Thanks!

OK. Sure you can......

Nancy I would be glad to help. Send me some more information about your project.

Yes Charles it is. I took the table off and made a custom one and had a new shaft made. Sounds like you may have an old Onsrud.

Mike, good to hear from you. I have a high regard for you and your work and for those you have worked with and influenced. Sounds like we are both servicing the same crowd. I know that the 5 axis machines have there limits which is a good for us but there are other ways to machine tight curves without carving. I would still encourage the next generation to learn Tangent Handrailing and would be glad to teach it, and do, when I am emailed questions, on the other hand though "Hot Rats" wouldn't sound the same on a ukulele. There have been advances in wood working that are here to stay and the "younger people" today are mostly tech oriented with little or no hand tool skills and they will find a way to make technology do what we do in a fraction of the time. What will be lost will be the desire to learn the old ways (because what would be the point) and the skill to do it, if need be, by hand. On a positive note though, there are a few who have been bit by the handrail bug, who only have basic woodworking equipment and they find out that they can make a beautiful handrail wreath old school and are trilled to do it. To wrap this up, I am willing to advise anyone with what ever they have to make beautiful handrail.

@@customhandrails5434 I'd LOVE to hear "Hot Rats" on a Ukulele! Thanks for the reply. Good luck to you. Keep up the good work...somebody's got to do it!

Paul, Thanks for your comment. Money is a great motivator but for me it was more about the challenge in a personal way. As a "mill bench joiner" I wasn't getting the personal satisfaction of seeing the finished product and feeling good about attaching my name to it. I wasn't challenged and I wanted something more, something that would hold my interest and focus. I actually lost money pursuing this craft in the beginning because it took my mind and attention away from my bread and butter. So I think my push for Tangent Handrailing would have to be to those who have found themselves wanting more of a challenge in their craft for their own satisfaction. After all when I stand back and look at a finished job and everything looks great and fits perfectly, I am the one who is most amazed. That's my motivation.

@@customhandrails5434 couldn’t agree more! When I say run of the mill, I mean that, although we have many very talented and experienced joiners here at our company in the uk, none of us know how the tangent handrail system works. This kinda makes it a niche market and therefore worth a premium..

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for your reply.

Hello Houles, I looked at one of these carvers when I was first starting my journey in handrailing but I couldn't seem to find enough information to make my decision. I did however know of at least two others who were using the French Spindle successfully shaping handrail which helped to make up my mind. Disregarding the danger is what you tend to do when you have a strong desire for the end result and no mater how many years we have done it successfully it is still dangerous. As far as your single spindle carver is concerned we all know that there are more ways to skin a cat but most of them involve sharp tools without discernment as to what they eat. I have chosen a path that puts some distance between my fingers and the sharp tool and I feel more comfortable passing the craft on to the next generation. I like being able to look down at my son's hands and still count to ten.

That is where I started as well. Let me know how I can help.

@@customhandrails5434 Thank you! At this point I think I am ready to stain and start assembly - but I'd love to send you some photos to get your opinion. I started with a basic curve then realized I needed to carve a helix.

@@fordguyfordguy Yes send some photos.

@@customhandrails5434 sorry but is your email listed somewhere? I didn't see it.

@@customhandrails5434 disregard my last question, I found your email and sent you some photos! It's my second handrail and my first curved one to go on some curved stairs I built. Please let me know what you think!

Yes I looked at those machines years ago and decided against them. No regrets.

Kutalmis, Thanks for your comment. In Rhino there is a command called "flow on a curve" which is what I was using in the video. I am not sure about Autocad but you may be able to make a surface on your base line and flow on that. Hope that helps.

Thanks Petter for the kind words. Mistakes are good teachers because of the sting. Education is always expensive as we all know too well. As far as the profiling is concerned, the shop tour video on the French Spindle shows the machine that was used on this fitting.

