# Wood Handrail Q?



## philly529 (Apr 19, 2009)

Hey guys, 

I'm putting on hand rails for my basement project. My stairs take a 90 degree turn as seen in the picture below. When I put the railing in, should i make it one continuous piece and miter the corner, or make it two pieces? 

hope this makes sense.


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## hayewe farm (Mar 15, 2009)

One continuos rail would be best, but if you do it in 2 sections you will probably be required to do a return at each end.


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## beerdog (Dec 10, 2008)

Yes. One continuoius piece will look nicer,but it will take more skill to build. If 2 pieces, you need to return them to the wall to meet codes. You can buy standard fittings to accomplish the 1 piece build. There are some good resources on the web to learn more. Search stair building codes. Also visit LJSmith.com. They have a good stair and handrail building guide.


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

I would keep it continues, people who need the handrail would rather keep their hands on something the entire journey up or down the stairs.


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## philly529 (Apr 19, 2009)

kwikfishron said:


> I would keep it continues, people who need the handrail would rather keep their hands on something the entire journey up or down the stairs.



Hey thanks for all your replies. 

I would want to make it one continuous railing, but there doesn't seem to be a way to miter an outside corner on an angle like that. 


Any ideas?


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## philly529 (Apr 19, 2009)

beerdog said:


> Yes. One continuoius piece will look nicer,but it will take more skill to build. If 2 pieces, you need to return them to the wall to meet codes. You can buy standard fittings to accomplish the 1 piece build. There are some good resources on the web to learn more. Search stair building codes. Also visit LJSmith.com. They have a good stair and handrail building guide.



What do you mean by standard fittings?


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## beerdog (Dec 10, 2008)

people do it all the time. Compound miter saw or buy fitings. Google stair railings and you will find pictures. You can also buy fiittings for making turns. You can see them on the LJSmith web site. Doing this is actually very common. Using premade fittings will give you a nice curved turn. You can even buy everything at the big box home centers.


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## philly529 (Apr 19, 2009)

beerdog said:


> people do it all the time. Compound miter saw or buy fitings. Google stair railings and you will find pictures. You can also buy fiittings for making turns. You can see them on the LJSmith web site. Doing this is actually very common. Using premade fittings will give you a nice curved turn. You can even buy everything at the big box home centers.



I have looked online for a few hours today and cannot find anyone that shows how to make an outside corner turn down stairs. any insight into this?


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## beerdog (Dec 10, 2008)

HEre are some fittings
http://www.stairwarehouse.com/6010-profile-fittings.html

application aexample
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cache3.asset-cache.net/xc/87391685.jpg%3Fv%3D1%26c%3DIWSAsset%26k%3D2%26d%3DE713C2F924EEE0336B23E75F777F52DD4C0A462C2C38509178C19E2000B28A3AE30A760B0D811297&imgrefurl=http://www.jupiterimages.com/Image/royaltyFree/87391685&usg=___Y0UgQri82Y78l2habTpieHvOEw=&h=506&w=338&sz=23&hl=en&start=8&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=O3m1beWvtjjckM:&tbnh=131&tbnw=88&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwood%2Bwall%2Bhand%2Brailing%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1

http://greeffsteelworx.yellowpages.co.za/user_images/Copy_(2)_of_Wooden hand rail.JPG


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## beerdog (Dec 10, 2008)

Hit the library. There are plenty of good books on building ballustrade (hand railing).


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## beerdog (Dec 10, 2008)

you could do it several ways.

1. use a quarter turn (90 degree) fitting.

2. combination of 90 degree turns and over and under eases. Eases are a type fitting.

3. custom compound miters. Usual approach is to use fittings though. 

Remember that building custom ballustrade is one of the more difficult fields of carpentry. It requires perfect cuts and measurements. You might want to get it quoted unless you really want to do it yourself.


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## 01stairguy (Feb 26, 2009)

if the city is going to inspect this job and if they require a continus wall rail, then you are gonna have to do it via miters, and if this is a simple wall rail then will be a lot easier you can ret a way in doing it in 2 sections and each wall rail you can return each end with 45* degree miter cut return it to the wall, by the way the wall rail has to be a least 1 1/2 a way from the finished wall.


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## philly529 (Apr 19, 2009)

01stairguy said:


> if the city is going to inspect this job and if they require a continus wall rail, then you are gonna have to do it via miters, and if this is a simple wall rail then will be a lot easier you can ret a way in doing it in 2 sections and each wall rail you can return each end with 45* degree miter cut return it to the wall, by the way the wall rail has to be a least 1 1/2 a way from the finished wall.


hey thanks, I am def going to do this in 2 sections. i don't see a way that i would be able to do it on continuous section.


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## beerdog (Dec 10, 2008)

look at the picure link I attached. It is your same application. You can do it. but 2 pieces would make it very easy.


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## 01stairguy (Feb 26, 2009)

this is the real thing that you have to do is simple


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## 01stairguy (Feb 26, 2009)

:thumbsup:just remember stay a way from the wall 1/1/2 or 1 5/8 no less than that good luck:thumbup:


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## beerdog (Dec 10, 2008)

I think we should go with the stairguy's advice. Something about the name tells me he knows what he is talking about.


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## beerdog (Dec 10, 2008)

Stairguy....couldn't it also be easily done with fittings? Obviously it would be a little more cost due to the fittings. And it takes more skill since more work is needed to join the fittings, but it would give a nice curved look. I am sure you have done it a 1000 times, but here is a picture of a wall rail I made for my house that is half of what he would need. Would just need an up-ease to the next railing run.


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## 01stairguy (Feb 26, 2009)

yes the best way will be with the fitings, but if hi is doing it for him self i will spend that kind of money, but if this is for some body else i dont know unless if they are willing to pay for the parts and labor, you know how that goes now in days, cheap cheap cheap God we can't make no money any more:furious::whistling2::thumbsup::laughing::thumbup::wink::huh:


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## 01stairguy (Feb 26, 2009)

some a little different


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## agreif (Feb 27, 2012)

OK, bringing this back from the dead. I'm looking at doing this same thing. I have a half wall that I am going to put a banister up and then have two more stairs that will need a handrail. So you just have your regular rail and then an L type jog, like this Handrail Jog which you then immediately tie into the wall after it makes the turn? My only concern with that was the strength of the banister on the half-wall portion. My length is about 5' before I make the turn. I'm wondering if I should do it the way you have laid out or if I should terminate it at the wall and then hand short section that I mount to the wall, but wouldn't be "continuous".



01stairguy said:


> :thumbsup:just remember stay a way from the wall 1/1/2 or 1 5/8 no less than that good luck:thumbup:


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## Keith Mathewson (Sep 1, 2010)

That thread was better off dead...


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