Homemade railings

[John_M]

Anyone know of a good source for materials or information to make your own wooden railings.  Specifically looking at how to cut and dry your own wooden spindles and rails?

[Ernest T. Bass]

I don't know exactly what kind of railings you're talking about, but we went rustic for ours:





The poles were semi-dry, and the spindles were very dry. That way the joints tightened up and we didn't have to use as many fasteners.. Total cost for a few bolts and washers was around $5.

[PEG688]

Rockler sells some tenoning tools ,

  http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=11056&filter=Log%20building%20tools

That books about  log furniture, but some stuff would cross over to railings I'm sure .

 

The stuffs not cheap but cobbling it together never works right for me. Now Glenn on the other hand is a fine cobbler of wood. 

So it depends on what your desired result / looks  are.   

[Sassy]

Wow, that is absolutely beautiful!  Thanks for posting the pictures!   

[glenn kangiser]

Many of my relatives  were actually cobblers when they came over from Lithuania, PEG.  Funny you should notice.

I guess that is probably why I would rather measure in feet than the metric system.  Hereditary.

Andrew -- I must have missed out looking at a lot of your stuff because I don't remember seeing that picture of your house. but that's also a beauty.  

Which tools did you use for the tenons and holes for them?  Did you paint the ends of the spindles to prevent checking when drying before making the tenons?  

[Ernest T. Bass]

We have a tenon maker similar to the one PEG has pictured, and a 3.5 hp Hitachi router. We used to use the pencil sharpener type drill mounted tenon cutters, but those things get really expensive once you get to the bigger sizes. The router jig can make tenons up to 3 1/2'' in diameter..

We just used Forstner bits for the mortises...

No, we didn't paint the ends. The spindles were cut about 6'' longer than needed, so it didn't really matter.

The thing I like about rustic railings is that you don't have to be perfect about it. Regular railings require a lot more precision and mistakes don't just blend in...

[glenn kangiser]

Rustic.... In my opinion, the greatest style.

Why do people strive for perfect sheetrock houses with fine labor intensive finishing when life would be so much more simple if they just decided on rustic as their style of choice. hmm

(Sheetrock def: A box wall lining material made of paper and mud for government prescribed boxes for caging and retaining captive humans - be sure to check feeding and watering suggestions to keep your human alive)... 

[PEG688]

  Many of my relatives  were actually cobblers when they came over from Lithuania, PEG.

 Funny you should notice.

Yet another  lost trade 

Oh I notice some stuff 

[glenn kangiser]

It is still a well practiced trade, PEG.  What are you talking about? hmm

video link http://cobbler.myaquaticworld.com/99092/traditional-chinese-cobbler-in/

[PEG688]

It is still a well practiced trade, PEG.  What are you talking about? hmm

video link http://cobbler.myaquaticworld.com/99092/traditional-chinese-cobbler-in/

I think thier making my next part of boots there, Carolina's  boots are now made in China. %$#@!^& NAFTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!The beginning of what where dealing with in part this week.

[glenn kangiser]

Yup --- you got it.  I got a pair of Chinese boots and the sole came off so I sent them back to BA Mason.  They sent me back the same one with 4E width so I couldn't damage them as quickly.   Made me feel like Bozo, though.

[glenn kangiser]

The first Chinese boots actually had some kind of chemical problem that colored my feet blue green and smelled terrible - not normal for my feet...  caught you before you said it.

The new ones leak so much dust I can't keep my socks clean for the day-- also not normal.

[TheWire]

You can also make log tenons with a hole saw and table or radial arm saw.

1. Use a hole saw with an ID that matches what you want the OD of the tenon.  The hole saw should be about 2" deep.
2. Drill into the center of the end of the log with the hole saw until it bottoms out.

3. If using a table saw, set the blade at an 45 deg angle and to a depth that it intersects the deepest part of the holesaw cut.
Run the log over the blade, turn it a bit and keep cutting and turning until the part surrounding the tenon falls off.

If using a radial arm saw, take a 4x6 block of wood and screw a lag bolt the same diameter as the hole saw's pilot screw into the block leaving about an inch exposed.  Cut the head off the bolt.  Clamp this to the saw's table to support the log perpendicular to the blade.   Set the saw at a 45 deg angle and adjust the depth of the saw to meet the deepest part of the holesaw cut as the log is supported by the bolt in the pilot hole.  Pull the blade through the log, spin the log a bit and keep cutting and turning until the part surrounding the tenon falls off.

