How to fit stairs # 3 - Setting out spindles on a staircase

[@prince4eva1]

Im about to tackle a set of stairs with the same issue at the top. Really glad i found this video to help make my decision on what im going to do with it. Your explanations are bang on. Big respect to you 👏 👍🏼

[@nickhale2900]

Cracking job, the style of the spindle was simple but stylish.

[@rayn1728]

Hello, semi retired Bricklayer here,as I had been waiting months for a carpenter to be available to fit a bannister that had been previously removed for some reason, I decided to have a go myself. I came across your videos, which were brilliant!! I think the timber I used was similar to yours, it was pine from Selco builders merchants. The newel had been cut off at a 45 degree ish angle, so I lined it up with that and added about 75 mm above the top of the handrail for the finished height, and glued and fitted it with 7 screws, unfortunately a couple of the screws were protruding slightly with the angle and wouldn't move,but I filed them down flush,first schoolboy error!Then I cut the baserail with the beval set at the angle of the newel,measuring the whole length, but reversed the beval at the top resulting in a shortfall there ,so cut a small piece in and glued it in situ ,mistake number 2 ! But as I knew it was being painted as the existing, I knew I had a bit to play with, as in filler,and paint .The baserail was very bowed ,but following your instructions, I lined it up,and fitted it straight.I didn't make the same mistake with the handrail, as the baserail. Then onto the spindles which were not to bad as they were 45 degrees which I cut in a mitre box,and they were plain with no features intentionally to make it easier. I followed your way of setting out the equal gaps,and done a few" dry runs" with an offcut spindle, but it didn't work out that good,so I set out from the bottom at approx 95-100 mm and when I was two thirds through, I adjusted the last ones to suit and they came out well.With the offcuts fitted into the grooves top and bottom it seems sturdy enough, and now it's been filled where needed, and rubbed down, I started the primer paint yesterday. Considering I am a novice I am pleased with the end result, and thanks again for sharing your experience. Ray

[@Mr_A_Builders]

Hi Ray I’m glad I helped you out with a bit of info but from your message it looks like you had it covered already nice one and thanks for watching. 😂

[@andycornish9704]

hi gents watch all your loft videos and want to sat say WOW what a build and the quality is top notch. even better is the the team work,fantastic build

[@Mr_A_Builders]

Thank you Andy for your comment in means a lot to us. Thanks for watching and hope you enjoy the rest of the videos on our channel. 👍🏻

[@irish2665]

Watched all your video s in this series well done lads your attention to detail is unbelieveable its great to see master tradesmen at work and picked up a few tips keep it up lads 👍

[@Mr_A_Builders]

Hi Irish thank you for taking the time to comment on our channel it is always very much appreciated. Glad you enjoyed it. Merry Christmas.

[@Flowerbags]

Enjoyed watching. We’re about to tackle our stairs so I need all the help and tips I can get.

[@Mr_A_Builders]

Hi glad you enjoyed it. Not to take you away from our channel but I really enjoy watching Tall Carpenter as well and he seems to do a lot of stairs. Very easy to understand and follow. Hope your project goes well but if need any help or questions answering please fell free to comment again or email us I’ll happily have a chat with you to help 👍🏻

[@SimonWarne]

Great series, well done, nice finish, quality work throughout

[@amazing451]

The way I used to work out the spindles spacings on the rake was to drop a plumb line down from the top newel and measure horizontally between the 2 newels, then just do the same as how you did the landing. You did lose me a bit for a while but I got my head around it in the end. Looks a good job you done. 👍

[@Mr_A_Builders]

Cheers Kev. I lose myself sometimes but I thought the clip of the workings out may help people to understand better 👍🏻

[@LTFC1964]

There is no way that if I walked into that house I would look at that design and think it looks odd. It looks perfect and suits the layout. Well done. As always great skill and attention to detail.

[@Mr_A_Builders]

Thanks 👍🏻

[@matthewwhitley]

Great job. Really helpful to see how you did it. I think I would have run the handrail up to the ceiling and along where the top newel post was. But I think yours looks great. Thank you.

[@Mr_A_Builders]

Thank you for the comment Matthew. Glad the video was of some help. There were a couple of options given to the customer but they agreed on that one. Thanks for watching have a good weekend 👍🏻

[@FOUAD60SANTOS]

I'm about to start cutting white wood for handrail, for my tiny space spiral kind of staircase ,which i just made .and I'm not sure if it going to work.

