How to fit a recessed Penn spring loaded handle

[SimonD]

Hi Folks, I’m sure that there are many ways of doing this but I thought I might just document how I did it as the results were very good and it wasn’t too difficult. The only catch is that for routing the recess, you do have to have a routing bit of the right diameter for the corners. The bit I used was not off the shelf but I made it up out of a few other bits and pieces. I’ll get to the details of that later but enough to say that the diameter of the cutter is 1 5/8’ and the diameter of the guide bearing is ½’. I actually did the job in mm but for the sake of our US friends we’ll work in inches 
Basically I first cut out the main hole then used the hole as a guide for routing the recess. To do this you are forced to work from the outside inwards. The dimensions of the Penn handles that I have are:
Length 6 3/8’ (161.9256mm)
Width 4 ¼’ (107.9504mm)
Corner Radius 13/16’ (20.6376mm)
Step 1 is to calculate the size of the cut-out with the following formulae:
Overall Length – Bearing Diameter + (Corner Radius * 2) = Cut-out length
6 3/8’ – ½’ + (13/16’ * 2) = 5 ¼’
Overall Width – Bearing Diameter + (Corner Radius * 2) = Cut-out Width
4 1/4’ – ½’ + (13/16’ * 2) = 3 1/8
Cut-out = 5 ¼’ X 3 1/8’
I used a common method for routing the cut-out buy first drawing the required cut-out on a template then measuring the offset of the edge of the router guide.



And attaching some guides to the template with double sided tape (I actually put some pins in the guides as well because the tape came loose the first time I tried to route )





Using a 1/2' cutter I routed out the hole. It is worth noting that it is not critical if you make a mistake and gouge the edge of the cut-out as we leave the guide blocks attached to the template and actually use them for the real cut. This of course is not true if you are using a following bearing to do the actual cut.



The template can now be used to route the cut-out in the boxes. Note that on my boxes I had already routed out the cut-outs so I just used the template to enlarge the cut-outs to the exact size. Thankfully my original cut-out was undersized. You would normally route the cut-outs before fitting the sides to the boxes.



Once you have a nice neat cut-out you can use that as the guide for the recess route. I put together the cutter from the shaft of a buiscut cutter, the cutting blade from a rail and stile cutter and a bearing. I used the big router for this part as the cutting blade is too big for the little hand router







This is then used to route out the recess



Clean up the hole



And fit the handle. These actually came out perfectly with a press fit



Hope this is of some use to someone. Cheeers S

[sine143]

bravo

Much nicer than my way of doing things ( freeeeehannnd)

[Tom Smit]

Good job! Thanks for sharing.

[LelandCrooks]

1 1/2 rabbeting bit if you don't have a biscuit jointer blade.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

You can use the same technique to create a pattern in hardwood or 3/4" BB. Then you can screw the pattern to the cab and use pattern following bits and/or router base inserts to cut the cab. This is especially handy if you're doing a few cabs.

[Bruce Weldy]

You can use the same technique to create a pattern in hardwood or 3/4" BB. Then you can screw the pattern to the cab and use pattern following bits and/or router base inserts to cut the cab. This is especially handy if you're doing a few cabs.

+1

After building a few cabs, I have a template for oval cutouts, circles for stacking indentions, and the Penn handles.

Just used the oval for a handle in a project a couple of days ago. Having the template saved probably an hour over trying to do it any other way....and it comes out perfect every time.

[SimonD]

Err... It IS a template/patern?????

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

Show him, Bruce.

[Bruce Weldy]

Show him, Bruce.

Took awhile to find these....

For handles - using a pattern bit.

Then I wanted to do some circles for feet.....used the other end of the handle template for the circles...

This should give you the idea.....I also have one I built to put handles on the end of my Yamaha monitors. It is a template and a jig that positions the template properly. I did five of those, so it was well worth the time to make it.....especially now that I've picked up two more and have to do them too.

[SimonD]

Are you guys drinking over there or what????

Is this not a template placed on a cabinet for the sole purpose of routing out a hole?



And here is another one I made for doing the Speakon plates.



Just because it still has the guide blocks on it does not make it any less of a template, Does it ???

[Bruce Weldy]

The first picture looked like the strips were on the surface that you were routing - didn't realize it was on a separate board. Looks like you are building the template based on the router base. What I'm doing is using a pattern bit - much easier with less setup and the size of the bit doesn't matter because it follows the roller bearing.

[SimonD]

Ahhh Bruce, but my template can be used with either a pattern following bit OR the router base. That makes it multitasking
I think we can leave it there!!!!!

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

The first picture looked like the strips were on the surface that you were routing - didn't realize it was on a separate board.

+1.

[bitSmasher]

I have a small router with similar form factor... never thought of using the plastic base as a guide. Always wrestled with guide bearings, which isn't always practical
Thanks for the idea! will definitely use that technique when I make handle/anything jigs