Choosing your Cabinet Handle Finishes

Call them what you like - cabinet handles, knobs, locks, latches, ring pulls, drawer pulls - the humble handle comes in many varieties of material, colour and design.

Choosing the correct cabinet handle finish can make or break your project. The handle is vital to the open and closing function of the cabinet while the handle’s design can completely change the look.

Here we check out some of the options you have to choose from in cabinet handle finishes.

Chrome Plated

Chrome plated cabinet handles are standard for many furniture designers. Their shiny finish stands the test of time, without suffering from damage and discolouration.

Polished Brass

Polished brass is a classic material that is the preferred option of many artisans. There is an appeal that can’t be found with other materials, especially after it has aged a little and began to discolour gracefully.

Ivory

The ivory look is beautiful and ornate, ideal for cabinets that need an antique touch to finish off the look. Crazed porcelain has a similar finish to the old-fashioned ivory.

Antique Copper

Antique copper is a finish that is very distinctive, being the colour of pots and pans of yesteryear. It has a vibrant quality that is ideal for vintage pieces.

Antique Brass

Antique brass is the more classically appreciated version of a brass finish. It goes well with old world cabinet designs.

Matt Black

Matt black is a more recent invention. With the right design, matt black can look quite futuristic and minimalist. Many contemporary designed cabinets will use matt black handles as their finishing touch.

Polished Metal

Polished metal finishes are the most versatile and long-lasting. Their finish doesn’t age or change, unlike some other metals.

Polished Nickel

Polished nickel has a very clean, stylish look and is used in modern, contemporary cabinetry. Similar to chrome because of its silver look, polished nickel has a warmer tone.

Satin Chrome

Another contemporary look, satin chrome is a little more subdued and less shiny than chrome. Its understated look suits a range of designs.

Satin Nickel

One of the most versatile finishes, satin nickel has a metallic pearl finish that can complement everything from bright to neutral colours.

Installing your Cabinet Handles

Remember to use a cardboard template of your drawer front to ensure your drawer handles are straight and in line with the drawers above, below and to the side. Use a pencil to mark where you will drill then check all the dots line up. You don’t want to spend time deciding on the right drawer handle finish only to be distracted by the fact that they aren’t all aligned properly! Before drilling, clamp a piece of wood at the back of the drawer, so you don’t tear the drawer's material as you drill through.

Which of These Four Woodworking Mallets is Right for You?

There are plenty of woodworking mallets on the market but how do you know which is the right one for your project? You don’t want to be whacking your woodworking tools with any old hammer or you could find yourself replacing some of your favourite tools. Use the right mallet that does the job without damaging your tools or project.

Cabinetmakers Mallet

Wooden mallets are gentle on tools and wooden projects compared to steel hammers which can leave dents, break or mushroom the wooden handle of your chisels.

The two striking faces mean you can use one side for smooth, clean work and the other side for driving out bolts which may damage the face.

Wrist action rather than a swinging arm is usually needed, so the face is at a 90-degree angle. For fine carving work, users can hold the mallet further up the handle near the head. Choose one with a head that isn’t too big or too small for you to use comfortably.

Carpenters Mallet

Also known as the ‘general mallet’, the carpenters mallet has a short, shaped handle and large head for working with chisels and wedges. These mallets are also suitable for blunt force tasks such as banging together a carcase. Beechwood, hornbeam and ash woods are often used in the manufacture of mallets with the head and handle made from different materials.

Carvers Mallet

The rounded mallet gives solid contact even when hit from odd angles. Being smaller and more delicate than carpenters mallets, carvers mallets are ideal for using with carving chisels rather than heavier woodworking tasks.

Brass Head Carving Mallet

When cutting a mortise or carving wood, you want the full force of a strike to be forward. A wooden mallet striking a wooden handle results in a forward and backward motion as it bounces.

A brass head means there is no bounce and the full energy of the blow is used. A rounded head allows you to strike the mallet at any angle and the strike only needs to come from the wrist as a light, controlled tap rather than a swing of the arm like bigger mallets require. These mallets offer you the accuracy and control you need for more delicate woodworking projects.

Which Brand of Mallet?

Like most woodworking tools on the market, you get what you pay for. A good quality brand will give you many years of service if you look after your tools. Fortunately, there are three well-known, quality brands producing mallets for use with their woodworking tools.

