, use only very good quality bits that are very sharp. If you're really nervous, take tiny cuts at a time -- if you're taking an 1/8" cut, reduce it to two 1/16" cuts. Experiment with bits and technique before committing your finished workpieces.


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