[@Mr_A_Builders]

All the best with it 👍🏻

[@simoncoldwell1506]

Great videos , i love watching them , very informative and some very useful trade tips. never listen the the keyboard warriors as they have plenty to say but don't produce any videos .. keep up the great work and thanks.

[@marcwalters7541]

This is the one I’ve been waiting for as I have the same scenario

[@Mr_A_Builders]

Glad to help Marc. If you have any more questions don’t hesitate to ask 👍🏻

[@jaygray8143]

Thank you for sharing your video, it's very useful :) I just have a quick question please, how did you connect the top of the handrail to the timber on the ceiling? Did you use a handrail fixing kit of did you screw it?

[@hiyes5221]

Better looking at it than for it mate, been looking forward to this vid👍

[@Mr_A_Builders]

Cheers mate glad you enjoyed the episode it’s what we do it for. Enjoy your weekend 👍🏻

[@allanpalmer3143]

After years of thinking of a way to set out spindles on the stair string without using geometry, I thought of an easy way to do it. First, measure 1000mm up the string from the bottom and mark it. Then, Measure back horizontally to the newel, it'll be around 750mm. Next, measure the full length of the string, in your example 2415mm. Multiply 2415 by 750 which is 1811250 which is obviously 1mtr 811mm (divided by 1000) This gives you the horizontal length you'd use if you were just doing a balustrade, using a horizontal spacer. So, with three measurements and one calculation, most of which you'd have to do anyway, it's made easy. I used to go up the string to about halfway and then work from the top downwards, as a 1 or 1.5mm rounding up or down on the spacer multiplies with the more spindles needed. It may sound complicated but as I said, it's just three measurements and a calculation!

[@Mr_A_Builders]

It all sounds great to me Allan and I’ll certainly give that a go next time. 👍🏻

[@vinlondon8904]

You should definitely use geometry, but only after taking some classes in basic math.

[@simdog635]

Thoroughly enjoyed this series thank you very much I learned so many tips and tricks. Could i ask a favour for all viewers using earphones would it be possible when editing to lower the volume during the parts using power tools as the difference in the two levels is deafening , Thanks.

[@Mr_A_Builders]

That’s great Steve glad you enjoyed it and also the comment regarding the volume is very helpful to us to better the user experience. I’ve got a question for you. What do you think about the music to voice volume ratio. I struggle with that one so your thoughts would be great please. Have a good week 👍🏻

[@simdog635]

@@Mr_A_Builders Thanks for taking the time to reply much appreciated. I think the music is spot on no issues at all.

[@Mr_A_Builders]

Thanks for the help and support for our channel

[@leehalling8635]

Nice job what we normally do is run the hand rail in the underside of the ceiling then ad a piece of base rail in to the back along the ceiling so u don't need that 4x2 on the ceiling still a nice finish keep up the good work

[@nigelhaines7900]

lovely job mate

[@Mr_A_Builders]

Thank you Nigel

[@johnsouza4391]

I noticed that you kept the chamfer line straight up to the straight cut. Then used the shorter top area of each spindel straight on the last 2. Nice detail. My eye didn't like it but I don't know how you would do it differently.

[@Mr_A_Builders]

Cheers John. This type of handrail install is always a decision maker for me and the customer and on this occasion this was definitely the best option. thanks for watching

[@justincourt668]

Should have ran the shoulder through the table saw. Or even run a router with a jig for a cleaner finish.

[@pollyannahubbard5634]

What I normally do at the top of that handrail on the raked staircase, as you call it, I don't put a half newel there on the ceiling, I rip cut my handrail in half and stick that onto the plasterboard, to inmitate a hand rail, im not too keen on the way that newel post and cap looks when stuck on the ceiling.

