Flutterby™! : removable stair rails

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removable stair rails

2007-03-18 22:38:35.149851+00 by Dan Lyke 7 comments

I still need to veneer the edges of the mounts, and I've got a boatload of clean-up to do, but my removable stair rails are in place, solid and functional.

[ related topics: Woodworking ]

comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):

#Comment Re: Nice made: 2007-03-20 01:05:32.968922+00 by: m

I have a set of stairs that is completely open on one side. It goes from the first to the second floor. I had considered putting in a second railing, but that would really clutter up the completely open floor plan of the first floor. It is a concern when we have guests though, but I had not considered a removable railing. Thanks for the idea.

House projects, which I am not really fond of, seem to accumulate faster than I can even think of keeping up with them. And I am not even getting to the woodwork I really want to do.

#Comment Re: made: 2007-03-20 15:04:56.899387+00 by: Dan Lyke

An open railing seems a bit harder because it needs to come apart in several pieces, but I could imagine something with mortise and tenon joints with removable pins, at least for the support to rail joint. And maybe something similar on the floor, although I don't know how you lock the supports in place without having some protrusion, which seems like a bad idea. Definitely doable, though.

#Comment Re: made: 2007-03-22 21:24:46.243528+00 by: ziffle

I was thinking - this kind of thing is done all the time on boats - maybe there is a boat example somewhere?

#Comment Re: made: 2007-03-22 23:18:01.733861+00 by: Dan Lyke

Hmmmm... Good idea. That'd be a place to look for the specialty hardware.

I think one day I should wander around Sausalito's docks and see what sort of conversations I could get into, just to expand my horizons. Today I biked by a metalworking shop that I've only seen open once before, got into a good conversation with the proprietor of that and learned a few things. I need more of that.

#Comment Re: made: 2007-03-23 01:44:59.302567+00 by: meuon

Don't forget about high grade alternative materials. I fabricated rails on my deck that are 20 feet between vertical supports out of very high grade 2"x3" aluminum rectangular tubing found at the local salvage shop. Using such materials for a handrail on an open stair side would mean you would not need intermediate supports.

#Comment Re: made: 2007-03-23 04:11:22.204514+00 by: TheSHAD0W

For a removable side railing, I'd make "ladder sections" of railings that slot in between posts, which lock into mortises in the edge of the stair. You'd simply take down one post at a time, removing the railings between as you took out the posts.

#Comment Re: made: 2007-03-23 12:32:20.147937+00 by: meuon

The most fun thing about almost any home project: There's more than one way to do anything, and you get to do it (usually) the way you want to.