The Veritas is a well-known Canadian brand. Veritas is the manufacturing arm of Lee Valley Tools Ltd which is a leading US retailer of woodworking tools. Veritas produces 250 products which are used by discerning woodworkers around the world.

For over 50 years Crown Tools has been manufacturing woodworking hand tools from its factory in Sheffield England. For the majority of their products, old and new techniques are used to hand forge, temper and grind tools.

Two Cherries is another brand that has been turning out quality tools for decades from its German factory. Its craftsmen are using time-honoured techniques to produce tools that can last more than a generation.

Cabinetmaking Chisels Explained

The chisel is a fundamental woodworking tool and is invaluable to any woodworker, regardless of the size and type of work. Whether you are making standard furniture or a grand work of art, a good quality chisel is one of the first tools you should buy.

If you are looking to delve into woodworking in particular cabinetmaking, having some knowledge of the variety of chisels used is quite important. The following is a list of the chisels that are typically used in cabinetmaking.

Bevel Edge Chisel

The bevel edge chisel is uniquely shaped, in that it has a tapering edge on both side-edges as well as the point. The taper is only biased on one side while the other is completely flat, for easy sharpening of the point.

A bevel edge chisel is used to chip away large amounts of wood, as well as create finer shapes such as dovetails.

Butt Chisel

A butt chisel is basically a cabinet making chisel that has a blade shorter than 10 cm. It gets its name from short blades used in fixing butt hinges. The handle of the butt chisel is often short and bulbous towards the end, with a flat surface for hammer striking.

Cranked Neck Chisel

A cranked neck chisel has a unique offset handle and a neck that is sloped downward. This allows the blade to run more flat on the wood surface, and work like a plane, removing glue and excess wood. It is very useful for difficult to reach places and can be used with a hammer more easily, as it can provide a more direct contact point between the blade and wood, with the blade point angled correctly.

Cabinet Corner Cleaning Chisel

This type of chisel has a blade that is angled around a third of the way towards the end. This angle lets the chisel work at a very high angle, which is good for evening out corners, as the name suggests. The blade is generally long and narrow, and the point is sometimes tapered as well.

Cabinet Mortise Chisel

A mortise chisel is quite tough, with a thicker blade and stronger handle, which can sustain heavy hits from a hammer. The common usage is to break mortise joints, which needs a stronger blade and tougher point. The mortise chisel can come in a number of sizes, but they are on the larger side.

Cabinet Paring Chisels

This chisel is used for removing much smaller and finer quantities of wood, for mostly decorative work. The chisel is very similar to a bevel edge chisel, with the only difference being the thinner blade and handle, and the different usage. Additionally, the blade of a cabinet paring chisel is slightly flexible, though this may not be the case with most cabinet paring chisels.

Skew Paring Chisels

A skewed paring chisel has a frontal point that is leaning on one side, which gives it a sharp point and a leaning edge. They are used to clean out the dovetail sockets, a task that requires a slight one-sided taper on the point.

Spring Loaded Corner Chisel

A spring loaded corner chisel uses a compact, cuboid design which is held on top of a corner, and the point is then hammered down to remove wood from the corner of the cabinet. The blade is hidden inside the frame and retracts back to the loaded position after the wood has been removed with a hammer strike.

What to Look for in a Router Table

A router table is one of the handiest inclusions in your workshop. If you want to do moulded edges, dadoes, mortises and multiple curves that match a template you will be wise to invest in a good quality router and table to match. The router table allows you to have both hands free from holding the tool and converts a portable power tool into a stationary power tool making it more versatile and usable.

Convenience

A router table means your router is always ready to use. There is less set-up time required and less mess because your dust extractor is attached and ready to go.

A router table needs to provide good support and guidance for your workpiece.

Attachments

There is a range of individual accessories and combinations that you can use on your router table. These include guards, fences, mitre gauges and dust extractors.

Choose a fence opening that can be easily adjusted and look at the surface of the table to make sure any material can pass over it safely.

A router table also allows you to use feather boards, a mitre gauge and hold-downs which wouldn’t be possible with a hand-held router.

Safety

A router is one of the most dangerous woodworking tools available. A router table can make your router safer to use than a hand-held router.

When the router is moving between 3,000 and 25,000 rpm, you don’t want to slip or make a mistake. Your hand or a finger can be seriously injured. It doesn’t matter how careful you are; accidents can happen. A moment’s lapse of concentration is all it takes. Spend the time to set up your table with the right guards and fences for the project you are currently working on. If you are unsure how to use the safety equipment, take the time to find out from the manufacturer or online.

