It is beneficial to have a knob jig in your workshop that can help you make wooden star knobs. Especially when you are building jigs or machines for your shop.
A star knob comes in handy when you need to tighten, fix, clamp, or make adjustments to your jigs or essentially to any other thing around the workshop. Due to their ergonomic star shape, they offer a nice secure grip.
It is possible to make knobs without the knob jig, however, it is much faster and more convenient to use one. You can stock up, make several knobs at once and use them later on when needed.
In addition, you also save a lot by making your own wooden knobs. If you are building a workshop on a budget this jig is a must.
It is a fairly simple and quick project. You can use scrap wood or any kind of wood you find in the workshop. I built mine from plywood leftovers.
With the instructions in this blog post, you will learn step-by-step how to make a knob jig and wooden knobs for your workshop.
RELATED:
DIY Star Knob Jig Video
If you want to see how it is done, check out the full video below for a step-by-step guide on how to make DIY wood knobs.
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Table of Contents
- Star Knob Jig Video
- Star Knob Jig Plans PDF
- Material and Tools
- Related Questions
- What is a Wood Knob?
- What is a Star Knob?
- What are Clamping Knobs?
- How to Make a Star Knob Jig
- Step 1: Make the base
- Step 2: Draw the design on the base
- Step 3: Cut the inner circle
- Step 4: Install a T-nut and a Threaded Rod
- Step 5: Cut Holes for Different Star Knobs
- Step 6: Finish the Star Knobs
- How To Make Star Knobs with a Knob Jig
- Jigs Used for the Project
*Safety is your responsibility. Make sure you know what you’re doing and take all necessary safety precautions while working with power tools. Safety comes first!
What you'll need to build the DIY Knob Jig
Star Knob Jig
2x Birch Plywood – (170 x 100 x 12 mm)
Threaded rod ø6mm – https://amzn.to/48wzmps
Wingnut, T-Nut, and Washer for a ø6mm threaded rod
Check all the Tools I Use
Tools:
Hand Drill – https://amzn.to/3HqLEnH
Jigsaw – https://amzn.to/3S85cDr
F-Clamps – https://amzn.to/48ArzY1
Hole Saw – https://amzn.to/3NNCSTZ
Chisel Set – https://amzn.to/3tHNJrT
Machinist Square / Speed Square
Other
Forstner Drill Bits – ø10mm, ø15mm – https://amzn.to/3Hd1aDb
Hole Saw Cutter Drill Bits – ø38mm (ø42mm) – https://amzn.to/48Qpk2o
Drill bits for wood – ø2mm – https://amzn.to/4aI47t3
4x Wood Screws – 3 x 20 mm
Dowel ø10mm
Wood Glue – https://amzn.to/48ltKhJ
Epoxy Resin – https://amzn.to/3tJ5R4L
Sandpaper Sheets – https://amzn.to/41OMx2p
Hardware Assortment Kit – https://amzn.to/41PodgQ
We may earn an affiliate commission when you buy something through our retail links. As an Amazon Associate AllFlavor Workshop earns from qualifying purchases.
What is a Wood Knob?
A wood knob is a small, rounded piece crafted from wood, intended to be used as a handle or grip on various objects. It’s created by shaping wood into a circular form, sometimes with decorative designs. Making wood knobs involves techniques like carving or using a lathe. These knobs serve as functional and decorative additions to drawers, doors, cabinets, and furniture, providing a comfortable grip while enhancing overall aesthetics.
What is a Star Knob?
Star knobs, also known as lobe knobs or scallop knobs are one type of clamping knobs that due to their shape are ideal for tensioning, fixing, and clamping purposes. They offer an excellent secure grip thanks to their ergonomic star shape and come with a tapped hole or a threaded stud.
What are Clamping Knobs?
Clamping knobs or hand knobs are components used especially for tightening, clamping, adjusting, or assembling. They come in different variations depending on their application. They are available both with male studs or female threads. The most common types of clamping knobs are ball knobs, star knobs, knurled rim knobs, or wing knobs.
Keep in mind, that the bits you choose greatly affect the accuracy and cleanliness of your cuts. I recommend the ones below. They do a great job and are not that expensive.
Ultra-Sharp Cutting Teeth Specifically Engineered To Cut Through Hard And Soft Woods Smoothly And Efficiently
Image: Amazon
Let's Start
The knob jig is made of baltic birch plywood and is used together with a drill press stand. Once fixed in position on the drill press table, you can easily and repeatedly make star knobs.
The overall dimensions of the knob jig are 170 x 100 x 24mm and it allows you to make star knobs of several different shapes.
How to Make a Star Knob Jig
Step 1: Make the base
For the jig base, cut 2 pieces of plywood (12mm). Each is 170 mm long and 100 mm wide.
Mark the corners of one of the plywood pieces – 20 mm from the edges, clamp both pieces together, and predrill with a 2,5mm drill bit. Use a countersink drill bit to make sure the screw heads are completely flush with the surface.
Srew the two pieces together with 3x16mm wood screws for now. It’s only a temporary hold.
Step 2: Draw the design on the base
Flip the knob jig over, mark the center, and start drawing the design.
The design consists of 2 circles (inner circle ø38mm, outer circle ø42mm) and lines that are 60 degrees apart.
