ᐅ Attaching Furniture Knobs to Kallax Shelving Units Later – How to Drill Without Splintering?

Hello everyone,

I have a Kallax shelf from IKEA that I would like to upgrade with furniture knobs to improve the look and make it easier to access any recessed compartments. However, I am concerned about how to drill the holes for the screws without causing the wood to chip or develop unattractive cracks along the edges. This seems especially risky with this inexpensive particleboard or laminated material.

Does anyone have experience with the best way to drill to avoid splintering? Do you use any special tools, techniques, or pre-treatments on the wood? Maybe a particular method that reduces the risk?

I would be very grateful for any tips or advice!

Rejedo schrieb:
Does anyone have experience with the best way to drill to avoid splintering?

The classic method of lightly applying tape over the drilling spot often seems overrated. Sure, it helps a bit, but with such thin particleboard like in Kallax, I have my doubts.

I think the real issue is the material type: particleboard tends to chip easily. If you really want a professional look, you need to score the wood carefully beforehand, or even better, use a small Forstner or step drill bit for precise work. But hey: if you want to be absolutely sure, skip drilling and just glue on buttons or handles!

No offense, but to me, true craftsmanship looks different than reckless drilling blindly into particleboard. And if you do it anyway, better go slow and use the right fine tools.

karlau schrieb:
the real issue is the type of material

Exactly. Particleboard is unfortunately not solid enough to be drilled without caution.

Specifically, I recommend the following approach: First, mark the drilling spot at a right angle using a suitable square. Then support it from the outside with a clamp or a small, thin piece of wood to prevent splintering. Slowly drill through the wood at a medium speed.

Important: Pre-drill with a thinner drill bit to reduce the risk of surface breakout. Once the hole is pre-drilled, you can carefully enlarge it with the larger bit.

A step drill bit is ideal, but a good wood twist drill bit at low speed also works well. Control is everything.

Hi Rejedo,

I once installed furniture knobs on a Kallax myself and can say: drill slowly and use several small steps rather than forcing the drill.

jeff65 schrieb:
Pre-drill with a smaller drill bit to protect the surface.

Absolutely right, and it also helps to cover the drilling spot with painter’s tape or electrical tape beforehand. This reliably prevents the surface from splintering. Just apply the tape where you plan to drill.

In addition, a drill guide or drill stand worked very well for me if you have something like that—it keeps the drill straight, minimizing the chance of splinters.

And don’t worry if there are some small splinters—the damage often nearly disappears once the knobs are attached. Good luck, and if you have any more questions, feel free to ask! 🙂