Make sure you use a table that is compatible with your router. Obviously, a heavy duty router needs a heavy table to hold it properly. The more accessories you attach to your table the more weight it adds to the table. Before upgrading your router and accessories, check if you will need to replace your table to hold your upgrades. Read more about router table safety here.

More about Router Tables

If you're still not sure about what you want in a router table, it is recommended that you speak to an expert who can present you with more information on what to look for in a router table that would be beneficial to your business. 

Sharpening your Woodworking Tools – Hand Planes

The skill of sharpening your tools is as important as the skill of using your woodwork hand tools. A good sharpening session can turn your grandfather’s old plane into a sentimental but highly valued tool. A brand new, budget plane can perform as well as their higher priced cousin with the right sharpening.

Machine Marks

If you have bought a premium plane, you may not need to do much to it once you have taken it out of the box. Less expensive planes may need a little more attention. Inspect the blade carefully for any machining marks. If you find any marks, you will need to flatten and polish the back of the blade. Start with the coarsest grit and work your way up through the grits until the marks are removed, and you have a mirror finish. Only worry about the edge of the blade’s back as the rest of the blade won’t touch the wood so the machine marks can remain.

Bevel Edge

The primary bevel of your plane edge should be 25 degrees unless it’s needed for work on a difficult grain. If your bevel is not the right angle, the edge isn’t square or is damaged, you will need to re-grind it. A water-cooled, large grinder will make the job easy but with a little patience you can do the job with sandpaper. Once you are happy with the edge, you can start to polish it. Use various sandpapers to get a polished mirror finish. A honing guide will help you achieve the desired result.

If your blade is in poor condition with rust or bad nicks, it may be wise to replace the blade. You can spend hours trying to get a blade into a usable condition and find it is too severely damaged. Make the call early and decide if it can be salvaged or not. Several manufacturers still make blades to fit the width of old planes, just ask.

Micro Bevel

Once you are happy with your bevel edge, it is time to start work on the micro bevel. This secondary bevel should be around 2-5% higher than the primary one. No new planes come with a micro bevel so all blades need some work to achieve this. Start with coarse sandpaper to establish a thin, even line across the blade’s tip. Use your highest grit and then polishing stone for another mirror finish.

Once you have a perfectly sharp and honed plane blade, you will only need to work on the micro bevel with a fine stone regularly.

Camber or Left Straight

One decision woodworkers need to make about their new planes is whether to camber the edge or leave it straight. Newbie woodworkers can benefit from a cambered edge because it is more forgiving than a straight edge. If you don’t set the blade at an equal depth on both sides, it can dig in more on one side.

To camber use your stone to take slightly more metal the further from the middle. Count the number of strokes you use on the first side so you can repeat evenly on the other side. You should see a slight curvature on the cutting edge. Planes used on heavier timber can have a greater curvature.

If you want to reduce the time, it takes to camber your plane and, you want to preserve your stone, use a power or hand-cranked grinder.

Make it a habit to check the edge of your plane’s blade every time you begin a project. A perfectly sharpened and honed blade edge can make the job easier and the result more precise.

More information on Hand Planes

If you still need more information on tools for sharpening woodwork, it is best to speak to an expert who can guide you with information on the right type of hand planes for your business. 

Woodworking Tools to Get Started

So you’ve decided to start a woodworking project, you will need some tools. With thousands of tools to choose from how do you know which ones you need now and which ones can wait? We’ve put together a list of what we consider to be essential tools to get some basic woodworking projects under your belt. With time you will be able to add to your tool collection and tackle more difficult projects, but this list will give you the basics every workshop needs.

If you are on a tight budget, be wary of buying more cheap tools rather than fewer quality tools. There is a good chance you will need to replace the cheap ones with a better quality product within a few years.

Workbench

Without a sturdy surface you can’t start any projects. You will need something to secure your wood to before planing or sawing. You can put in a fixed workbench or buy a mobile bench if you need the flexibility of moving it around your workshop. Just make sure your workbench will be big and sturdy enough to handle a vice.

