Changing out old hardware can completely transform a piece, whether you’re switching styles, resizing for a better fit, or updating an outdated design. So, here’s how to drill new hardware holes – the process is simple with a little planning and the right approach to measuring and placement.

This is a necessary step not only for making the piece more stylish and functional but also for repairing old furniture. Once you’ve learned the basics, you’ll feel confident tackling any makeover!

Let’s talk about replacing old hardware with new ones. I’m talking specifically about when you have a piece of furniture that has a 5 inch drawer hole spacing, but you want to put knobs there instead of a drawer pull.

Or if you want to do the vice versa: if you have knobs, but you want to put a drawer pull. Or if there are two pieces of hardware in a drawer, but you only want one.

So let’s walk through that process, and then you can update the hardware on your old piece in the easiest and most effective way possible. Keep reading to learn more about this skill that will come in handy for your DIY projects!

Supplies Used to Drill New Hardware Holes

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I also may earn from other qualifying purchases with other companies or get free product to review and use. All opinions are my own.

Filling Old Holes

Now, there are a lot of simple ways that you can do this. They take a lot longer, and to be honest, they don’t look as good when they are done. A lot of times, you can still see the divot where the hole was, or it just takes so long for the product that you are using to dry.

Instead of using wood filler or spackling, I compared a bunch of different ways of filling holes when replacing cabinet or furniture hardware in this post. Check that out if you want to really see the difference between all of the different supplies that people use.

This includes KwikWood versus Bondo versus regular wood filler versus cutting a wooden dowel and sticking it into the hole. I tested them all out to show you what happens when you use these different methods.

Filling With KwikWood

The very best way to fill these holes is to use this stuff called KwikWood. It is a two part epoxy that is put in this little log type thing. You cut it off, and then you just mix it together with your hands. You don’t have to measure different ratios.

It is super easy to use, and then you can slowly shove it into the old holes. It does take a little bit of time to get it in there, and you want to leave a little bit of excess on the outside, like a little mound. Then you can sand that excess off, and it will be sanded smooth and flush with the surface around it.

It doesn’t have bubbles in it. It dries really hard, and it doesn’t shrink or crack, so you’re left with a completely flat surface. It takes maybe a couple of hours to dry, and then you can sand it down flush with the surface around it.

If there are some places that, for some reason, didn’t get filled, you can go back over those little tiny spots with wood filler at that point. If you were to use wood filler, it would take a couple of days for it to completely dry, and even then, it still shrinks and cracks, and it just doesn’t look as good.

How to Sand KwikWood

Again, KwikWood is the most effective and best way for filling that I have found. Once it is dry, take 150 or 220 grit sandpaper and put it on a power sander, and you can sand it off.

You don’t want super rough grit because then the wood around it is going to be very roughly sanded. Just sand it with something that’s not super coarse but not super fine. The finer the sandpaper, the longer it’s going to take to sand it down, so you choose.

If I do it by hand, I use coarser sandpaper, like 100 grit, to quickly work through the really hard KwikWood. Here’s our more detailed guide on how to use KwikWood!

Drilling New Hardware Holes Before Painting

Now, the most effective way is to drill at this point. Don’t wait until after you’ve gotten the piece painted, because if you start to try to drill on a freshly refinished surface, it can easily scratch up all of the work that you just went through. The best thing is to do this before you paint or stain.

If you just need to change the size of the pulls – say, 5 inch to 3 inch – you don’t have to fill in both holes. This is especially true if you have two pulls on a drawer. I typically fill in the inside holes on the inside of each handle.

Then I am left with one hole on the outside of the drawers on either side, and then I can easily drill one more hole on each side of the drawer for the correct spacing for the new hardware holes.

Would you like to save this?

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

This also works if you’re taking two pulls and changing them into two knobs. You just need to fill in one hole from each original pull and not to waste time drilling for the knobs because the existing ones already work. Be aware of that – sometimes, you can just use the existing ones.

Measure New Holes

First, you can just use a good old measuring tape to find the center and mark it with a pencil. You measure the full height of your drawer and divide that in two, and there’s your center point.

finding the center of a drawer with tape measure

Then, you measure the length of your drawer. If you’re doing a knob, then you just want to find the center point of your drawer for that. If it’s a 5 inch pull, then I need to mark 2.5 inches on either side of that middle mark, and that’s where my pull holes are going to go.

