Afternoon gang, just figuring out slowly how to upload photos, anyways this was yesterday's itinerary. My friends granddaughter is now learning to walk and be naughty and escape and stuff, so the time had come to infill his open staircase to prevent the possibility of her falling through, (and to help him get up to bed when he's been to the pub.) Bit more to it than normal mopstick handrail up the wall..... Started off like this . . Removed old stump of 2x2 (!) Original newel post Morticed out new Newel post after cutting to size, glued with PU glue and drilled, counterbored and pelletted . We opted for square chamfer newel and square spindles to eliminate the problem of diminishing spindle sizes the further up the stairs you go, had to plant on timber to the trimming joist to pack stairwell out to provide a fixing point for the upper part of the handrail. Handrail and baserail fitted in place, first crucial spindle glued and pinned in place to support handrail intersection. Bottom section infilled after working out spacings. Remaining top section complete, nice and awkward the higher up you get. Didn't get lucky with last spindle spacing, ended up being slightly less than half the size of the other spacings. General consensus was "It is what it is I'm afraid." Just got to glue and pin a cap on top of the Newel to complete, merchants didn't have any in stock Finish is to be lightly stained or Danish oil, my mates got the unenviable job of stripping the existing string. Rather him than me, I'd prefer to stick pins in my eyes, but everyone's different I suppose
Cheers, a long one at that by time we cleaned up, got there at 8.30, set up tools, went to selco to pick up materials, finished 19.45 didn't want to come back to set all tools up again, and wanted glue to go off in one day so there til the end. Was dozing off in the pub afterwards
Cheers KIAB, property was 120 odd year old terraced cottage, so in certain areas it was a case of what looks right as opposed to what IS right. Stairs were dipping on the width right side by nearly 3/4 of an inch, stairwell trimming joist was out of parallel with stairs by inch and a half, the list goes on. Nice feeling when done though, good sense of accomplishment.
Always nice when peeps work with a old house than against it,I've had it with brickwork in old houses,you ditch the level & just go with the exsisting old brickwork, but it looks right.