I want to purchase a hardwood top to my staircase rails. I think it is
called a balustrade? (The rounded top of the stairs that you slid down
when you were a child).The stairs have two rails made of about 6"x1"
going down the stair angle. I would like to top them with a nice
polished hardwood.

Can anybody confirm I am using the correct terminology and tell me
where I can buy such thing?

On 2007-06-29 16:11:31 +0100, Merryterry said:

I want to purchase a hardwood top to my staircase rails. I think it is
called a balustrade? (The rounded top of the stairs that you slid down
when you were a child).The stairs have two rails made of about 6"x1"
going down the stair angle. I would like to top them with a nice
polished hardwood.

Can anybody confirm I am using the correct terminology and tell me
where I can buy such thing?

Using inches is not correct terminology.

Do you mean that you want to put trim pieces on the rails or are you
looking to get a handrail for the top?

In any event, the best solution would be to go to a joinery firm,
select the profile that you want and ask them to run the lengths you
need on the spindle moulder.

Other than that, you could look at the web site of Richard Burbidge who
manufacture a range of handrail mouldings. However apart from a few
oak ones they specify their hardwood as "dark" without mentioning the
actual species.

On 29 Jun, 16:28, Andy Hall wrote:
On 2007-06-29 16:11:31 +0100, Merryterry said:

I want to purchase a hardwood top to my staircase rails. I think it is
called a balustrade? (The rounded top of the stairs that you slid down
when you were a child).The stairs have two rails made of about 6"x1"
going down the stair angle. I would like to top them with a nice
polished hardwood.

Can anybody confirm I am using the correct terminology and tell me
where I can buy such thing?

Using inches is not correct terminology.

Do you mean that you want to put trim pieces on the rails or are you
looking to get a handrail for the top?

In any event, the best solution would be to go to a joinery firm,
select the profile that you want and ask them to run the lengths you
need on the spindle moulder.

Other than that, you could look at the web site of Richard Burbidge who
manufacture a range of handrail mouldings. However apart from a few
oak ones they specify their hardwood as "dark" without mentioning the
actual species.

Many thanks. Looked at Burbridge site. I need a 'handrail' Will have a
look round the sheds. I need 4200mm one. Bit long for the car?

On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:41:30 -0700, Merryterry
mused:

On 29 Jun, 16:28, Andy Hall wrote:
On 2007-06-29 16:11:31 +0100, Merryterry said:

I want to purchase a hardwood top to my staircase rails. I think it is
called a balustrade? (The rounded top of the stairs that you slid down
when you were a child).The stairs have two rails made of about 6"x1"
going down the stair angle. I would like to top them with a nice
polished hardwood.

Can anybody confirm I am using the correct terminology and tell me
where I can buy such thing?

Using inches is not correct terminology.

Do you mean that you want to put trim pieces on the rails or are you
looking to get a handrail for the top?

In any event, the best solution would be to go to a joinery firm,
select the profile that you want and ask them to run the lengths you
need on the spindle moulder.

Other than that, you could look at the web site of Richard Burbidge who
manufacture a range of handrail mouldings. However apart from a few
oak ones they specify their hardwood as "dark" without mentioning the
actual species.

Many thanks. Looked at Burbridge site. I need a 'handrail' Will have a
look round the sheds. I need 4200mm one. Bit long for the car?

Er, should we know how long your car is?
--
Regards,
Stuart.

"Merryterry" wrote in message
ps.com...
I want to purchase a hardwood top to my staircase rails. I think it is
called a balustrade? (The rounded top of the stairs that you slid down
when you were a child).The stairs have two rails made of about 6"x1"
going down the stair angle. I would like to top them with a nice
polished hardwood.

Can anybody confirm I am using the correct terminology and tell me
where I can buy such thing?

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/balustrade

Merryterry ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they
were saying :

Many thanks. Looked at Burbridge site. I need a 'handrail' Will have a
look round the sheds. I need 4200mm one. Bit long for the car?

Self tappers for the bracket into the bodywork should allow it to be fitted
to the car solidly enough, and 4200mm shouldn't stick past either end of
the car too badly, depending on what sort of car it is. You'll find that it
may make opening the car doors tricky, though. Still, a quick peruse of any
"Dukes of Hazzard" episode will suggest a strategy to allow you to deal
with that.

