The Baluster Project

[Jim Koepke]

This is one of those ‘back burner’ projects. We built new porches a couple summers ago. With the pandemic messing with things my grandson hasn’t been able to travel up here to help with finishing the project and other things have kept me busy during that time.

Now, when time allows, balusters for the railing will be made a few at a time. Then one rail at a time will be installed.

First thing to do was finding the stock. A building supply store in Vancouver, WA had 2X2 clear cedar bundles at 48”:

a The Stock.jpg

That seemed perfect for the job. The first step is marking the balusters to be cut at 24”:

b Marking for Length.jpg

This is using a story stick with a locking head. It is set for 24”. The stock is marked from both ends since the stock isn’t a perfect 48” from the lumber yard. It is then knifed all around on the mark or between the marks if they do not agree. Then it is sawn:

c Sawing to Length.jpg

This piece had a little bow to it so the image looks odd. There are a few things to notice here. First and hardest to see is there is scrap under the ends of the piece being sawn for support.

Next is the piece of scrap 1/4” (6mm) plywood under the bench hooks to protect the bench top.

Finally notice the reflection in the saw plate. For a square cut it should look like a continuance of the piece being sawn. Keep an eye on this and your square cuts will improve.

Both ends are marked with a marking gauge for the length of the tenon:

d Marking Tenon Depth.jpg

This helps to prevent tear out on the shoulder of the tenon.

A spoke pointer is used to make a starting point for a hollow auger:

e Spoke Pointer for the Start.jpg

This is checked after the first few turns to ensure it is centered on the work.

It takes about fifteen to twenty turns to get it to size and then the hollow auger takes over:

f Hollow Auger Cuts Tenon.jpg

A check gauge is used to make sure of the size:

g Check Gauge.jpg

This is especially important if the blade has been sharpened between cutting tenons.

So far so good:

h Seven Down - Seventy Seven To Go.jpg

This is going to take awhile.

jtk

[steven c newman]

So...when will we being sliding down the railing?

[Jim Koepke]

So...when will we being sliding down the railing?

Two problems with that:

1) This railing will be horizontal.

2) It wll be pressure treated so it won't be smooth enough to slide on besides ending up with splinters in your behind.

jtk

[Jim Koepke]

Was able to spend a little time in the shop working on this today.

Next time the camera will go out to the shop with me to include more details.

Another thought always comes up when cutting round tenons with this set up. The spoke pointer:

G.N. Stearns Spoke Pointer.jpg

Is made by George N Stearns Co. In 1877 his son Edward C Stearns renamed the company. The hollow auger:

Hollow Auger & Depth Scale.jpg

Was made by the company named after the younger Stearns.

It always amazes me how a tool made over 140 years ago is still doing the job it was made to do.

The hollow auger is only a little over a century old and looking to last just as long.

jtk

[Jim Koepke]

My original thought on the gauged lines around the stock was as a way to prevent splitting and as a depth guide. It did not work as a guide. This was due to no convenient way to view the line without stopping. It also didn’t work reliably at stopping chip out around the perimeter of the shoulder. The break out was partially caused by the scribed lines not having been cut deep enough.

The lines were knifed after the first few:

Knifing the Lines.jpg

This did help to prevent the chipping.

Something many woodworkers have likely learned from experience is being careful when marking a line with a knife. If one is not careful when a lot of pressure is applied it can be very painful finding out about the sharpness of the corner of the try square blade.

The spoke pointer sets the stage for the hollow auger:

Gauging the Work.jpg

The first few times it is reassuring to check the work with a gauge. The piece of wood with a hole at the top of the picture was made using the forestner bit to be used for boring mortises in the railing to hold the tenons.

The spoke pointer changes sound as it gets closer to the finished guide cone. At first it cuts only the corners, thumping as it goes before turning into a smooth slicing sound. For me it takes about 15 turns to get it sized well. When first starting on this it is prudent to check after a half dozen turns to make sure of the cone’s centering.

After making a few cones for starting tenons, one’s eyes become a good gauge of size and centering.

A gauge is also helpful after sharpening the hollow auger's blade. Before returning to production the hollow auger should be tested on a piece of scrap. Even a very slight change in the blade’s position can affect the size of the tenon being cut.

Fortunately for me the depth wanted for the tenons on this project were the same as the depth of the blade holding casting:

The Hollow Auger Depth Gauge.jpg

This makes knowing when to stop easy. My hollow auger likely lost its depth stop a long time ago. Likely sitting in a drawer in some old barn somewhere.

Also notice the chamfer around the tenon’s end left by the spoke pointer.

jtk