# How Do I Make This Opening?



## Blackduck (Feb 16, 2010)

This is an opening/pull for a small louvered door on a boat console. Any suggestions on how to cutting this opening would be of great help to me-Thanks in advance, Walter
The door is 7/8" thick


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## AndyL (Jun 3, 2011)

Blackduck said:


> This is an opening/pull for a small louvered door on a boat console. Any suggestions on how to cutting this opening would be of great help to me-Thanks in advance, Walter
> The door is 7/8" thick


Looks like you need what's known as a drawer pull cutter, something like this:
Wealden Tool Company Limited Small Pull
You'd need to remove the bulk of the material with a straight bit first, then make the undercut with the drawer pull bit. Probably using a guide bushing and a template to control the shape of the opening.


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## timbertailor (Oct 4, 2009)

I would drill the two holes on the end the appropriate size, then cut with router or jig saw, the slot in between. Leave some meat and sand to final size.

Could make a template and use a trim bit but for one drawer, not necessary unless you just want a perfect cut with little or no sanding involved.

A small round over bit should finish it off nicely.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

timbertailor said:


> I would drill the two holes on the end the appropriate size, then cut with router or jig saw, the slot in between. Leave some meat and sand to final size.
> 
> Could make a template and use a trim bit but for one drawer, not necessary unless you just want a perfect cut with little or no sanding involved.
> 
> A small round over bit should finish it off nicely.


Yep.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

timbertailor said:


> I would drill the two holes on the end the appropriate size, then cut with router or jig saw, the slot in between. Leave some meat and sand to final size.
> 
> Could make a template and use a trim bit but for one drawer, not necessary unless you just want a perfect cut with little or no sanding involved.
> 
> A small round over bit should finish it off nicely.


ditto...


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## Blackduck (Feb 16, 2010)

The picture is not that clear, but I need the sides of the bottom of the opening to be cut deeper to act as a door pull-also, the bottom needs to be finished clean, so I can't drill the two ends first-The drawer pull cutters I have seen are not the right size-


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I'm going on the assumption that that is a recess in the door and not a slot that goes all the way through. If that is the case I would use a plunge router with a straight cutting plunge bit then a small bearing guided roundover bit or an ovolo if there isn't enough room for the bearing to go down far enough. You would need to clamp boards onto the door to control your start and stop points and something similar to keep you on a straight line between the two end points.


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## timbertailor (Oct 4, 2009)

A rabbiting bit with a bearing would finish her off on the bottom, if you need a lip for a finger grip. Just use the bearing to follow the first part.


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## timbertailor (Oct 4, 2009)

From the angle on the top of the drawer, I would say it was originally cut at the same time the lower slot was, at the same angle, on a table saw.

Hard to tell from the picture where your fingers actually go how that is finished off but that would be my guess as to how it was done.


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## Iceman567 (Apr 29, 2012)

X 2 with the method Andy suggested.


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## cptjack (Aug 15, 2014)

*template*

drill from both sides and clean up with round over bit


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## AndyL (Jun 3, 2011)

Blackduck said:


> -The drawer pull cutters I have seen are not the right size-


What are the approximate dimensions of the opening, Walter? Length/width/depth?


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## waynecochran (Aug 2, 2011)

Walter, Try mlcswoodworking.com, look at their finger pull bits. The smaller one is 3/4" in diameter and the total carbide height is 11/16" which would leave 3/16" at the back.


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## richjh (Jan 14, 2013)

I just recently made these pulls for a wall unit in my basement. The post from AndyL describes the correct bit. I purchased mine from MLCS. Item #5557 Finger Pull bit. It only comes in 1/4" shaft from them. 

For best results you will need to make a template. I used 1/2" MDF. More on that later.

First, cut a groove in the board the length of your pull using a straight bit that does a nice job of carving a flat bottom. A router edge guide can be used for this cut. The size of the bit will determine how wide the recessed pull will be. I used a 1" bit for mine. After you have the groove cut, you finish the edge with the finger pull bit using a template and template guide. That provides the under cut and finishes the edge. the template guide I used was I.D.:9/32" O.D.:3/8".

For the template. I drilled 1-1/8" holes for the ends using a Forstner bit. Then cut the slot. Mine is a 2pc template so I can add straight pieces to adjust the overall length.

The attached pictures probably provide a better description than I can write.
I adjusted the bit so it undercut the template because the bit has a shoulder edge that you don't need to make this pull. The close-up picture shows this better with the template guide.

I did quite a bit of experimenting to get all the dimensions right so I suggest you do the same with some scrap wood before you make the final piece.

Rich


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