Install finger pulls in sliding closet doors where a knob prevents fully opening the door. Finger pulls prevent holes from being knocked in your walls when someone opens a swinging door too hard as well. Drilling the space for the hole requires special bits to avoid cutting completely through the door. Inserts fill the holes to avoid getting splinters in your finger or the look of unsightly rough wood. Match the inserts to your room decor for a coordinated look.
Measure 40 inches up from the bottom edge of the door. Place a strip of masking tape on the door with the bottom edge of the tape marking the 40 inches.
Measure in 1 1/2 inches along the bottom of the tape from the edge of the door that you intend to install the pull at. Mark the measurement with the edge of another piece of masking tape so that the marking edge is furthest from the door edge.
Measure the back side of the finger pull, the part that inserts into the door. Measure the depth of the pull.
Transfer the depth measurement to the drill bit at the drilling end and moving toward the drill. Mark the measurement on the shaft of the bit using the edge of a piece of masking tape. Adhere the loose edges to form a protruding flag of tape. This prevents overdrilling the hole.
Lock a Forstner bit the same size as the circular pull into the chuck of your drill. Set the drill speed to 450 rotations per minute (rpm) if the door is hardwood. For softwood doors, set the speed to 600 rpm.
Hold the drill bit up to the door, lining it up with the edges of the tape. Drill a hole the same depth as the pull measurement into the door.
Back the drill bit out of the hole. Clean the dust and debris from the hole and the bit. Hand-sand inside the hole with 80-grit sandpaper to remove any splinters that might interfere with how the pull fits.
Insert the finger pull to test the fit. Use the pull as is or remove it and apply a small bead of adhesive around the edge before reinserting.
Hold the pull up to the door, lining it up with the edges of the tape, and trace around the outer edge. Remove the door from its tracks or hinges and lay it on a steady, level work surface.
Install a Forstner bit and mark your drill with masking tape just as if drilling a circular pull. Use the Forstner bit to drill a hole anywhere inside of your traced lines.
Fit a router with a 1/2-inch straight bit. Set the router bit down into the hole. Turn it on and cut, following the outline of your pull. Continue cutting until you remove all the wood from inside the tracing.
Set the finger pull into the hole to test its fit. Use 80-grit sandpaper to smooth the edges of your cutout as needed for aesthetic purposes or to trim off splinters that prevent the pull from fitting properly.
Things You Will Need
- Measuring tape
- Masking tape
- Forstner bit
- 80-grit sandpaper
- 1/2-inch straight bit
- Instead of a router, use the Forstner bit to drill out as much of the noncircular design as possible, then chisel away the remaining pieces.
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