Attention, budget-conscious DIY enthusiasts seeking chic cabinet pulls: For the cost of a single modern black drawer pull available in stores, you can craft over ten similar handles using EMT conduit and CPVC pipe. If you have access to a well-equipped home workshop that hasn’t seen much action lately, these custom black cabinet handles/drawer pulls could justify dusting off your tools. While the equipment required might not be found in every toolbox, this project doesn’t demand advanced skills. Plus, it offers a more affordable way to embrace the oversized hardware trend.
To create these drawer pulls, you’ll need some specialized tools like a drill press, table saw, and spindle sander. If these tools are within your reach, proceed as planned. However, we also have an alternative method that involves less daunting and costly equipment.
For the handles, purchase ½-inch EMT electrical conduit and ½-inch CPVC pipe; the EMT serves as the handle, while small sections of CPVC pipe will act as standoffs (the parts that create space between the handle and the door/drawer front). Gather a pipe cutter, tape measure, spray paint in black (or your preferred color), a 11/16 hole saw, a drill with a No. 29 bit, and two No. 8-32 by 2-inch long machine screws per pull. You’ll also need black end caps such as these PATIKIL ½-inch Plastic Tubing Ends Caps for each handle end. To make a jig for drilling, you’ll require a table saw, hold-down clamp, and approximately one foot of 2-inch by 4-inch lumber.
Assemble the Pulls
Create pulls to your desired length; a comfortable size for drawer pulls leaves about 3 to 6½ inches between the screw holes. Measure the EMT to your preferred length and cut the pieces with pipe cutters. Smooth out any burrs using the spindle sander.
To construct the jig for your standoffs, cut a v-channel at 45-degree angles into the 2-by-4 piece along its length. Secure the jig to your drill press table and equip your drill press with the hole saw. Place your CPVC pipe into the channel and attach the hold-down clamp to the 2-by-4. Secure the pipe in the jig, then use the hole saw to make a cut 1⅜-inches from the pipe’s end. This curved cut will form the standoff end that sits flush against the handle. Cut another identical piece from the CPVC pipe to have two standoffs with curved ends. Clamp the EMT handle piece and drill two holes 2.5 to 3 inches (or the length corresponding to existing holes in your drawer or cabinet) from each end using the No. 29 bit.
Paint the handle and the two standoffs. Once dry, insert a machine screw through the back of the hole in the drawer or cabinet face. Position a standoff over each screw with the curved edges facing outward. Tap the plastic end caps into place on the handles and tighten the screws into the handle’s holes.
A Simplified Version
No fully equipped home workshop? No worries! This option eliminates the need for a drill press, pipe cutter, spindle sander, table saw, and jig. You’ll still require some specialized tools, but these are far less expensive and bulky than standing tools.
Swap those tools for a hacksaw, a rotary tool with a sanding disk, and a drill guide like the Milescraft 1318 DrillMate Portable Drilling Guide. This device keeps pipes in place while guiding a drill bit to the precise spot, and at around $40, it won’t break the bank. Use it with a cordless power drill, one of the essential tools for any homeowner. The other materials, measurements, and techniques remain unchanged.
Following the same measurements as before, measure pieces of both the EMT and CPVC. Hold each piece of pipe in place with the drilling guide and cut with your hacksaw. Also, utilize the drilling guide to drill screw holes in the EMT and hold the CPVC while using a hand drill-mounted hole saw to shape the standoffs’ curved ends. Smooth out rough edges from the cut ends with the rotary tool and sanding disk. Paint the pipe sections. Once they’re dry, insert the end caps into the handle ends. Insert the screws through the wood and the standoffs, and secure them into the handle’s holes.
