Spiral staircase handrail

[Trent Mason]

I was talking with my boss this afternoon and he built a spiral staircase over the weekend in his cabin. The center post is a dried cedar tree trunk. The steps and balusters (?) are walnut and they are all in place. The only thing he couldn't figure out is how to make a handrail. Of course, this started my wheels turning, and they haven't stopped, even though I got off work almost 3 hours ago. :eusa_thin :gar-La;

I'm not sure if he's working with walnut or cedar for the handrail, but I'm guessing walnut would be the better choice. I thought that since the balusters and everything else were already in place, that the best option would be to build the handrail in place by laminating thin strips into a mold that would also need to be built in place, then shaped to preference.

He is building it from the edge of a loft bedroom down to the main floor. Sorry, I don't have any pics. Just throwing it into the think tank. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. :icon_thum

 

[FredP]

I've done this many years ago by bending the veneer skirt board using the treads for the form. the treads were pegged into the post. I made the skirt 4" wider than needed then cut the 4" off and moving it up for the handrail. the pickets were then epoxied in. maybe that would work for you?:icon_thum the process took much time.:gar-Bi

 

[Gotcha6]

I had to do one of these about 15 years ago in a house. It wasn't a spiral but it was a winder - that changed pitch halfway up. Bending railing is available from lumber suppliers. It is basically a handrail ripped up with tongues & grooves to help align it as it is bent & glued. The simplest way to get the angle is to clamp right angle blocks to the front of the treads & then clamp the rail to that as you wind & glue it up. Be sure to protect the treads from glue squeeze out. DAMHIKT. After it sets you can drill in your pickets & cut for your balusters.

 

[Trent Mason]

Fred and Dennis,

Thanks so much for your replies. I like the idea of using the ends of the treads for the form, but he already has the balusters/pickets in place, which may not be perpendicular to the treads (just guessing, but probably a good guess). I thought about building a form in front of each tread, but at baluster height and either building the handrail around the tips of the balusters/pickets or slightly above it and lowering it down to mark and make the mortises.

The one thing that bothers me is that he used a tree trunk as the center post, so I'm sure no measurement from the post is uniform. :BangHead::BangHead::BangHead:

Thank you so much for your input. :icon_thum

 

[FredP]

Fred and Dennis,

Thanks so much for your replies. I like the idea of using the ends of the treads for the form, but he already has the balusters/pickets in place, which may not be perpendicular to the treads (just guessing, but probably a good guess). I thought about building a form in front of each tread, but at baluster height and either building the handrail around the tips of the balusters/pickets or slightly above it and lowering it down to mark and make the mortises.

The one thing that bothers me is that he used a tree trunk as the center post, so I'm sure no measurement from the post is uniform. :BangHead::BangHead::BangHead:

Thank you so much for your input. :icon_thum

nuthin like pushin a chain huh?:rotflm: it's always nice to be called before it's already in progress isnt it?:gar-Bi

 

[Gotcha6]

The problems I can see are ones with maintaining a fixed relationship with the tread run/rise. If the pickets & balusters are easily removed I'd still try my method. You have very little way short of building a form at every picket and making sure you are exactly vertical above its centerline each time that you can assure you are in the correct orientation with the tread.
Good luck.
Oh - and WE WANT PICS!!!!!!!

 

[Gofor]

Use aluminum

Go

 

[striker]

May be a good excuse to visit Port City Staircase in Dutch square

Stephen

 

[Trent Mason]

Sorry for not getting back to you all, it's been a busy week. Dennis, I think your method is the way to go. I'm not sure if the pickets are permanently in place or not. I don't have any pictures of it, just what he told me. I'll send him a link to this and maybe this will help him out.

May be a good excuse to visit Port City Staircase in Dutch square

Stephen,

I've seen their trucks around town and I've always been fascinated by the pictures on them. I'll definitely have to check that place out sometime. :icon_thum

 

[bluchz]

I watched My father do this when i was about 10. He used the Pickets as the form, protecting them with tin strips of wood and clamped 1/2"(maybe it was 3/8" or 1'4") thick 4" wide x 8' or 10' long pieces of oak that had been steamed in a homemade steamer to them. He used the pickets for the form and glued the pieces together to get the width for a handrail. 20+ years later the handrail is still together and the all wood staircase he designed himself still stands. He had visions of a pile of toothpicks in the basement from too many people on it at once.