INSTALLING NEW CABINET HARDWARE
Location of Cabinet Hardware
While there are no hard, fast rules for placement of a knob or pull on a cabinet door, most cabinet makers will locate them approximately 3"-4" above the upper non-hinged corner on base cabinets, or the lower non-hinged corner on wall cabinets. However, the decision is your to make!
Mounting Cabinet Hardware
When drilling for a knob or pull, a 3/16" hole is recommended for most styles. The exception is pulls that have "studs". A stud is simply an extension of the molded screw holes. If a pull has a stud, then a 1/4" hole is required with studs sittingsecurely in the wood.
IMPORTANT Screw Information
Swiss Kelly includes 8-32 x 1" long machine screws with most knobs and pulls because the typical cabinet door or drawer front is 3/4" thick. This screw length should work in most applications. However, if your cabinet doors or drawer fronts are thicker than 3/4", then you will need to use longer screws for mounting. Check the thickness of both a cabinet door and a drawer front in your kitchen, as the thickness dimensions may not be the same. In general, the screw length(s) used should be 1/4" longer than the thickness of your cabinet door or drawer front material. It is not uncommon for some drawers to be constructed with a 3/4" thick front attached to a 3/4" thick drawer box. In this situation, the total drawer thickness is 1-1/2", making a 1-3/4" long screw necessary for mounting. These screws may be purchased from any hardware store. Please note that select hardware sold by Swiss Kelly may include metric screws instead of UNC screws.
MOUNTING PULLS
Swiss Kelly offers a broad range of sizes to choose from.
How to Choose the Right Size
- Take note of all sizes available.
- 3" is the most common size pull.
- Size is determined by measuring from hole to hole, not by the length of the pull itself
Installation Tips
If you are using a pull, you will want to determine the hole center spacing of the pull. 3" hole centers are the most common, however, Swiss Kelly offers a wide variety of sizes. You may want to create or purchase a durable template prior to drilling to mark the mounting holes. This will help to ensure that they are parallel with the door or drawer edge and that they are the same placement height on every cabinet. WARNING! An example is provided below, however, do not use this for drilling purposes as printers may provide template distortions.
Common Hole Center Measurements
MOUNTING KNOBS
Knobs can be obtained in a variety of sizes, shapes, and diameters. Swiss Kelly offers a broad range of sizes to choose from.
How to Choose the Right Size
There are no right or wrong sizes when it comes to selecting the appropriate knob size. Choose the size that looks best in proportion to the size of your cabinet doors and drawers. A 1-1/4" or 1-3/8" diameter knob is the most popular.
To create a dramatic effect, consider using a large (1-1/2" diameter or greater) or small (1" diameter or smaller) sized knob. Small sized knobs also work well on applications such as apothecary drawers, spice drawers, pullout cutting boards, etc.
Installation Tips
If you are installing a knob, it is suggested that you create or buy a durable template prior to drilling to mark the mounting hole. This will help to ensure that the knob is positioned properly on the cabinet door or drawer front and that there is the same placement height on every cabinet.
REPLACING CABINET HARDWARE
Pulls
When replacing pulls, the choices are numerous. You may choose to go with a pull with the same hole centers as your existing pull. Pull size is determined by measuring from hole to hole, not by the length of the pull itself. However, if you do choose to use a pull which is longer or shorter, the following information will assist you:
- On wall cabinets, reuse the bottom hole and drill a new top hole
- On base cabinets, reuse the top hole and drill a new bottom hole
- On drawers, drill two new holes and realign in the center
Knobs
When replacing knobs, simply unscrew your old knob. Leaving the old screw in place, screw on your new knob. Nothing could be easier!