How to Fix an English Style Cabinet Fastening

Handmade Fastenings

• Very old cabinets will have handmade fastening pieces. For handle pull styles the handle is often designed to insert into ball-shaped receptacles molded or soldered to the face plate. If a drawer is sticky, people will tend to pull hard on the handles. Over time the ball-shaped cup will break down and fail, and the handle will fall off. This fastening can be fixed by removing the fastening and having the old cup repaired or replaced at a metalworking shop. Usually you will not find similar replacement hardware. A good shop can also make a new handle if the old one has been lost to time.

Stripped Screws

• A second problem with metal hardware, particularly on older pieces, is random screw cuts. A lot of cabinetmakers and metal shops made their own size of screws and nuts before screw threads and cuts became more universal. If the wrong size of screw or the wrong cut of screw threads is forced onto a nut or female receiving fastener, the threads will likely become crossed or damaged and the fastener will fail. If the screw is attached to the fastener, the end can be recut to a modern screw size so you can use a modern nut with the screw. Otherwise, you can simply replace both the screw and nut with newer versions that match. This will allow you to tighten the hardware to the cabinet properly.

Metric Screws

• The second screw issue is the difference between metric and nonmetric screws. English manufacturers favor metric sizes and typically use metric sizes and measurements for their fasteners. It is important to recognize the difference between a metric screw and a nonmetric screw before attempting to force the wrong style of nut onto the right style of screw. Test your nuts on metric screws. The correct size nut will twist on easily. If the nut only screws on a few turns, examine the threads of the screw to see if the threads are damaged. A small thread file or cutting tool can repair some screws. If the screw isn't damaged, it is likely you are using the wrong type of nut.

Hardware Spacing

• If you are installing English fastenings on predrilled cabinet doors and the holes do not line up, this is often because the spacing of the hardware for the English fastenings is calculated on the metric measuring system. You can remedy this on traditional designs by adding a hardware plate that is large enough to cover the existing holes in the cabinets. Metal plates usually install by simply hammering brass brads through the plate. Drill new holes for the English fastener to match with the new English plates. Most carpenters will fill one of the old holes first and use the remaining hole in locating the new hardware on the door. In this way, when you look at the fastening from the inside, the hole will be filled and hopefully look good.