Summer of last year I was youtube-ing how to use a battery powered drill. Today I want my own table saw. I felt inspired to start DIY-ing our home after learning how expensive making simple upgrades truly are. I have spent the last 15 months reading blogs, youtubing, pestering the folks at my local hardware store, and hours of trial and error to finally say I believe there is not a house project I can't learn to do. Some I don't want to learn and that is a different story. Granted this new found knowledge and confidence leaves me in a position of constantly passing on purchases telling myself I can make that (and an ever growing to do list), but the skills I have learned in the past year feel invaluable. It has opened doors and transformed our home. I would love to pass these learnings and skills on to you to help you make your dream projects become a reality! Just don't forget you have to crawl before you walk.
Since I mentioned that the first skill I learned was using an electric drill I'll dedicate this posts to the tool that started it all, the drill!
So my story begins: Our home is a 1970s single story "starter home" located in Fort Collins, CO. It looks like every other home in the neighborhood lacking curb appeal and full of hollow core dores. Despite this I could see the potential from day 1 (with the help of pinterest). First thing when you walk into our home staring back at you are these lovely brown laminate cabinets. It is these cabinets that spurred my motivation to learn to DIY. And even though I wanted to rip out all the cabinets, that wasn't feasible so somehow I would have to make them beautiful. The first step, knobs!
Knobs are simple, and thanks to these ones I found on amazon, affordable (links below). A seemingly quick DIY upgrade but for a newbie like me this was an all day event. Hopefully my tips will make this go way faster for you!
Installing the knobs:
Pick a knob that you are attracted to. Pinterest is great for inspiration but I chose these based on their modern look and affordability.
Link to amazon knobs: https://a.co/d/4dFWs9S
Link to pulls: https://a.co/d/hc7dFKd
Hobby lobby has an amazing selection of knobs as well think anthropolgie vibes for a fraction of the cost! https://www.hobbylobby.com/home-decor-frames/knobs-hardware/knobs/whitewash-carved-flower-knob/p/81104308?queryId=f4efd5b747fc6837427e2e3722ff3d7e
Decide if you want knobs and pulls or just knobs. I chose a combination of knobs on cabinets and pulls for drawers. This site has great advice on sizing. https://sandiegohardware.com/blogs/resources/the-ultimate-guide-for-cabinet-hardware-placement-and-sizing?srsltid=AfmBOooeljiMvEWWLVZWCOby4b5xq7vZ148BNL3GN4pE2ilgZxggQDl2
Choose where to put the knobs. For a modern look place your knobs 2.5-3in from the bottom edge of the cabinet (for upper cabinets) or 2.5-3in from the top edge (for upper cabinets). If you have stiles or rales on your cabinets (the raised frame around the cabinets) center the knob on them once you have decided the height of it. An alternative traditional placement is to center the knob in the corner of the cabinet completely. I had anticipated adding stiles and rales in phase 2 of my project so I placed my knobs in preparation for the width of the stiles and rales I was planning.
Installing the knobs. I used a piece of painters tape to help with measuring and marking where I wanted to drill without having to mark up my cabinets. A pencil would probably be fine here but as a newbie I wanted to be sure with my measurements.
After double checking measurements its time to drill! Picking the right drill bit: hold the screw you want to install behind the drill bit you have, if all you see are the threads then you have the right size. Any doubts just use a smaller one you can always make a hole bigger.
Install the knobs. If you install your knobs and find the screws are too long for laminate cabinets (the knobs wont tighten) you can add some flat washers to the screw on the inside of the cabinet. I did this and it is so subtle but was an easy fix. I could not find a standard screw that would work otherwise.
Marvel at your work!
For those of you in that beginner boat here are further drill tips:
Pre-drilling holes with a drill bit helps prevent wood from splitting, especially if you are close to an edge.
A hammer drill is amazing for driving nails into wood. It works as a normal drill but when the drill meets resistance it then has a hammer effect helping the screw to get farther in. No need for this project but has become super handy for other projects I've tackled.
Cabinet sink bits are awesome for hiding the top of a screw. These drill bits are a little pricy. They have a wider part that is close to the drill and then a tapered bit coming off to help pilot hole. I did not use this for this project but have since invested in these without any regrets! https://a.co/d/gUstXVb
You can adjust the drill torque based on your project. To add more force to drive in a drill bit or screw increase the torque. This usually involved twisting the top of the drill to the higher number. Higher torque can be good for needing to get through tougher material.
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