We've had our horrible old staircase revived - it used to be mahogany-
stained pine with the soldiers falling out. We've painted the
strings, replaced the string caps and soldiers and painted all that +
newels white, and replaced the handrails with oak. However, to
complete it I'd like to put in newel caps in oak to match the
handrails.

I've found these:

http://www.shawstairs.com/product_details_23.htm

but I can't work out how to fit them. They seem to have rather
large ... er ... lugs? on the bottom (it has a diameter of 38 on the
picture). How would I go about fixing this to the top of the newel
(which is flat, except for the slightly rounded edges)? I have a
drill but no 38mm bits!

And then there's the half-cap - how would I fix this where the newel
butts up to the wall?

http://www.shawstairs.com/product_details_24.htm

Thanks

Edward

wrote:
We've had our horrible old staircase revived - it used to be mahogany-
stained pine with the soldiers falling out. We've painted the
strings, replaced the string caps and soldiers and painted all that +
newels white, and replaced the handrails with oak. However, to
complete it I'd like to put in newel caps in oak to match the
handrails.

I've found these:

http://www.shawstairs.com/product_details_23.htm

but I can't work out how to fit them. They seem to have rather
large ... er ... lugs? on the bottom (it has a diameter of 38 on the
picture). How would I go about fixing this to the top of the newel
(which is flat, except for the slightly rounded edges)? I have a
drill but no 38mm bits!

The easy answer is that you buy the newel posts with matching holes in
the top. However, you are not starting from there!

Hence you need to drill a big ish hole. The simplest way is probably
with an expansive bit in a powerful drill on low speed. Once the hole is
done (try to keep it nice and parallel to the post), chop a bit off the
peg on the cap so that it has a flat on the round section (this will let
air our when you try to push it into the hole). Smother in PVA, tape it
into the hole. Job done.

And then there's the half-cap - how would I fix this where the newel
butts up to the wall?

http://www.shawstairs.com/product_details_24.htm

Now drilling half a hole is a tad more tricky. So you have a couple of
options he

You could mark out the wood to be removed, chain drill just inside the
perimeter of you line, and then chop out what you need with a chisel.

alternatively, since the cap will be flat against the wall anyway, you
could simply chop off its peg, slap some no more nails on the flat side
and stick it on the wall above the post.



--
Cheers,

John.

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\================================================= ================/

wrote:
We've had our horrible old staircase revived - it used to be mahogany-
stained pine with the soldiers falling out. We've painted the
strings, replaced the string caps and soldiers and painted all that +
newels white, and replaced the handrails with oak. However, to
complete it I'd like to put in newel caps in oak to match the
handrails.

I've found these:

http://www.shawstairs.com/product_details_23.htm

but I can't work out how to fit them. They seem to have rather
large ... er ... lugs? on the bottom (it has a diameter of 38 on the
picture). How would I go about fixing this to the top of the newel
(which is flat, except for the slightly rounded edges)? I have a
drill but no 38mm bits!

IME you drill a hole & glue them in. 38mm bits are rare, Bosch make one &
B&Q list it on their web site.


And then there's the half-cap - how would I fix this where the newel
butts up to the wall?

I'd saw the lug off & glue to to the wall with No Nails, or plug & screw it
then use a wooden plug to hide the screw.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Jan 19, 12:42*pm, wrote:
I've found these:

http://www.shawstairs.com/product_details_23.htm

but I can't work out how to fit them. *They seem to have rather
large ... er ... lugs? on the bottom (it has a diameter of 38 on the
picture). *How would I go about fixing this to the top of the newel
(which is flat, except for the slightly rounded edges)? *I have a
drill but no 38mm bits!

So buy a 38mm bit! Chop some of the peg off if you can't be arsed to
drill very deep. Glue it in with your favourite wood glue.

And then there's the half-cap - how would I fix this where the newel
butts up to the wall?

Chop the peg off and glue it to the wall, or make the peg smaller and
square and chisel a matching hole in the top of the half newel and
glue.

MBQ

wrote:
We've had our horrible old staircase revived - it used to be mahogany-
stained pine with the soldiers falling out. We've painted the
strings, replaced the string caps and soldiers and painted all that +
newels white, and replaced the handrails with oak. However, to
complete it I'd like to put in newel caps in oak to match the
handrails.

I've found these:

http://www.shawstairs.com/product_details_23.htm

but I can't work out how to fit them. They seem to have rather
large ... er ... lugs? on the bottom (it has a diameter of 38 on the
picture). How would I go about fixing this to the top of the newel
(which is flat, except for the slightly rounded edges)? I have a
drill but no 38mm bits!


I'd be tempted to cut them flush and use a jig to drill accurate dowel
holes in both parts and use dowels..

And then there's the half-cap - how would I fix this where the newel
butts up to the wall?

http://www.shawstairs.com/product_details_24.htm


ditto, except also drill the rear and put a screw into the wall, whack
body filler over it and attach the thing to the wall as well.


Making large holes in end grain is a job for a sort of brace and bit
thing really..or one of those paddle bits. But chances are you would
split it.

Otherwise mark out and drill many holes, and use a chisel to clean up.

