In line with our ongoing attempts to finally finish the cabin that we started over forty years ago, we installed the last of the stair railings last fall to improve access and safety (Third Rail 8/18/24). Then it seemed advisable to put a bannister along the open edge of the loft. Not knowing much about building one other than the exterior deck railing that was taken out by the snowpocalypse a few years ago (Ice Fall 4/30/22), I googled it up and found out that a bannister is a free standing railing that consists of a horizontal handrail supported by vertical posts (balusters). So after buying some lumber (2X4s and 4X4s) I stacked them in the garage and forgot about it until this month. The 2X4s had warped beyond use but the 4X4s were still good, so cut them up into 3 ft posts. Ran them through the molding cutter on the table saw to smooth off any rough edges. then cut bevels on the top with a circular saw. Put double ended screws into the bottom of each and then screwed them into holes I'd drilled on the edge of the loft. For the top handrail, decided to use a pre-made one they sold at Home Depot. Made out of hemlock and sold by the foot, figured it'd be easy to work with, take up stain, and not warp like the 2X4s. After getting a ten foot piece home, laid it on top of the posts and marked them, then took it all down and out to the workshop and cut notches into the top of the posts, just wide enough to fit the handrail. Then it was just a matter of sanding and staining everything to get it ready to install in the loft.
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