New Guy needs advice with making soild cherry handrail

[Brian J Austin]

Hey guys,

I'm new here to Sawmill, and new to wood working. Last year I bought and gutted a house, and finished the last part, the kitchen a month or so ago. I took out a load bearing wall and a non load bearing wall to open the space up nicely.

Now I need to build a railing around my backdoor which is 3 feet lower than the kitchen (this landing also goes to the basement).

A friend of mine "just happened to have" solid cherry beams approx 4.5" sqaure rough cut. They have been in a dry barn for about 15 years. I have cut them a little longer than I need for length, but now I need to finish them, so to speak.

I have a DW735 planer, a older Jet JJ-6 jointer, a router table w/2hp router and a 10" radial arm saw.

Any plan for making handrail and newell posts. The newells I am going to do a simple 3.5" square, the hand rail will be a simple profile (still undecided). The ballustrades I will joint the rough piece, cut on bandsaw, and plane as needed. The problem I think I might have is that my longest peice of handrail i 66" long.

Any help/ ideas appreciated.

Brian

ETA: These pieces seem to all be from the center of the tree, if that means anything.

[scott spencer]

Welcome Brian - There are handrail router bit sets available in a variety of profiles. Combine the edge profile with a thumbnail or large roundover for the top and you're good to go.

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/orderstatus/html/smarthtml/graphics/handrail.jpg

http://www.holbren.com/images/T/t-83-40.gif

[Richard Wolf]

As Scott points out, router bits are availible. The #8553 is the most popular profile used. Any round over bit will work for the top. These must be used in a router table, and with some hold downs, you should be able to handle 66" with out much trouble.
One thing you should keep in mind is that code for handrails limits the width to 2 5/8".

Richard

[Joe Chritz]

There ya go.

Use featherboards and take a few passes and the handrail bit will make a nice rail. As it isn't going to be used as a railing for stairs (if I understand correctly) you could opt for a different profile but the handrail looks very nice around a landing.

Not sure on the grain. Is it the pith of the log and it has the very center rings?

Joe

[Brian J Austin]

There ya go.


Not sure on the grain. Is it the pith of the log and it has the very center rings?

Joe

Joe,

Yes, these are the pith of the log... I happen to like the grain... but I hear that the pith is more unstable as far as warping and such.

B