Thanks

Edward

In article ,
writes:
We've had our horrible old staircase revived - it used to be mahogany-
stained pine with the soldiers falling out. We've painted the
strings, replaced the string caps and soldiers and painted all that +
newels white, and replaced the handrails with oak. However, to
complete it I'd like to put in newel caps in oak to match the
handrails.

I've found these:

http://www.shawstairs.com/product_details_23.htm

but I can't work out how to fit them. They seem to have rather
large ... er ... lugs? on the bottom (it has a diameter of 38 on the
picture). How would I go about fixing this to the top of the newel
(which is flat, except for the slightly rounded edges)? I have a
drill but no 38mm bits!

I bought a 38mm (or whatever) auger bit to fit in my brace and
bit. Easy enough to do it with that. If there's someone else
to hand, have them check you are drilling truely vertically
into the post end. If the hole is slightly loose (mine was),
I used some wood shavings from the hand plane to wedge the
piece in. Glue and tap into place. They've never budged
since, and people swing on them as they go up and down
stairs around the winders. (Dowels would have broken off in
my household.) Parts of bannisters and handrails do have to
be quite strong -- people can reach for them in an emergency
when they've already started falling, and they need to be able
to handle the larger forces exerted in such cases, not just
normal use.

And then there's the half-cap - how would I fix this where the newel
butts up to the wall?

That doesn't have to be so strong. I suspect something like
no more nails would be good enough.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

On 19 Jan, 12:42, wrote:
We've had our horrible old staircase revived - it used to be mahogany-
stained pine with the soldiers falling out. *We've painted the
strings, replaced the string caps and soldiers and painted all that +
newels white, and replaced the handrails with oak. *However, to
complete it I'd like to put in newel caps in oak to match the
handrails.

I've found these:

http://www.shawstairs.com/product_details_23.htm

but I can't work out how to fit them. *They seem to have rather
large ... er ... lugs? on the bottom (it has a diameter of 38 on the
picture). *How would I go about fixing this to the top of the newel
(which is flat, except for the slightly rounded edges)? *I have a
drill but no 38mm bits!

You guys! Thanks for all the helpful advice.



And then there's the half-cap - how would I fix this where the newel
butts up to the wall?

http://www.shawstairs.com/product_details_24.htm

Thanks

Edward

wrote in message
...
We've had our horrible old staircase revived - it used to be mahogany-
stained pine with the soldiers falling out. We've painted the
strings, replaced the string caps and soldiers and painted all that +
newels white, and replaced the handrails with oak. However, to
complete it I'd like to put in newel caps in oak to match the
handrails.

I've found these:

http://www.shawstairs.com/product_details_23.htm

but I can't work out how to fit them. They seem to have rather
large ... er ... lugs? on the bottom (it has a diameter of 38 on the
picture). How would I go about fixing this to the top of the newel
(which is flat, except for the slightly rounded edges)? I have a
drill but no 38mm bits!

And then there's the half-cap - how would I fix this where the newel
butts up to the wall?

http://www.shawstairs.com/product_details_24.htm

Thanks

Edward

Hi Ed.

Ebay 38mm Wood Bit £2.80 delivered.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/38MM-FLAT-BIT-...1%7C240%3A1318

Tinyurl http://tinyurl.com/a46mty

Baz

(Dowels would have broken off in
my household.) Parts of bannisters and handrails do have to
be quite strong -- people can reach for them in an emergency
when they've already started falling, and they need to be able
to handle the larger forces exerted in such cases, not just
normal use.

Excellent point

In article ,
"Baz" writes:

Hi Ed.

Ebay 38mm Wood Bit £2.80 delivered.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/38MM-FLAT-BIT-...1%7C240%3A1318

Tinyurl http://tinyurl.com/a46mty

I'd suggest an Auger bit (for use with a brace and bit) for
drilling into the newel post end-grain...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BAHCO-9526-38-COMB-AUGER-BIT-38MM_W0QQitemZ320306576959QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Ha nd_Tools_Equipment?hash=item320306576959&_trksid=p 3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301|66%3A2|65%3A12|39% 3A1|240%3A1318

I wouldn't pay that much though -- I paid just under £16
in a local independant high street hardware shop for a
high quality one.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In article ,
"Baz" writes:
Hi Ed.

Ebay 38mm Wood Bit £2.80 delivered.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/38MM-FLAT-BIT-...1%7C240%3A1318

Tinyurl http://tinyurl.com/a46mty

I'd suggest an Auger bit (for use with a brace and bit) for
drilling into the newel post end-grain...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BAHCO-9526-38-COMB-AUGER-BIT-38MM_W0QQitemZ320306576959QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Ha nd_Tools_Equipment?hash=item320306576959&_trksid=p 3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301|66%3A2|65%3A12|39% 3A1|240%3A1318

I wouldn't pay that much though -- I paid just under £16
in a local independant high street hardware shop for a
high quality one.

If you want to use a ordinary drill, then try:

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Powe.../sd1400/p72369

Note you need plenty of torque though. I used one in my 18V combi for
doing my newel bases at the last house.

--
Cheers,

John.

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