How to Make Wood Refrigerator Door Handle

In this instructable, I show you how to make a wood refrigerator door handle instead of buying a cheap, plastic replacement.

There are several things which are difficult to fully explain with words and images, so be sure to check out the video tutorial.

Bandsaw or Jig Saw

Disc Sander

Spindle Sander

Combination Square

Drill Press or Drill Guide Attachment

1.25″ Forstner Bit

Orbital Sander

Shellac and Acetone

Odie's Oil (Better than Shellac/Acetone)

First, I removed the refrigerator door handle.

Next, I traced the door handle on top of a scrap piece hard maple wood.

Also, the hard maple was 2″ thick. This made it slightly larger than the original refrigerator door handle (1.75″).

Next, I traced the refrigerator door handle on top of the maple. The handle was not exactly square on the front because had a rounded face. So, I had to make certain the pencil didn’t slide under the plastic handle.

I cut out the template on my bandsaw. A jig saw gets the job done as well.

As a quick tip, cut slightly outside the line. This allows you to sand up to the line in a later step.

I used my disc sander and my spindle sander to sand the handle to the pencil line from earlier. This is why it is important to cut outside the lines in the previous step.

The refrigerator door handle has a thin top overhang. This piece rests on top of the refrigerator door.

Additionally, it is thin enough to fit under the top freezer door when both top/bottom doors are closed. So, I transferred the length and thickness of this lip to the wood handle with my combination square.

First, I measured the dimensions of the handle and transferred the measurement to the wood door handle. 

The hole was large enough to fit the plastic ‘U shaped’ piece. Next, I removed the plastic piece by unscrewing one screw.

Then, I measured the plastic piece and got a forstner bit slightly larger. The forstner bit was 1.25″. So, I used my drill press to drill a hole to the same depth, which was 3/4″.

Lastly, I pre-drilled a hole for the screw and secured the plastic piece.

I sanded each refrigerator door handle with 220 grit sandpaper using an orbital sander. Also, I made sure to sand down each edge to make the wood handle comfortable to grab.

Although I used shellac/acetone to finish the wood, I prefer to use Odie's Oil.

I applied a generous coat of Shellac. Shellac dries quickly and provides sufficient protection.

Next, I gently sanded each door handle with 1000 grit sandpaper after the shellac dried. Then, I used Acetone to thin the Shellac and applied the final coat.

I hope this instructable provided you with value. Please feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions - I'm happy to help.

Be sure to checkout my YouTube channel and my website for more DIY tutorials.