[@Mr_A_Builders]

Hi Polly and thanks for your opinion they are always more than welcome. We all like our certain ways of doing things but as long as the customer likes it that’s all that matters. Can’t see how the handrail cut down would finish nice but maybe I’ll have a look at it sometime. 👍🏻

[@pollyannahubbard5634]

@MR A BUILDERS my names James, sorry im on my daughters account lol, obviously the customer satisfaction is a must. Its quite hard to explain what I mean through a message, but basically I would rip a piece of handrail down the center then plant that horizontally onto the wall with a 21degree angle on the end then cut my hand rail with a 21degree angle on the top end, assuming your staircase is 42 degrees like normal. No need for newel caps as all you can see is handrail. Cheers James

[@pollyannahubbard5634]

Ps, im not criticising your work, just mearly telling you what I do. Love your videos, keep it up 👍

[@Mr_A_Builders]

No worries at all James thanks for the support 👍🏻

[@jamesstamper1754]

6:05 What’s the bottom piece called you stick and fix down at 6:05

[@olajikiemi5910]

Please what angle did you cut your base rail and did you cut it thanks

[@olajikiemi5910]

It square fitted thanks.i m a novice

[@olajikiemi5910]

My base is it not sitting well on the top due to the wall by the stairs. What should I do

[@KevinLawrence-r6t]

Was your base rail flat at the bottom or did it have a slot for your stringer? Thanks!

[@Mr_A_Builders]

Hi and thanks for the comment. If I remember it was flat but you can get one that rebates on top of the stringer. The only thing is with the rebated ones you lose the opportunity to tweak the base rail if the stringer is twisted. (More for older houses) 👍🏻

[@KevinLawrence-r6t]

@@Mr_A_Builders It’s really hard to find them with the rebate, I’ve looked everywhere 😩 but if it’s quite normal for a bit of an overhang I’m sure it will be fine to use a flat one then :) thank you so much!

[@joreynolds4785]

Excellent job done

[@Mr_A_Builders]

Thanks Jo

[@billybulmer7386]

Great tip for cutting the top of the newel post. I’ll certainly have to remember that one. Hope you all have a good weekend😀

[@Mr_A_Builders]

You too Billy cheers 👍🏻

[@johnsouza4391]

In the US we do 5" OC (on center) so roughly 125mm.

[@1987pagey]

What is that massive fillet on the string

[@Ramblingpete]

My comment is well well done 👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿

[@marcwalters7541]

Fantastic, thank you 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

[@Mr_A_Builders]

No probs Mark our pleasure cheers for the comment

[@andybrace4983]

Lovely old job and deffo chop that bit off looks lost sat there

[@Mr_A_Builders]

Cheers for the comment Andy and I’ve decided to extended that piece all the way down prior to paining to make it look like a complete half newel and it looks a lot better and also like it’s meant to be there. 👍🏻

[@nigelhaines7900]

Agreed

[@benm2176]

Did I miss the part where you figured out the angle and size required for each spindle?

[@Mr_A_Builders]

Hi and thanks for commenting. This is Part 3. If you go back to part 1 I’m sure I covered that. If you have any more questions feel free to ask. 👍🏻

[@benm2176]

@@Mr_A_Builders Also cant find where you've done this, even in part one.

[@stephenmiller8620]

Spindles cant be more than 100mil not less

[@Mr_A_Builders]

Hi Stephen yes mate a slip of the tongue but people like yourself knew what I meant 😁 thanks for watching

[@derekbrown6557]

Naff is the word your looking for

[@xxyxnxwxaxx9724]

So reading these comments , i understand that even experienced joiners have no set standard to fit spindles. Im just goin to keep to 99mm get to the endif i need to lose 10 mm ill lose a mill on each spindle

[@Mr_A_Builders]

Hi It’s not about the standard it’s about getting all the gaps the same but maintaining the maximum 100mm between them. Your method will work fine if your happy with the different gap at the end 👍🏻

[@xxyxnxwxaxx9724]

@MR A BUILDERS It's not possible to get a 100mm centres always and be a 100mm centres at start to finnish. You or do you equal them at a 100mm and then at the end equal the end to be even at the start and end with all a 100mm between. I understand if you equal everyone spacing but it won't always work out 100mm that's not true, I've never ever had stairs always a 100mm equal, maybe around 85mm upwards to 100mm well there abouts.

[@Mr_A_Builders]

Hi and maybe we have crossed wires here. You are correct you cannot and will never get 100mm equal spacing on any spindles. The 100mm is the maximum you should stick to when calculating your equal spacing. It could be 87, 92, 99 who knows. Thanks for commenting on our channel. 👍🏻