I’m currently making some balustrading to go round a balcony, and the stairs down to the ground. It’s simple stuff – 3″x3″ softwood rails top and bottom with vertical slats running between them. The slats are mortise and tenoned into the rails. I’ve done the four level sections (8-10′ long), and apart from a rather challenging glue-up all went well.
Now I have to do the stair section. In the past I’ve fixed the upright slaps by cutting grooves the thickness of the slats in the two rails, nailing in the slats and filling in the grooves between with short, angle-ended pieces. However, this lot is outside (though semi-sheltered) and I don’t feel small infill blocks are a good idea, even treated, as the rest has been, with the finest preservative money can buy.
My mortiser doesn’t do that swivel trick (p 11 FWW Tools and Shops)so I’m racking my brains for a way to join the upright slats to the sloping rails. Ideas welcome!
Replies
Dowels?
That's what I was thinking, but I'd prefer a mortise and tenon way
If your motiser won't swivel at the base, will the post come loose from the base? If so, you could re-mount it on a temporary base that allows a tilted/wedged piece to be held.
Unless you're the lead dog, the view just never changes.
No that wouldn't be practicable - the motor bit slides on two pillars fixed to a cast iron base. But you have given me an idea!
I think I could make a triangular block to support the rails, if I can bodge the hold-downs, then be able to cut angled mortises.
Your past method of groove and spacers should be ok for the hand rail. For the lower use two rails. One on each side of the verticals with the spaces between left open to allow the water to drain. If your eye needs to have the gaps filled cut angled dadoes with your table/radial arm saw or router in one side rail, with the second undadoed one covering the open side. Water can drain if it gets past the glue/sealant/paint.
That's ingenius but still leaves a lot of ways for the water to get in
"That's ingenius but still leaves a lot of ways for the water to get in"While the water may get in, it will drain and dry much faster than a mortise. A mortise will act like a cup and hold the water around the tenon. With the amount of rail that falls in this area it's more important to let it out, rather than try to keep it out.
Does your mortiser have the long or short chisels? If you have the short chisel you can make a cradle jig for the angle you want. Mount the jig on top of the platform base with clamps so they don't move. The only drawback is the necessary space for the length of the pieces you want to mortise. Support for the section above the jig is nothing more than using an adjustable height support to cradle it so it doesn't wobble. An alternative is to use your drill press and a forstner bit, use one of the mortise chisels to square the hole, or round over the tendon to fit the hole. Use a good waterproof glue and this should remedy the problem with water accumulation.
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