Victorian house- rebuilding porch rails- porch pillars are original hollow wood. Want strongest way to attach rails to pillars. do not want to use support under rails.
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
The FHB Podcast crew takes a closer look at an interesting roof.
Featured Video
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
Insufficient info. Are the pillars removed at present, or can they be easily removed to install anchors?
How thick (wall thickness)? Are they round or square? How stable are they? Do you trust the glue/fasteners holding them together?
That's right, Dan.
Parolee # 53804
Do you mind if I sit on your railing with my iced tea while I watch this thread unfold? The information so far is too vaporous and mistical to form an opinion yet.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Victorian house- rebuilding porch rails- porch pillars are original hollow wood. Want strongest way to attach rails to pillars. do not want to use support under rails.
What little I know about original Victorian hollow porch pillars:a.) Most commonly will be rounded
b.) Often found without venting
c.) That often spells trouble
be careful with that ice tea if yer leaning on a Victorian porch rail.
Parolee # 53804
You are right! There is planty of venting going on in the tavern!;)I just thought it humourous that this OP wants the strongest way and then eliminates the strongest way in the first post.Then somebody askes if these are hollow and other such stuff and the next guys asks HIM the same Q.So I thought I would ad to the circus by sitting over here to watch.You like my new clown costume?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
And what are the columns (pillars) made of?
THE PILLARS ARE ATTACHED , ROUND ARE GOOD SHAPE AND ABOUT 3/8" THICK.
ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO THEY WERE REMOVED TO DIP, STRIP AND HAVE BEEN RE ATTACHED , IT IS A PAIN BUT THEY CAN BE REMOVED AGAIN. THEY ARE IN GOOD CONDITION.
3/8ths sounds pretty thin.
Think they aren't original?
Parolee # 53804
The pillars are original and I am guessing at thickness- I do not really know because I did not measure them 20 years ago when they were removed. Now they are attached and in solid shape we put tiny vents in them when we re- installed them and they are solid.
Are these wooden railings with turned ballusters?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
wooden railings with square uprights about 1" square
In that case, you could do your balluster layout such that you have a balluster about 2/3s width at the column attached to it as the join with the column. glue and screws.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Thanks for your advice- I was hoping not to use the method you suggested.
I would prefer the railing be attached as it was when built. I was hoping somebody had a way to anchor the rail to the columns that was not as visible and yet strong.
Well, you could use a Wingits anchor, I suppose. Certainly strong enough, if the column holds together reasonably well.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
If the columns are round, cutting the rails to fit will do a lot for sideways movement. You have to get the fit just right and it will depend on the width of the rail. The rail profile and the way the balusters are attached can also help. A rail that is ploughed for a fillet between the balusters can cover something like a small metal angle brace. With some I've done, I just made the rail to fit tightly between columns and placed screws underneath the rail, "toe nailed" for a good grab. You can also use things like rail bolts, countertop fasteners, pegs/dowels. With rail bolts, like countertop fasteners, you have to cut a slot under the rail so it can drop over the bolt. With dowels, just drill like you were using nails or screws, glue them in and trim to the railing. I have a pic of a railing jig I used on the bandsaw to get a nice radius cut. Pivot point is behind the blade. You have to stop before you cut through the fence.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
I have thought about Dowels- I do not have a solution for the corner pillars. Have any suggestions about using Dowels and on the corner where you want the same height but the rails are at 90 degree to each other?
Thanks for the picture of the jig for cutting the rail curve, very helpful.
mwest
Is it possible to reinforce the area that you are trying to attach the handrail to?
Are you able to either glue, epoxy, gorrilla glue some reinforcement wood imediatly behind the area that the handrail will butt to the post? 3/8" would be pretty thin to try to screw anything to and expect the mechanical conector to grab/hold. If you can build the wood up behind/inside the post you could use a rail bolt like they use on rails inside houses.
Doug
Edited 4/9/2007 10:36 pm ET by DougU
mwest-
Ideally a picture would answer many questions regarding your inquiry.
Parolee # 53804
Edited 4/9/2007 10:21 pm ET by rez
No undersupports eliminates the strongest methods.
only 3/8" eliminates some of the other methods.
i'd need to know something of what kind of rail, style, materials, etc.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Could you put a support INSIDE of the column, and then use something like a steel angle bracket let into the column, secured all the way through the support, and recessed into the bottom of the rail?
I have pocket screwed rails with 2 1/2" stainless screws. Kreg makes some plugs, if you have to go in from the top. I'm assuming you're painting.Now, like you've heard before, post some pics of the old railing you're trying to copy...of course, maybe it failed cos of the way it was constructed? Outside of the gates the trucks were unloadin',
The weather was hot, a-nearly 90 degrees.
The man standin' next to me, his head was exploding,
Well, I was prayin' the pieces wouldn't fall on me.
Thanks for the tip about Kreg plugs -I will look into it, but I hope not to paint the top of the rail if I can afford an IPE rail.
So how'd you finally decide to handle it?
However, if one designs to construct a dwelling-house, it behooves him to exercise a little Yankee shrewdness, lest after all he find himself in a workhouse, a labyrinth without a clue, a museum, an almshouse, a prison, or a splendid mausoleum instead.
Parolee # 53804
Thanks -if I actually remove the columns I might do something like that.