How to Install Cabinet Hardware and Hinges

Installing Butt Hinges
Butt hinges can be non-mortised, mortised on either the door or frame hinge leaf only, or fully mortised on both the door and frame sides. They can also be concealed, half-concealed with the door or frame hinge leaf visible on the surface, or fully visible with the leaves installed on the surface of the door and frame. The following are guidelines for installing butt hinges mortised onto solid wood cabinet doors, and also mortised onto the frame:

On the door, measure for the location of all hinges. Some hinges come with templates to help you measure accurately.
Position each hinge on the door. Mark the perimeter of the hinge with a pencil; then gently cut out the mortise within this perimeter with a chisel and hammer to the depth of the hinge leaf. (Fig. 4)
Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each hinge on the door.
At each hinge location, mark the locations of the screw holes on the cabinet door, and then install all screws (you may need to drill pilot holes first).
Hold the door in place in the cabinet opening. Using a pencil, trace the perimeter of each hinge leaf that will attach to the cabinet frame. Within this inscribed area, gently cut out the mortise to the depth of the hinge, using a wood chisel and a hammer.
At each hinge location, mark the locations of screw holes and drill pilot holes if necessary. Install the hinges on the cabinet frame.
Repeat steps 1 through 6 for each cabinet door.

Installing Cabinet Door Knobs and Pulls
The location of knobs and pulls is essentially a question of aesthetics and convenience. To avoid splitting the wood, try not to install knobs or pulls less than 1 inch from any edge of the door. Where you place your knobs and pulls beyond that 1-inch border is up to you. You may want to line up the pulls with the hinges if they're visible (on a wall cabinet, the bottom of a pull would be at the same distance as the bottom of a hinge). Or, place pulls at a comfortable height for every family member. A general rule of thumb is to locate them within one-third the height of the cabinet in whichever direction is involved--for a wall cabinet, put the pull no more than one third up the cabinet door measuring from the bottom.

For drawers, if you have one knob or pull, center it on the drawer front. Or, if using two knobs, center each vertically on the front, but space the knobs close to either side of the drawer front so that you can comfortably and effectively pull the drawer open; allow at least a 1-inch border on each side.

Knobs
Knobs are the fastest to install because they require only one drilled hole and one screw per knob.

Once you've decided upon the knob's location on the cabinet, measure in from the appropriate edges and mark the screw hole with a pencil or awl.
Create a starter hole by using an awl.
Using a variable speed electric drill and a bit sized for the screw, slowly drill the hole into the cabinet from the outside. Avoid splintering the inside face of the cabinet as you drill by clamping a scrap of wood at the inside location on the cabinet door.
Place the screw through the opening from the inside and screw in the knob, taking care not to overtighten.
If you are installing one door above or next to another, make sure you line up the knobs.

Pulls

Decide where you want to put the pull and mark the location of the first screw hole.
Using a variable speed electric drill with a bit sized for the screw, slowly drill the first hole into the cabinet from the outside. Avoid splintering the inside face of the cabinet as you drill by clamping a scrap of wood at the inside location on the cabinet door.
Measure the distance between the centers of each hole on the pull, and mark that distance for the second hole on the cabinet, also matching the distance from the edge of the cabinet to the first screw hole. Then repeat step 2 for the second hole.
Using the supplied screws, install the knob. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.