Chisels

You will need a set of bevel edge bench chisels to get you started. A few different size blades will ensure you have the right chisel for every paring and chopping job. The multipurpose bench chisel is so named because they are used often enough that they are rarely put away. A mortise chisel is needed for heavy chopping of mortises. A paring chisel is thin and more delicate for slicing wood. Choose between wood or plastic handled chisels.

Later, when you have a project that calls for it, you can add some specialty chisels like paring and fishtail chisels.

Saws

A back saw is needed for accurate, fine wooden joints. A fine, rip teeth saw will allow you to cut along the grain. A tenon saw will be needed for heavier cuts along the grain. Fine crosscut teeth on a carcass saw can cut across the grain. A large mitre saw and mitre box will be needed if you need to cut your wood to accurate lengths and square for building boxes. A coping saw is required for removing waste if you are doing any dovetail joints.

Clamps

There aren't any general purpose clamps available for all projects. Several deep-throat bar clamps are fairly versatile because they have a long-arm stretch and deep reach. Spring clamps will act as a third hand when you need to hold the wood for painting and glueing.

Planes

If you are going to do traditional woodworking, then a plane is essential. There are multiple types you can invest in, but the two most common ones needed for the job are a block plane and jack plane. A block plane is smaller and can be used with one hand while the general purpose ‘jack of all trades’ plane can do some of the work of smoothing and jointer planes.

Squares & Tape Measure

Measure twice and cut once. Make sure you have a few tools including a good pencil for measuring and marking before cutting your wood. A combination square will help with measuring angles, determining flatness and marking.

Woodworking tools for your workspace

Choosing the right set of tools for a woodworking project can be a bit daunting. There's so much to choose from and if you're not careful, you may land up working with something that doesn't do the job. Since you're starting out, we recommend you have a quick chat with an expert who can help you decide which tools you'd need for your new woodwork project. 

Sharpening your Woodworking Tools - Chisels

If you look after your woodworking tools, they will most probably last longer than you. Part of taking care of your tools is keeping them sharp, so they are safe and enjoyable to use. A sharp tool will also give you the best result and will be ready to use whenever the next job calls for it.

Chisels require more sharpening and maintenance than most other woodworking tools to keep them in good order. Like most things, there is more than one way to sharpen a chisel. Some people prefer to use a jig while others prefer to do the job by hand with an oilstone, water stone or diamond stone. It’s personal preference which method you use, but a waterstone is a popular choice.

Waterstones are slightly softer than oilstones so you are left with clean sharp grit as the stone is worn away. Waterstones are available in a variety of sizes from 300 grit to 8000 grit. Reversible waterstones are also available to save you buying multiple stones of different grit. The 1000 grit side can be used for preparing and dressing the tool while the reversible 6000 grit is for sharpening.

To use your waterstone for sharpening your chisels:

1. Place your stone in water for around 5-10 minutes, so it’s soaking wet. For stones in excess of 4000 grit, you won’t need to soak them, just drop water on top. Place the stone somewhere that it won’t slip such as a waterstone holder but if you don’t have one, a piece of fine grit sandpaper secured to your workbench can do the job.

2. Next place your chisel into the honing guide with the bevel facing down and tighten the guide when the bevel is sitting flat on the bench. You want the entire bevel to touch the stone so it needs to sit flat in the guide. Place the honing guide’s wheel on the edge of the stone and place your fingers on the blade and thumbs behind.

3. Apply even pressure and give it several passes by going forward and back. Try to use as much of the stone as possible and also flip occasionally, so you don’t end up with a groove down the middle of your stone. Keep the stone wet by applying water.

4. Wipe the blade clean with a rag and check where it has been making contact with the stone. Wipe the residue off the stone. If needed change the chisel position and continue with the passes.

5. Move up through the finer grits of stone until you are happy with the edge you’ve created.

6. Your chisel will now be shiny and sharp. Some woodworkers stop here while others prefer to add a microbevel.

A microbevel is a very small bevel right on the edge of your already bevelled chisel. This is a future time saver as it allows you to sharpen just the microbevel if you are in the middle of a job and your chisel isn’t as sharp as you would like.

7. Adjust the honing guide so that you can slide the chisel back a tiny distance. Wet your stone, place your chisel down and pull the chisel back with steady strokes. Repeat a few times making sure the handle is at the same angle. Check to see you have a thin line on the end of the chisel blade.

8. Check the back of your chisel for any burrs. To remove a burr, place the chisel completely flat against the stone and do several passes.