You'll probably find a stain that's a close enough match to the paintwork,
but metallic may be more difficult.

I'm not sure the MOT man will be too thrilled, though.

Merryterry wrote:
I want to purchase a hardwood top to my staircase rails. I think it is
called a balustrade? (The rounded top of the stairs that you slid down
when you were a child).The stairs have two rails made of about 6"x1"
going down the stair angle. I would like to top them with a nice
polished hardwood.

Can anybody confirm I am using the correct terminology and tell me
where I can buy such thing?

Handrail, and most timber merchants. As a "one off" you could form one
on a router in a table. but the cutters would cost more than the rail
ready made if you don't already have them!

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

"John Rumm" wrote in message
...
Merryterry wrote:
I want to purchase a hardwood top to my staircase rails. I think it is
called a balustrade? (The rounded top of the stairs that you slid down
when you were a child).The stairs have two rails made of about 6"x1"
going down the stair angle. I would like to top them with a nice
polished hardwood.

Can anybody confirm I am using the correct terminology and tell me
where I can buy such thing?

Handrail, and most timber merchants. As a "one off" you could form one on
a router in a table. but the cutters would cost more than the rail ready
made if you don't already have them!

I've made one to match an existing design using a spindle moulder. The
cutters were a couple of pieces of gauge plate, ground by hand until they
fitted the original handrail.

Colin Bignell

nightjar nightjar@ wrote:
"John Rumm" wrote in message
...
Merryterry wrote:
I want to purchase a hardwood top to my staircase rails. I think it is
called a balustrade? (The rounded top of the stairs that you slid down
when you were a child).The stairs have two rails made of about 6"x1"
going down the stair angle. I would like to top them with a nice
polished hardwood.

Can anybody confirm I am using the correct terminology and tell me
where I can buy such thing?
Handrail, and most timber merchants. As a "one off" you could form one on
a router in a table. but the cutters would cost more than the rail ready
made if you don't already have them!

I've made one to match an existing design using a spindle moulder. The
cutters were a couple of pieces of gauge plate, ground by hand until they
fitted the original handrail.

Colin Bignell



How many of us have a spindle moulder kicking about I wonder.

On 2007-06-29 18:31:18 +0100, Stuart Noble
said:

nightjar nightjar@ wrote:
"John Rumm" wrote in message
...
Merryterry wrote:
I want to purchase a hardwood top to my staircase rails. I think it is
called a balustrade? (The rounded top of the stairs that you slid down
when you were a child).The stairs have two rails made of about 6"x1"
going down the stair angle. I would like to top them with a nice
polished hardwood.

Can anybody confirm I am using the correct terminology and tell me
where I can buy such thing?
Handrail, and most timber merchants. As a "one off" you could form one
on a router in a table. but the cutters would cost more than the rail
ready made if you don't already have them!

I've made one to match an existing design using a spindle moulder. The
cutters were a couple of pieces of gauge plate, ground by hand until
they fitted the original handrail.

Colin Bignell


How many of us have a spindle moulder kicking about I wonder.

You wouldn't really manage to kick a couple of hundred kilos about.
These are substantially heavy machines.

Having said that, getting short run tooling made (e.g. cutters and
limiters for universal blocks) is quite inexpensive even if ordered
through a joinery firm. Then one can have interesting rather than
the usual boring profiles.

Andy Hall wrote:
On 2007-06-29 18:31:18 +0100, Stuart Noble
said:

nightjar nightjar@ wrote:
"John Rumm" wrote in message
...
Merryterry wrote:
I want to purchase a hardwood top to my staircase rails. I think it is
called a balustrade? (The rounded top of the stairs that you slid down
when you were a child).The stairs have two rails made of about 6"x1"
going down the stair angle. I would like to top them with a nice
polished hardwood.

Can anybody confirm I am using the correct terminology and tell me
where I can buy such thing?
Handrail, and most timber merchants. As a "one off" you could form
one on a router in a table. but the cutters would cost more than the
rail ready made if you don't already have them!

I've made one to match an existing design using a spindle moulder.
The cutters were a couple of pieces of gauge plate, ground by hand
until they fitted the original handrail.

