View ChannelsFeatured: Finance
View ShowroomsFeatured: Radiantec - Radiant Solar Heating

BobVila.com

Home

Building a Custom Stair Railing

Bob visits with carpenter Kenney to look at stair details. Kenney shows Bob how to add strength and rigidity to the railing through the use of a mortise joint. He uses a biscuit joiner to make easy work of the cutting.

Get Adobe Flash Player to see this content.

Chapters from this episode

Building a Playground, Part One Now Playing

Building a Playground, Part One

Building a Custom Stair Railing Now Playing

Building a Custom Stair Railing

Custom Built-in Bookshelf Unit Now Playing

Custom Built-in Bookshelf Unit

Clip Transcript For:

Building a Custom Stair Railing

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" What kind of oak. Wrote what threat correct. And you've got your skirt board in place and -- newel post and working on the railing if -- removed and now. And how does -- get mounted up there is that it is a mortise that I think it yeah we're gonna put a -- biscuit in there that we're going to screw applaud it Bob hop. So. I'm biscuit is this pet food fair which simply gets fitted in here in the half fits into the newel post and that's what gives it -- the joint its strength. How do you cut that out but -- it was -- showing up. Just wanted to percent of which is under him. Fence. And the blade just cuts so more restrictive right -- you do."

" Hi -- handed up didn't. This end goes to win."

" And we dry fit it first productivity -- dry -- she works and biscuit goes into the newel post. But the other side and that are. Looks nice and clean there houses look at the top point you're all right Vegas and blew that up while we continue our tour. All right let's -- look beautiful actually it's gonna look great similar to the detailing that we see here on this railing. Along the the bridge area which is begin all done in oak and they simply added the square baluster stock. Bob and they've taken a lot of care in putting this together it's a nice nice installation you'll notice that the fasteners that go back and we into these posts have been. Plugged up with matching oak with a when it's all finished it'll look like furniture. "

[-]

More Videos »Related Videos

Router Hinge Template

Here's a tool that will making routing out hinge mortises easier and more precise than doing it by hand. It's a router hinge template, and it can be adjusted to the size of your door. Drive in the pins that hold the template in position, then rout each mortise to the depth your hinges need. Remove thetemplate and position your hinges in the mortise. Use a center punchto make the pilot holes for your screws. A router hinge template is especially useful when you've got a lot of doors to hang.

Installing a Solid-Core Cherry-Veneer Door

Bob watches Tim Berky cut the mortises for the hinges on the solid-core, cherry-veneer door from Woodport. Berky uses a Hinge Mate from Precision Tools to guide his cuts for the three hinge mortises on the door. The oil-rubbed bronze butt hinges from the House of Antique Hardware will match the decor, handles, knobs, and pulls throughout the remodeled space. Berky then uses a jig to cut the mortises on the jamb, checks for plumb, and attaches the hinges and doors.

Power Router

The power router is the most essential sharing tool in the workshop. It performs many tasks and isn't terribly expensive to buy. It cuts grooves and shapes molded edges. With a template, it cuts mortises. It's also the tool or choice for trimming laminate countertops. The power router can be used by hand, or fixed to a specially-designed router table.

European Hinges

To hang heavy cabinet doors and to conceal the hardware, use mortised European-style hinges. Use a 35 mm drill bit and set your drill press to half inch depths. Place the holes a quarter inch from the door's edge and be careful, when you set the depth, not to drill through the door. Attach the hinge to the mortise, and then attach the door to the cabinet box. When the cabinets are installed, the hinges will be completely invisible.