Shop-Made Drawer Pulls

I’ve built several storage cabinets with a number of drawers to help organize small pieces of hardware and other items. The problem was I didn't want to buy a separate pull for each drawer. Plus, I wanted an easy way to know exactly what was inside without having to open the drawer. To solve both these problems, I made drawer pulls that double as label holders, as you can see in the photo at right.

Each pull begins as a scrap “two-by” that’s cut to the desired length, as you can see in Figure 1. (My pulls were 2" long). But to form the recess for the label safely, it’s best to use extra-wide pieces.

The recess is made in two steps. Start by routing a shallow groove in the edge of the workpiece, as shown in Figure 1. Then, to create slots that "trap" the label, use a bandsaw to cut two thin kerfs in the corners of the groove (Figure 2 and detail at lower right). To complete each pull, just rip off a narrow strip. Then screw it in place.