The irregular cuts from not turning the log the same amount each time gives the angle on the tenon a hewn look.

[lonelytree]

ETB

   Your place is BEAUTIFUL!!! I love it! If you get around to taking a few pics of where you fastened the posts to the stairs etc... I am eagerly waiting. Did you use lag bolts or through bolts?

Are the white walls sheetrock with a rustic finish? They make a great contrast.

Thanks!
Mike

   

[Ernest T. Bass]

Glad you like the house. It's natural, and not everyone's cup of tea... The walls are all lath and earth plaster, with a white milk-based paint. We also tried various kaolin clay paint mixtures.. They look pretty nice, but we still haven't settled on a mix that's as scrub-able as we'd like. We are very much newbies at this, learning everything from books and the internet, and the house certainly has it's share of cosmetic flaws... In fairness, I will say that the pics do a nice job of hiding those details... 

I used lags to attach the post; nothing fancy about hiding the heads... If they loosen we will take appropriate measures with a 5/8'' wrench.

I don't have any pics of the post attachments, but I'll probably be doing some finish work on the staircase in the near future, and we'll take pics if it turns out decent. I notched the first post at the bottom into the corner of the winders, (which aren't up to code, and neither are the spindle spacings) and that was a pain... I'm not particularly proud of the fit either, but nobody's complained yet..

[glenn kangiser]

Mike, Andrew (ETB) is one of our professional alternative builders, and I think he is about 18 if I recall correctly.  An amazing family.

Sorry --- had to brag on you a bit, Andrew.

[Ernest T. Bass]

Shucks Glenn, quit embarrassing me...

(Pssst--Don't listen to him, Mike! I'm not a pro by any stretch of the imagination! )

[glenn kangiser]

Look at those red rosy cheeks. 

[John_M]

How funny....I go back to my favorite forum to see if anyone responded to my question about rustic railings and I see 17 responses.  "Wow" I say to myself..."there must be tons of awesome information...these guys (and gals) are the best!!"

Next thing I know, I'm reading about work boots made in China!!!

Not complaining at all....just think it hilarious how threads tend to drift from time to time!!!!

[glenn kangiser]

That's why we don't get excited about it.  So much to learn--- so little time.  The end  (of the internet) is near....


Maybe....

...anybody want to see if they can get that back to homemade railings? hmm

I've got it.



Careful shopping at your local oak tree can provide proper fitting railings -- maybe rough to get to code though.  These were cut with a chainsaw and shot together with a nail gun and rebar spikes.

[Ernest T. Bass]

I love the creativity of your place... What are the stairs made of?

[glenn kangiser]

The stairs are cob.  We had trouble with the edges breaking so wet them to soften them a couple times before the repair, then slip - liquid clay - brushed on...

For the repair we reinforced it with burlap slightly under the surface- some straw is helpful in the mud - just sized as needed plus enough to lap well back onto the firm part of the step.  It was necessary to stay off the repaired part a day or two.  Cover the burlap with mud and it will disappear but will hold like rebar in concrete.

A couple coats of linseed oil really increased durability and stopped dust from normal wear.  It also waterproofs it pretty well.

[apaknad]

well there actully may be a link. i found that my railings were made from chinese workboots. who wudda thunk it?

[Ernest T. Bass]

The stairs are cob.  We had trouble with the edges breaking so wet them to soften them a couple times before the repair, then slip - liquid clay - brushed on...

For the repair we reinforced it with burlap slightly under the surface- some straw is helpful in the mud - just sized as needed plus enough to lap well back onto the firm part of the step.  It was necessary to stay off the repaired part a day or two.  Cover the burlap with mud and it will disappear but will hold like rebar in concrete.

A couple coats of linseed oil really increased durability and stopped dust from normal wear.  It also waterproofs it pretty well.

Are those outside? Looks like they're holding up really well...

Our heated cob bench has several inches of cantilever off the seat, and I'm impressed by how strong it is. We reinforced it with long straw, and it has taken all kinds of abuse. From objects falling down from the loft and hitting the edge, to kids practicing their diving form and jumping on it..

I wish we had used chopped straw in the walls, seeing as how much strength it adds..

[glenn kangiser]

Were they triplep or quadruple E's Dan, or do they come in different sizes? hmm