Drawer Handle Removal

[JohnV8r]

Here is another best practices question:

What is the best way to remove this teak drawer handles from the drawers? The Formica is off, but the drawer handle remains:



Should I just use my Fein MultiMaster to cut it flush or is there a way to actually remove it?

Thanks in advance,

John Vietor

[CamB25]

John,

i would try heating the handle with a heat gun in an attempt to break/degrade the glue bond before I reached for the saws. You may be able to knock it off with a rubber mallet or wood block/hammer after the glue gets warm.

Good luck!
Cam

[JohnV8r]

Tried that. Trouble is you can smell the wood starting to burn when you heat it up.

I'm wondering if that was epoxied or glued rather than contact cemented into place?

[tunawish]

I'd use the Fein tool to cut it flush with the face....Then use a very sharp smaller chisel, with hand pressure only, to get behind whats left and take it out in pieces..

There shouldn't be much of the teak left in the hole once the face is off...

If your replacing it with a similar style handle, then the bit of overlap that handle has should cover the edge of the hole if you muck it up a bit ...

Good luck...

Ray

[JohnV8r]

Thanks Ray.

My preference is to replace it with a similar style piece as I am trying to stay as true to the original style of the interior as possible. I just want the Formica out and teak in its place.

I'll cut the handles tomorrow.

[CamB25]

I would stay away from power tools until you run out of other options. Use a flexible flush cut saw to cut the handle off.

[Craig Mac]

Are you sure the teak handles are original ?---I have only seen metal handles.

[JohnV8r]

I suppose they might not be original. However, it doesn't seem to make much sense that they would have changed that and nothing else with the interior.

[Rocket]

Sawzall, fine tooth, long flexible blade

[Rawleigh]

John: What are you going to put back? If you are not using thew same handle, grind it flush and fill it with thickened epoxy. Much faster than trying to remove it.

[JohnV8r]

My preference would be to use the same type of drawer handle. I'd like to keep the interior as original looking as possible, just in teak. The way the current handles were installed, they were put in after the Formica so the lip of the handle is over the Formica. That way there is no seam showing.

I will be running down to West Marine this weekend to pick up new handles. I'll know whether they are the exact same size or not this weekend.

[Preston Burrows]

You should be able to find very similar if not the same dimensioned teak drawer pulls.

I recall seeing them in either Woodworkers Supply and/or Constantine's catalogues, both of whom have websites.

The teak drawer pulls were a 70's & 80's 'Bertram Standard' with respect to originality and Bertram's interior finishes.

As to getting them off my first attempt would involve 4 tools: wood chisels 1/4" & 1/2" wide and a 7oz finish hammer and elbow grease!

Careful with using heat as that might 'wake up' the plywood's core and veneer glue.