Step 3: Cut the inner circle
Once finished with the design drill a 2,5mm hole through both parts on the center mark.
(I did not run the drill bit all the way through, this is just to make a mark on the other plywood piece)
NOTE: This will allow me to work on the centers separately knowing they would be aligned when put back together.
Disassemble both pieces.
Take the first piece with the drawn design and use a ø38mm hole saw with a ø6mm drill bit to drill through the wood piece.
(A 38mm wooden knob works great for fitting a 6mm bolt or a 20mm T-nut. It’s a really handy size for a star knob.)
Step 4: Install a T-nut and a Threaded Rod
Take the second plywood piece and drill a ø20mm hole in using a Forstner bit, deep enough to just flush the head of the T-nut with the surface.
To insert the T-nut I enlarged the hole with an ø7,5mm drill bit – again, not going all the way through.
TIP: Check these different ways to install a T-nut
Insert the T-nut using a clamp making sure it is flush with the surface. Then assemble both base wood pieces together again and fix them with screws.
Cut 3 centimeters from a ø6mm threaded rod, sand the cut, and screw the rod in the T-nut. To keep it there for good, you can add a bit of epoxy to the t-nut.
TIP: As an alternative way of attaching the rod, you can also drill a hole through both the plywood desks and attach the T-nut from the bottom. Or directly insert a hex bolt or a carriage bolt from the bottom.
Just make sure both the T-nut and the bolt are flush with the bottom so that the knob jig sits flat on the surface.
Step 5: Cut Holes for Different Star Knobs
The design of this knob jig allows for 2 types of star knobs. Both have six points but they differ in the depth of the cut (10mm, 15mm).
The first one (10mm) additionally uses a dowel that fixes the position of the knob when drilling holes. With that, you don’t need to pre-draw the lines on the knob and you can drill right away. That quite simplifies the entire process of making the knobs.
NOTE: If you want to make star knobs with a different number of points, you can lay out additional lines on the jig that are not 60 degrees apart – (e.g. 120 degrees for a 3-star knob, 90 degrees for a 4-star knob, etc.).
1. Star Knob with a shallow cutout
Cut a circle using a hole saw and mark all the 60-degree lines.
Place the circle on the knob jig, align all the 60-degree lines with the lines on the jig accordingly, and fix the circle in position with a wing nut.
Drill a 10mm hole using a Forstner bit at the intersection of one of the lines and the inner circle (ø38mm).
Insert a 10mm dowel in the drilled hole (to fix the star knob) and drill a second hole right next to the first one at the next intersection.
NOTE: It is not necessary to insert the dowel in the hole at this point but you can test out how it would work when making knobs.
Now the jig is ready for star knobs with shallow cuts.
If you drew the lines correctly and made the 2 first holes right, then by rotating the circle in the jig and drilling additional holes you will get a perfect star knob.
The dowel will fix the position of the knob and allow for an accurate six-pointed star knob. Thus when creating additional star knobs you wouldn’t need to draw any lines on the circles.
The video attached goes into more detail on how the process works and how to cut the star knobs.
2. Star Knob with a deep cutout
The other type of knob follows the same principle as the first one. However, no dowel would fix the knob in position when drilling a hole.
I am using a ø15mm Forstner bit to drill the holes on the outer circle (ø42mm). To center the circle with the dowel jig at least one or two lines on the circle are necessary.
The process of creating the star knobs is the same as in the first case.
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Step 6: Finish the Star Knobs
The star knobs are ready to be used at this moment. However I like to give them a final touch before use.
Slide the knobs on a threaded rod and tighten them from below and from above with washers and nuts. Mount the rod on a drill press and sand the edges of the knobs.
You can use a piece of sandpaper on a wooden block to sand them, but what I like to do is to use a hand-grinding machine. It is better to use sandpaper with a lower grit due to the speed of the drill press and the grinding machine.
NOTE: Take caution and make sure not to hit the threaded rod while sanding.
This is what a finished star knob looks like – it looks just awesome. 😉
How To Make DIY Wood Knobs
The steps below provide simple instructions on how to make diy wood knobs using a knob jig.
- Cut out a wooden circle with a hole saw
- Place the circle on the knob jig, fix it with a wing nut, and drill in the first hole
- Turn the star knob 60 degrees, place a dowel in the hole, and secure the knob again with a wing nut
- Drill the second hole
- Repeat the process until all holes are drilled
- Install a T-nut
- Finish the star knob by sanding sand all the edges and inner cuts with a sandpaper
And there you have it. A nice and simple knob jig for your drill press that will help you make perfect star knobs.
Here are a few examples of projects where I’ve successfully applied these DIY clamping knobs. They prove incredibly useful when crafting your woodworking jigs, offering precise fine-tuning, acting as adjustable clamps within t-tracks, or securely fastening multiple boards and materials together
I hope the information shared in this blog post sparked an idea and inspired you to build this simple woodworking jig. You can save a lot of money by making your own wooden knobs. And besides, they look amazing 🙂
So.. Ready to make a few wooden knobs for your workshop? Let’s do it!
Enjoyed this vid on knob making.
Are the plans available in PDF form please.
cheers fro Australia.
Hello Tony, I am glad you liked it. At the moment I have the design that is available in the post. Although my plan is to transform my builds into PDF plans. So please bear with me 😉 Thanks, Lukas.