It’s super handy to have a level on hand to make sure your drawer is straight and that you’re drilling nice and even. You don’t want it to happen where one hole is up a little bit higher than the other.

This is not the fastest method, but it is cheap and effective. If you’re doing this multiple times, you can just use the same measurements over and over, typically, but still measure and make sure that the drawers are the same.

Bondo Wood Filler

Hot Glue Gun

220 Grit Sandaper

Using Hardware Jig

This makes it really easy if you’re doing multiple drawers over and over. You can just reuse this jig over and over for all of them. There are other cheaper little options to help you, but the best one that I have found is the KREG Jig hardware hole spacer.

It has a lot of different variations. It works for a lot of drawers, knobs, and cabinets too. Just make sure that if you’re doing a lot, you want the spacing of your pulls to be in the same position on every single drawer.

To speed up the process, I love to use this hardware jig. You can use it to set how far apart the holes need to be. It has a place where you can set it on top of your drawer, and it will raise or lower the holes based on how far from the top or bottom you want your hardware to sit.

It is always best to keep measuring, checking, and double checking that your spacing is where you actually want it because you don’t want to have to fill those again because you messed up. This is another great reason why you should always do the drilling before you paint or stain. If you mess up, it’s much easier to fix before everything’s been finished.

And there you have it. You can change from a knob to a long drawer pull or just anything that has weird spacing. Vintage furniture sometimes has some very odd hole spacings for their hardware.

It was like 5 and 6/16 of hole spacing. Nowadays, we have very basic spacings, like 3, 3.5, 4, 5 inches, and so forth. Going from vintage pulls to modern ones is a lot harder to find the exact spacing that you need.

Drilling Hardware Holes After Painting

If you find yourself in a place where you have already painted your piece, I like to use yellow Frog Tape. It is for delicate surfaces, but I make sure that the new finish has dried for at least 24 to 48 hours.

After that, I stick some Frog Tape wherever I plan to mark with pencils. That way, I don’t mess up the paint, and the tape is easy to remove when I’m done.

Using Adjustable Drawer Pulls

One last tip: If you really don’t want to mess with filling and drilling, there are adjustable drawer pulls. Basically, you can put the screws into your original holes, and then the new hardware is adjustable.

You can make it longer or shorter within a certain amount, and they come in a few different styles. It just adjusts to whatever size you need for your existing holes.

How To Drill New Hardware Holes

Learn how to drill new hardware holes, whether you’re switching styles, resizing for a better fit, or updating outdated hardware.

Materials

Tools

Power Sander
Measuring Tape
Pencil
Level
Hardware Jig

Instructions

Cut off a piece of KwikWood, mix it together with your hands, and push it into the old holes. Leave a little bit of excess, and once it’s dry, sand it flush with the surface.
Use 150 or 220 grit sandpaper on a power sander or sand by hand to smooth out the KwikWood. Don’t go too coarse with the grit, or it might damage the surrounding surface.
Take a measuring tape and a pencil to mark the center of your drawer. If you’re adding pulls, mark two points on both sides of the center, depending on the hardware size.
Use a level to make sure the marks are straight and even. Measure everything twice so your holes are perfectly aligned.
If you’re working on a lot of drawers, you can use a hardware jig and set the spacing for your hardware. Place the jig on each drawer, and drill the holes exactly where they’re needed.
Drill the hardware holes before painting or staining the piece to avoid scratching the finish. If there’s a mistake, it’s so much easier to fix it at this stage.
If the piece is already painted, use yellow Frog Tape to protect the surface where you’re drilling. Wait at least 24 to 48 hours after painting before marking and creating your holes.
For a no drill solution, try adjustable drawer pulls. They adjust to fit the existing holes and can save you some time while still upgrading the look!

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

More Repairing Furniture Tips

Follow us on YouTube to get more tips for painting furniture. Or share your project with us on our Facebook Group and be part of our community. See you there!

Table of Contents

How To Drill New Hardware Holes

Supplies Used to Drill New Hardware Holes