Need to install a handrail in a house that apparently never had one. Stairs go up, turn right, go up some more … no landing at the turn, just more steps. Rise is only 6″, tread is 10-1/2″.
Looking for an on-line source of handrail parts. Customer wants iron, not polished brass.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell’em “Certainly, I can!” Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
Replies
Stiff wire wheel buff the brass and paint....
http://www.leevalley.com
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming....
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Lee Valley has a couple steel victorian-style handrail brackets. http://www.leevalley.com and search with "handrail bracket".
http://www.vandykes.com, p/n CL-02009658
Edited 9/7/2004 12:50 am ET by JAMIE_BUXTON
Try http://www.outwater.com .................Iron Helix
Those Lee Valley brackets are nice and will fit the house style ... but what I need is the handrail with the corners and returns etc.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
Google with "stair parts". For instance http://www.westfiremfg.com/. Or ask at your local lumberyard.
I've put some up like that, well, you're talking about stairs with winders, right? Never could find off the rack, fasten together parts. We used steel fabricators who do stuff like outdoor handrails. You can even get them powder coated or chromed<G> Don't worry, we can fix that later!
Outwater has steel handrail in 10 & 20 ft pieces, and several styles of end pieces (volutes?), and a couple of wall brackets.
I talked with two people in sales, one supposedly with a lot of experience in the iron railings ... what a joke. One was clearly reading from the catalog, the other tried to use buzz words. I asked how the brackets fastened to the rail ... answer was "they (the customer) usually use the arc weld technique" to which I replied "In the house?" and he said "maybe I have the wrong terminology, but it's something like that".
I asked if they had a corner piece so I can turn a 90* corner with the rail. The answer was to take the rail to a special shop in your area and they can bend a radius. So much for tech support.
They do have the right pieces in solid brass, so maybe I'll sell that to the customer.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
actually, one COULD weld it in the house, I have done it with a small MIG wirefeed..and plenty of covers...
And an exhaust shop can bend a radius right quick..even compound to carry the rise..
maybe they are not so far off as ya may think.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
Oh, I know that. I have a small wire welder that would work. It just seemed that they, the 'experts' , were less than well versed on the product. But then it's a big catalog, so maybe I should cut them some slack ... nah.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
Ed
Sphere is right, I've worked on several houses where they welded on the railing inside the house.
Not that uncommon but make sure the guy knows what hes doing! Have a fire extinguisher handy just in case.