Install the actual handle on a test piece before drilling finished fronts. A template repeats hole positions; it cannot tell whether you chose the correct spacing, reference edge or orientation. One successful mock installation catches mistakes that a ruler laid across the jig can miss.
Measure centers, not the overall handle
Pull size usually refers to the distance between fixing centers, which is not the overall handle length. Confirm the manufacturer’s drawing and the hardware in hand. Metric and inch spacings can be visually close without matching. For example, 96 mm is not the same as 3¾ inches, which equals 95.25 mm. Clearance may hide a small discrepancy on one handle while the batch becomes awkward to assemble.
Insert the supplied screws into the handle off the workpiece and inspect their alignment. Do not force a thread that resists. Identify whether the screws are metric or imperial and keep replacement screws in the same thread system. A screw that starts for a turn is not proof it matches.
Decide the reference before making holes
For a door, locate the handle relative to the chosen stile edge and top or bottom reference. For a drawer, decide whether the pull is centered on the entire front, the flat field or a visual alignment shared by adjacent drawers. Those can be different positions. Tape the handles in place temporarily and view the bank of fronts before committing.
Label doors with top, show face and hinge side. Mirrored doors need mirrored handle positions. A jig moved to the other side without reversing its reference can repeat the wrong offset perfectly. Make a simple sketch of each orientation and place the jig on every type of front before drilling any of them.
| Check | What to prove on scrap |
|---|---|
| Center spacing | Both screws enter the actual handle freely |
| Reference edge | Offset matches the chosen design |
| Mirror orientation | Left and right doors place handles together |
| Hole diameter | Matches hardware and jig instructions |
| Screw length | Clamps handle without bottoming or protruding |
Test the complete stack
Use scrap matching the front thickness, and include any extra drawer-box front through which the screws will pass. Clamp a backing block to reduce breakout, secure the jig and use the bit specified for its guides. Kreg’s hardware-jig manual is one example of a system with defined guide sizes and setup steps; do not assume every jig accepts the same drill diameter.
Drill the sample, remove the jig and install the handle. The screws should pass without levering the handle sideways. Check the handle against a straight reference and verify that its feet sit flat. A screw that bottoms inside the handle before clamping the wood can feel tight while leaving the fitting loose.
A screw-length example
Imagine a 19 mm drawer front attached over a 12 mm box front. A screw passing through both crosses 31 mm of wood before it even reaches the handle. A screw selected for the 19 mm front alone will be too short. Conversely, the same long screw used on a single door may bottom out in the handle. Use the hardware’s required engagement and actual stack thickness, then test; do not invent extra engagement by tightening harder.
If screws must be shortened, use the hardware maker’s recommended method and protect the threads. Check for burrs and test threading away from the finished front. Order the correct screws when that is the cleaner and more reliable option.
Prevent a small error becoming twenty holes
After the first finished front is drilled, install its handle and inspect it in position. Do not drill the whole kitchen before this check. Confirm that clamps have not shifted the jig and that its adjustment knobs remain tight. Clear chips from reference surfaces between parts.
Keep different front types in separate labeled stacks. A shallow top drawer and a deep lower drawer may require different visual placement even with the same handle. If the setting changes, make and label another test piece rather than relying on memory of the previous scale reading.
If the first handle is crooked
Measure the hole centers relative to the intended reference edge. Determine whether the error came from the template, a crooked edge, drill wander or the selected visual alignment. Slight movement within the manufacturer’s intended clearance may permit adjustment, but randomly enlarging holes can leave weak seating or expose damage beyond the handle feet.
For a conspicuous finished surface, decide on an appropriate repair before making the second hole larger. A repair plate, different hardware footprint or replacement front may be more convincing than filler under transparent finish. Keep the faulty sample as a reminder of the reference error, then correct and prove the template before continuing.
Sources and further reading
Prepared for Unfinished Wood under an editorial pen name, with AI-assisted drafting and source review. Examples and diagrams are explanatory; they are not reports of hands-on product testing.
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