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1. 
   davamoore | Dec 09, 2002 11:19pm | #1

   Here's what I've done in the past if I need to make a bunch of knobs... First, dimension a piece that is about 8-14" long, and about 1 to 1-1/2" square, equaling the final height/width dimensions of the knob you want.  (Working with a longer piece and then cutting the knob off the end is much safer and easier than working with the tiny knob all by itself.)  Note:  if you don't want end grain on the face of your knob, you'll need to cut the workpiece accordingly, against the traditional with-the-grain cut for most other boards.

   I then chuck a chamfer or vertical panel-raising bit in my router table, and set the fence so that the top of the cut will be slightly less than halfway up the end of my workpiece.  Actually, I set the bit even lower than that, and take a series of smaller cuts in order to avoid splitting out the corners, slowly raising the bit after each set of cuts until it's where I want it for the final cuts.

   Then, I position the workpiece on the router table so that it's perpendicular to the fence (the end of the workpiece faces the fence/bit), and use my miter gauge to move the piece forward at a 90-degree angle across the bit.  I do this to all four sides of the end of the workpiece.  What I end up with, if I've measured correctly (and you can always cut off the end and re-position the bit or fence, if you have to), is a pyramid-shaped square knob with a small flat square in the center.

   I then use either a dado blade in the table saw, or use a 1/2-inch straight bit in the router table, to cut the lower parts of the knob to size:  the section that goes from the front of the drawer to the bottom of the pyramid, and the section that is inserted/attached to the drawer front.  Cut the completed knob off, and repeat the process... until you've made as many knobs as you need.

   I hope you can picture what I'm typing.  Unfortunately, I don't have any photos to share, but a recent copy of "Woodwork" magazine also had a write-up on the subject that might be helpful... it included a number of other methods, in addition to the ones I use.

   David

   Look, I made a hat -- Where there never was a hat!