Colin Bignell


How many of us have a spindle moulder kicking about I wonder.

You wouldn't really manage to kick a couple of hundred kilos about.
These are substantially heavy machines.

Exactly. And a moulding machine of the type used to produce handrails in
one pass, several times heavier again.

Having said that, getting short run tooling made (e.g. cutters and
limiters for universal blocks) is quite inexpensive even if ordered
through a joinery firm. Then one can have interesting rather than the
usual boring profiles.

How many variations can there be for a handrail? The "usual boring
profiles" have normally evolved for good practical reasons.

On 2007-06-29 19:27:02 +0100, Stuart Noble
said:

Andy Hall wrote:
On 2007-06-29 18:31:18 +0100, Stuart Noble
said:

nightjar nightjar@ wrote:
"John Rumm" wrote in message
...
Merryterry wrote:
I want to purchase a hardwood top to my staircase rails. I think it is
called a balustrade? (The rounded top of the stairs that you slid down
when you were a child).The stairs have two rails made of about 6"x1"
going down the stair angle. I would like to top them with a nice
polished hardwood.

Can anybody confirm I am using the correct terminology and tell me
where I can buy such thing?
Handrail, and most timber merchants. As a "one off" you could form one
on a router in a table. but the cutters would cost more than the rail
ready made if you don't already have them!

I've made one to match an existing design using a spindle moulder. The
cutters were a couple of pieces of gauge plate, ground by hand until
they fitted the original handrail.

Colin Bignell


How many of us have a spindle moulder kicking about I wonder.

You wouldn't really manage to kick a couple of hundred kilos about.
These are substantially heavy machines.

Exactly. And a moulding machine of the type used to produce handrails
in one pass, several times heavier again.

That depends. If it was a machine set up to do volume production runs
of rails then probably. Equally, one wouldn't probably use universal
blocks and profile cutters for them for volume either.

However, a smaller machine, used for general joinery and with suitable
infeed and outfeed support can do small runs easily.




Having said that, getting short run tooling made (e.g. cutters and
limiters for universal blocks) is quite inexpensive even if ordered
through a joinery firm. Then one can have interesting rather than
the usual boring profiles.

How many variations can there be for a handrail? The "usual boring
profiles" have normally evolved for good practical reasons.

There are literally tens of them in different sizes and shapes.

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On 2007-06-29 18:31:18 +0100, Stuart Noble
said:

nightjar nightjar@ wrote:
"John Rumm" wrote in message
...
Merryterry wrote:
I want to purchase a hardwood top to my staircase rails. I think it is
called a balustrade? (The rounded top of the stairs that you slid down
when you were a child).The stairs have two rails made of about 6"x1"
going down the stair angle. I would like to top them with a nice
polished hardwood.

Can anybody confirm I am using the correct terminology and tell me
where I can buy such thing?
Handrail, and most timber merchants. As a "one off" you could form one
on a router in a table. but the cutters would cost more than the rail
ready made if you don't already have them!

I've made one to match an existing design using a spindle moulder. The
cutters were a couple of pieces of gauge plate, ground by hand until
they fitted the original handrail.

Colin Bignell


How many of us have a spindle moulder kicking about I wonder.

You wouldn't really manage to kick a couple of hundred kilos about. These
are substantially heavy machines.

I can pick the Kity one I used up with one hand, although it is more usually
bolted onto a table with a circular saw and a thickness planer.

Colin Bignell

On 2007-06-30 11:11:56 +0100, "nightjar" nightjar@insert my surname
hereuk.com said:


I can pick the Kity one I used up with one hand, although it is more usually
bolted onto a table with a circular saw and a thickness planer.

Colin Bignell


One does need stability with a spindle moulder for quality of cut in
addition to the obvious safety issues.

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On 2007-06-30 11:11:56 +0100, "nightjar" nightjar@insert my surname
hereuk.com said:


I can pick the Kity one I used up with one hand, although it is more
usually
bolted onto a table with a circular saw and a thickness planer.

Colin Bignell


One does need stability with a spindle moulder for quality of cut in
addition to the obvious safety issues.

Which is why it is usually bolted down.

Colin Bignell