CULTRIVOR - Custom 30 Knife Block

Step 6 Pocket Key Screw Hole

I wanted a solid screw mount to the wall, but I had no space for the screw heads to go through the front of the block, and I didn't want an ugly screw showing. I modified a technique that I often use to hang custom made picture frames without using a cheesy wire or frame hanger. This allows for a hole to the front that is only big enough to fit a screwdriver, and the screw head lives in a pocket in the back. The block is upside down in the pictures, because it is easier to make it this way. The last few pictures are right side up when the screw is being test fit.

1. Drill a through hole just large enough for the screwdriver tip, and the screw shaft to fit through, but not the screw head.

2. About half an inch below that, drill a larger hole that the screw head can fit through. Do not drill all the way through. I wrapped tape around the drill bit to limit the drill depth. It needs to be deep enough that there's about a quarter inch of wood between the base of the screw head and the surface of the wood.

3. Using the router bit and attachment on the rotary tool, set the depth to the bottom of the large hole, and route a path between the small and large hole that is tangent to the small hole.

4. Now, attach a slot cutter bit that fits inside the big hole to the rotary tool. Set the depth of the slot cutter bit to about 0.15 inches. You will be cutting a pocket behind the slot for the screw head to fit in.

5. Insert the slot cutter all the way into the large hole. Follow the perimeter of the slot with the shaft of the slot cutter. This will be the inside surface on which the screw head will apply pressure.

6. Change the slot cutter depth to the depth of the large hole, and repeat step 5. There will probably be a sliver of wood left in the pocket. Move the slot cutter in and out to clean out any thin walls left in the pocket.

Comments

[79spitfire]

Your very cleaver using tools at hand. There is a router bit called a "Keyhole" bit for making the slot for the screw head in one step. If you do this regular it is a worthwhile investment, and does a very neat job. Great project BTW, I just may have to make one myself!

[kerns]

Fantastic Instructable! I will be making one of these soon to get our cleavers more safely into daily rotation. But - why drill through the piece at all for the hanging screws? Why not simply create pocket holes in the back of the piece, determine how much shank/screwhead to leave protruding from the wall, pre-sink those in the wall and then hang the piece from them? That'd leave no holes visible from the front, though at the cost of being able to adjust the mounting screws.

[engineerable]

You're right about the pocket hole, if you are mounting to a flat wall. I forgot to mention that the reason I had to drill the front hole was to be able to tighten the screw to keep it from wobbling because of the mounting location. If you look at the main picture, you can sort of see that it's mounted to the window frame, which is slightly curved, and protrudes from the wall. Mounting it with a regular pocket hole did not give the block a solid feel. I had to be able to tighten the screws to give it a nice solid feel. The holes are pretty well hidden in the slots.