stairs - removable bannisters.

[sm_jamieson]

I'm getting the stair spindles etc. delivered tomorrow. I want to build a r emovable panel, a bit like John Rumm did, but this is a whole staircase (13 treads), and if not done well the result could be a bit wobbly. The recommendation for fitting the bottom rail is to glue and screw.

There is a newel at top and bottom. The idea is to fit the handrail with bo lts covered over with a plug or filled, that could be drilled out if the pa nel (i.e. the whole banister) needed to be removed.

For the bottom rail, I guess a few screws or bolts under a few removable sp acers would hold it down, but this may not give it enough rigidity, althoug h most of this is probably provided by the hand rail.

Ideas for a more rigid fixing of the base rail:

1. Long metal dowels drilled into some of the spindles and the stringer. Co ns: might get jammed over time, hard to align correctly

1. The base rail is a bit wider than the stringer so mouldings will be need ed to tidy it up. I could arrange the mouldings to be permanently fixed to the base rail but not to the stringer, so the base rail "unit" fits over th e stringer instead of just on top of it, which would help. Shims might be r equired to tighten the whole thing up.

2. Some magic concealed quick release system.

Any more ideas ?

Simon.

[Andrew Gabriel]

removable panel, a bit like John Rumm did, but this is a whole staircase (13 treads), and if not done well the result could be a bit wobbly.

covered over with a plug or filled, that could be drilled out if the panel (i.e. the whole banister) needed to be removed.

spacers would hold it down, but this may not give it enough rigidity, although most of this is probably provided by the hand rail.

might get jammed over time, hard to align correctly

to tidy it up. I could arrange the mouldings to be permanently fixed to the base rail but not to the stringer, so the base rail "unit" fits over the stringer instead of just on top of it, which would help. Shims might be required to tighten the whole thing up.

I don't think the baserail would need fixing at all if it's a tight fit length-wise between the newel posts, and the stringer slots in a grove in the bottom of it. You might consider making one with the appropriate grove for the stringer routed into the bottom (which would be stronger than glueing mouldings to one). It might look similar to two baserails glued back-to-back, but with the underside one having a thinner slot to go over the stringer. You might even do this, and then pack the stringer sides with thin strips of wood to match the baserail slot width.

I made my own baserails when I did my bannisters, because I needed something quite different from the standard moulded ones. I morticed the balustrades into them, rather than using a slot with infills. (Mine isn't removable though.)

[John Rumm]

Are you planning on making the newels removable as well or just the bits between?

If doing the whole lot, then you could makeup the whole thing as a panel that just lifts off.

I think I would do as Andy suggested, and make a custom bottom rail. Include the same recess in the top to allow the base of the spindles to be set in, and the packer to go between each, but make the whole thing deeper so that you can route a slot in the bottom to sit over the string edge. You can profile the bottom to look like a molding if you want.

You probably won't need any fixing then along the bottom rail since the ends will prevent longitudinal movement, and the slot will prevent lateral.

For extra strength, the bottom rail and the hand rail can be tenoned into the newels.

[sm_jamieson]

I had in mind to have the newels fixed, and the hand rail removable from th e newels (with drilling out a wooden plug or something). The rails would be fixed with the system consisting of a threaded plate screwed to the rail a nd a blot through the newel. The top newel has to be fixed in place as it will be attached to the non-re movable landing bannisters. Also, since the newels are the main strength of the whole system, I think they need to be extremely solid and probably glu ed in. Plus the top newel will also be connected to the landing handrail th at will not be removable. Obviously removing the panel would cause some paintwork damage.

I think a bottom rail with a slot in the underside to take the stringer is a good idea though, as suggested also by Andrew. Whether it ends up being a custom piece or two bottom rails glued together I'm not sure yet. I don't currently have a router ...

The stringer actually has a slot along its length about 10mm deep and 4mm w ide that used to take the bannister "panels", so another possible option wo uld be to fix the base rail into this using some type of T shaped metal cha nnel.

Simon.