Attaching knobs - ideas wanted.

[TTIT]

I need to turn 10 small knobs (drawer pulls) 18mm diameter and about 15mm long and want to know if anyone has some cool, sneaky way of attaching them to the 14mm thick drawer fronts.
Don't want to glue tenons into holes as it will make finishing the drawer front too difficult.:no:
Thought about drilling and tapping the knob but a blind hole in such a small item wouldn't end up with much of a thread.:C
Thinking a self tapping screw would probably just split the knob.:~

Any suggestions????

[Claw Hama]

You could pre-drill your tenons finish the fronts, finish the knobs and then glue and wedge or use the self tappers as you said but drill a pilot hole so they don't split.

[Harry72]

" Don't want to glue tenons into holes as it will make finishing the drawer front too difficult."

"KISS" glue them in after finishing:D

[oldiephred]

You could put a wood screw into the knob, cut it off so there is some thread sticking out then drill a hole in the drawer front to take that "tail". There is proper hardware available for that purpose but maybe not that small.

Good luck however you do it.

[Hardenfast]

It would be a bit of work - far too much for me - but you could turn the knobs with a tenon on the inside and then cut a coarse wood thread onto the tenon and into the drawer front hole. Something like the Beall tap wrench - I like the look of that thing. Make them real easy to screw in and out and leave the drawer front flat and flush.

As I said Vern, too much work for me, but you did mention cool & sneaky.

Wayne

[BobL]

I'm not sure if you wish to be able to remove the knobs or not.

If not, what about dowel? or if you want more strength, pieces of allthread rod and epoxy them in at either end.

[Alastair]

Faced with similar dillemma recently.

Tried an experiment. Glued flat face directly to drawer front with epoxy.

Reasoned that if it didn't work, no harm done, clean up surfaces, and try Plan "B".

To date (6 months) no issues.

Might be more of a problem for you, as much less surface area.

regards

[Stringy]

Thread inserts.
http://www.tappex.co.uk/tappex_products.htm

[rsser]

The trad way was to cut a thread in a hole in the knob back and then turn and thread a flanged (wood) bolt to come through from behind ;-}

I understand Hughie's in the chaser business.

[Sawdust Maker]

No idea except what has been said above. The tappex type were used on a bookcase we have. I can only suggest that the threads be epoxied in as one came out (but that could be because of no 2 "The Wrecker" son)

But I have a question:
How are the egg "cartons" going anyway?

[TTIT]

I'm not sure if you wish to be able to remove the knobs or not.

If not, what about dowel? or if you want more strength, pieces of allthread rod and epoxy them in at either end.Yep - as an instrument tech, I like to be able to 'disassemble' for maintenance :B. The Allthread is hot favorite at the moment.


Thread inserts.
http://www.tappex.co.uk/tappex_products.htmShould have thought of these little guys having 'disassembled' hundreds of laptops over the years. Time to get them to me is the problem as I'm fighting a deadline:C


........
But I have a question:
How are the egg "cartons" going anyway?This project is replacing the 'egg cartons' but I only have 2 weeks left to finish it - and I'm getting nowhere fast (as usual :B )

[joe greiner]

15mm is too short to use a threaded insert. Consider embedding allthread in the knob blank with epoxy, about 10mm drilled hole depth, and extra length for gently gripping the allthread in the lathe chuck (pin jaws or Jacobs). Then turn the knob and cut the allthread to appropriate length (high speed cutoff wheel in a Dremel). Attach to the inside of the drawer with an acorn nut and washer. Not much free travel on acorn nuts, so you'll have to sneak up on the first one to establish the length for the others. Or use regular hex nuts if inside finish isn't too critical. But, now that I think further about it, you could also use T-nuts in the drawer front with a substantially flat inside; the projecting allthread would be about 13mm from the back of the knob, and the portion more securely gripped in the lathe chuck would be cut off. I reckon we're talking about M3 - M4 threaded fasteners or so.

Joe