Furniture fittings you can no longer buy
Furniture outlives manufacturers' product ranges. What is most often missing are small parts: shelf supports, cam lock fittings, feet, glides, hinge parts, connecting fittings and drawer stops. We measure an existing part or the hole pattern in the furniture and design a replacement that fits straight away.
Many modern cabinets are built on the 32 mm system, where holes are 5 mm in diameter, spaced 32 mm apart and often 37 mm from the front edge. Knowing the system, we can design a new shelf support or fitting to the standard dimensions instead of to a single worn part. The guide to measuring a part shows how to measure hole spacings and take good photos.
Older furniture often has its own systems with other hole spacings and diameters. There we measure the hole pattern carefully and design the fitting with a little clearance, so it can be fitted even if the drilling is not perfectly accurate. An old zinc die-cast fitting can also be redesigned in a tougher plastic or as a simple sheet metal part.
Wood moves – tolerances and moisture
Wood swells and shrinks with humidity. Across the grain, many species move in the order of 0.2–0.35 % per percentage point change in moisture content, while movement along the grain is very small. Indoors in northern Europe, moisture content typically varies between 6 and 12 % over the year, driest during the heating season.
A 400 mm wide solid panel can therefore change width by several millimetres between winter and summer. A fitting that locks the panel rigidly can split it or break itself. We design with slotted holes, floating fixings and clearance in grooves, with a guide value of 0.2–0.5 mm for plastic parts in wooden grooves depending on length and moisture. Sheet materials such as plywood and MDF move less, but their thickness often deviates a few tenths from the nominal size. That is why material thickness is driven by a parameter in the model.
The finish matters too. A lacquered surface absorbs moisture more slowly but does not stop it completely, and a panel finished on one side only can warp. We note such things on the drawing when they affect the design.
CNC routing in wood and sheet materials
We do not do any routing ourselves, but we design for CNC routing in wood, plywood and MDF and deliver files the joinery or routing company can use directly. Internal corners always get a radius at least half the cutter diameter, for example R3 for a 6 mm cutter. Where a square part must fit into a recess, we add corner relief cuts, known as dog-bones.
Holes for threaded inserts and dowels are drawn to the manufacturer's drilling dimensions, and routing depths are given from the right reference face. You receive DXF for 2D cutting, STEP for 3D routing and a technical drawing with dimensions, material and grain direction. The assembly is checked for collisions before anything is sawn or routed.
Grain direction affects both strength and appearance. Narrow parts such as legs and mouldings are drawn with the grain running along the part, and the direction is marked with an arrow on the drawing. For panels we also state which side is the show face, so the right cutter can be chosen and the part laid the right way up in the machine.
Plastic parts in furniture and lighting
Smaller parts such as glides, cable grommets, drawer stops, lamp brackets and corner fittings are often best made by 3D printing. They can be made in small quantities, in any colour and with shapes that are hard to machine. We choose the material for the use: PETG for fittings under load, TPU for soft feet and bumpers, ASA where there is sunlight or heat.
PLA softens at around 55–60 °C and is therefore unsuitable near heat sources. In lamps we design for LED light sources and leave room for ventilation. The electrical components themselves, such as lamp holders and wiring, must be approved standard components. We design the brackets and shades around them. More on adapting parts for printing is under design for 3D printing.
Visible plastic parts can match the colour of the furniture or deliberately contrast with it. An FDM print has visible layers, so for highly visible parts we choose an orientation and layer height that give the smoothest finish on the front.
Small batches for joiners and designers
For joiners and furniture designers we build models as variants: the same fitting or piece of furniture in several widths, heights and material thicknesses, driven by a few parameters. A new size then takes minutes instead of a new design.
Renderings in different wood species and colours help you choose before anything is made, and the bill of materials shows the number of parts, sheet materials and standard fittings. Want to sell your own fitting or furniture product in a small batch? We produce both print files and drawings for the parts to be made in wood or metal.
We also design with transport and assembly in mind. Furniture shipped flat-packed gets joints assembled with an Allen key, and the fittings are placed so the parts cannot be assembled the wrong way. That saves both shipping costs and complaints.
Guide values for furniture and interiors
| Parameter | Guide value |
|---|---|
| 32 mm system | Holes Ø5 mm, spacing 32 mm, often 37 mm from the front edge |
| Moisture movement across the grain | Approx. 0.2–0.35 % per percentage point of moisture content, depending on species |
| Moisture movement along the grain | Very small – usually negligible |
| Indoor moisture content, northern Europe | Typically 6–12 % over the year |
| Plastic part in a wooden groove | Clearance 0.2–0.5 mm depending on length and moisture |
| Internal corners in CNC routing | Radius at least half the cutter diameter, e.g. R3 for Ø6 mm |
| Board thickness | Often deviates a few tenths from nominal – measure the board |
| PLA near heat | Softens around 55–60 °C – choose PETG or ASA |
| Threaded inserts and dowels | Drilling dimensions to the manufacturer's instructions |
Guide values – always check against your wood species, your board and your fittings.
What we need from you
- The counterpart of the broken or missing part, or an identical part from the same piece of furniture
- Photos of the furniture and of how the fitting sits, with a ruler in the picture
- Hole spacings, hole diameters and board thickness
- Wood species or sheet material and whether the part is visible
- Quantity and whether the part is to be made in plastic, wood or metal
- Sketches or reference images for new furniture and details
Typical projects
- Shelf supports for an older bookcase system
- Replacement for a broken cam lock fitting
- Height-adjustable furniture feet
- Cable grommet for a desk top
- Lamp bracket and shade for LED
- Corner fittings for your own shelving range
- Drawer stops and runner parts
- CNC drawing for a plywood piece in several sizes
- Decorative patterned panel for routing
- Handles and knobs in a small batch
What affects price and lead time
- Whether the part can be designed to a standard system or must be measured freely
- Number of parts and variants
- Freeform shapes and decorative surfaces
- Whether drawings for the joiner are included
- Whether renderings in different materials are wanted
- Required delivery time
What you get
- STEP and STL or 3MF
- DXF for cutting and routing in sheet materials
- Drawing with dimensions, material and grain direction
- Renderings in chosen wood species and colours
- Bill of materials with boards and standard fittings
Frequently asked questions
Can you make a furniture fitting that is no longer sold?
Yes. We measure an existing part or the hole pattern in the furniture and design a replacement. It can be 3D printed in a durable material or drawn for metal if the load requires it.
Are photos of the fitting enough?
For simple fittings, photos with a ruler in the picture and a few measured dimensions are often enough, especially hole spacings and board thickness. With tight fits or moving parts it is safest to send a part.
Do you machine parts in wood?
No, we do not have our own router. We design for CNC routing and deliver DXF, STEP and drawings that your joiner or a routing company can work from directly.
Why do solid panels crack around fittings?
Wood moves across the grain when the moisture content changes. If a fitting locks the panel rigidly, stresses build up. Slotted holes and floating fixings let the panel move.
Which material lasts best for plastic furniture parts?
PETG is tough and handles normal loads, ASA copes better with sun and heat, and TPU suits soft feet and bumpers. PLA works for decorative parts but not near heat sources.