Jim, I would be the first to admit to overthinking. Just my OCD nature I guess. I think that's why I never took up playing golf. To many variables on getting the angle and the speed of the club to the ball. I was never good with " just hit the ball". I would often envy the guy that could pick up a handrail fitting run to the saw and wack the end off at an eye ball guesstimate, hold it up to its connecting piece to get a look and run back to the saw and one more wack and done. Meanwhile I am still working on the pitch block. This seems like a curse at times but hopefully it will yield a blessing.

@@customhandrails5434 You're speaking to your machines, according to their language. Something I never learned and not covered by any "tried and true" method or book. You're a pioneer.

Thanks David, as far as the French Spindle goes the best safety feature would be not to use it at all but if you don't value your fingers it does do the job. Thanks again for the kind words.

Thanks George

Hello Jim, good to hear from you again. I have a very high regard for your work and input over the years in promoting the Tangent Handrailing Method. You are one of the few that pushed against the direction of the slammed in 6010 scene that didn't no any better. I have seen an awakening in some (which I believe you are partly responsible for) who have a desire to bring back the beauty of the geometric stair and a smooth beautiful flowing handrail. Its not for the masses though and never has been but there are a few out there who have seen some of the good stuff on line or in one of your favorite books that want something better than Friday night beer money. They are more interested in creating something that they are proud of that has value and lasting beauty. There are a few still out there. I have meet some of them online and at the (Stairbuilders and Manufacturers Association) SMA meetings. Its a great thing to see. All is not lost and yes the code changes have cramped our style but maybe saved some injuries along the way. I was just in DC in one of the embassies to laser shoot the outside wall on a beautiful old circular staircase. They want me to make a wall rail. The reason is this, the beautiful original handrail on the open side is 4-1/2" wide and not graspable. I am with you on the honesty factor and am not as smart as you assume, I too am open to any who want to learn the so called footsteps of fire. I received an email with a drawing after posting this KZbin video and walked someone through his first face mold journey successfully and it was fulfilling as you well know. Maybe there are a few tenderfoots out there who are ready for another James Baldwin class somewhere. Regards Earle

@@customhandrails5434 Yes, the rumor of my demise was only partly correct. Thanks

Man mr master Baldwin!!! I´m so greatful for your videos on This is carpentry wich got me into the mysteries of tangent handrailing!! I have so many times whished there was a follow up on them on what techniques you use to shape the wreathes to profile. If youre still in the business, or at least would shoot a simplified sample video it would be a gift to the trade and of great value for coming generations. There is very little on this topic, far less than the also rare drawing methods. Please!! :)))

@@petterostberg9025 I've tried replying to you but it's not printing my response (so you're probably not getting it.) If you look back you should find my email address. Try contacting me using that, or ask Earl @ Custom Handrails. He knows my contact information.

Thanks for your input Petter. Back in the beginning days my pursuit, a good friend of mine, made a copy of a book in a Philadelphia library by Edward Loth called The Practical Stair-Builder. The only problem was that the scale of the copies had been altered (stretched in one direction) to fit the paper which rendered all of the arcs and circles of the drawings into elliptical lines. Imagine my confusion.

@@customhandrails5434 😂 Cheers to that!

learn how to carve and you won't need fancy (but limited) 5 axis routers!

Mark the Spark Sounds like there is no turning back for you. Now lets see where you can put some wood on one of your VW bugs. Back in the late 60s I had a bug and a touring bus with the pull back roof. I'm sorry I didn't hang on to the bus. Thanks for the kind words. I hope Part 2 comes out asap. Earle

Love my vws! Siders Carpentry by day Mark The Spark by night. Definitely should have kept the bus they are worth their weight in gold these days.

Thanks Tony for skinning this cat another way. Great idea.

@@customhandrails5434 I love your work and execution. You have excelled at your craft, the finest I’ve seen. I have a few nice rail accomplishments but not close to yours. What’s important is i love the craft and the challenge. Be well my fellow craftsman

Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks Eric, yes you will be talking to Joe pretty soon.