I didn't understand how to install handrails and stair spindles, so I hired a professional to coach me through it. Doug Watson from Country Lane Woodshop ([ Ссылка ]) has a lot of experience with this and you will see how we installed the handrail. After some coaching from Doug, I continued with the work to install the stair spindles.

The installation of the old handrails was done by the builder of our house about 15 years ago. The installer fastened the top end of the angled handrails by drilling a hole in from the top surface and countersinking a screw, before inserting a wooden plug to hide the hole as best as possible. I didn't want to install my newly finished handrail the same way as the wooden plug would always be visible, and I wouldn't be happy with that quality of work.

Before Doug arrived, he asked me to have all the parts ready and to order some hardware. I made and installed a shoe rail, which is the bottom board that has a groove for the spindles to sit in. I also made fillet strips that would fit snugly in the groove and flush with the surface. I also the underside of the railing so the groove would allow the stair spindles to fit in snugly and I made matching fillet strips for the handrail too.

The hardware I ordered was for the angled railing to be secured to the newel post. I used Zip Bolts:
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Zip Bolts are designed specifically for this. I was impressed with how well they pull in the handrail to the newel post. When finishing the last few cranks on the bolt, the railing actually lifted up at the bottom end from the tension.

The stair spindle installation would have been difficult for me to figure out without Doug's coaching. The most challenging part was determining the length of the spindles on the angled sections when they were plumb. I ended up making an extendable spindle jig that I could put in place, make sure it was plumb, and then lock it to length. I then transferred this jig to a spindle to draw my cut lines. The jig needs to be centered on the spindle, so by adding measurements on each end, it became easy to center the spindle.

Once I had the stair spindles cut, I could put them in place with a fillet strip in between each one. This let me see how the start and end of the run looked so I could get equal spacing between the spindles and the newel posts. Once I cut my starter fillet strip, I was ready to install the run for stair spindles. I glued them in place with carpenter’s glue and if the spindle wasn't a snug fit, I also drove a finishing nail through the spindle into the handrail.

This was a project where I learned a few new things. I enjoyed working with Doug and learning from his experience. This would have taken a lot more time (and likely more material) if I had to figure out how to do this on my own.

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#stair #spindle #handrail

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