New Newel Post Installation

[williamglossop]

I'm renovating an old stair case. I have had to remove the old Newel post in its entirety as it was rotten at the base due to old water damage. The attached pics show what I'm left with - the post straddles two steps and the first step is a bullnose step.

My question is, if I were to keep the existing tenon on the bottom of the stringer, and mortice the newel - am I correct in thinking I would need to remove the bottom step first in order to fit the newel? If so, how would I do that? The other option is to remove the tenon, and just use glue and lag screws to fix it to the end of the stringer.

I'm not a joiner or carpenter..... so I'm not sure in what order the stairs would have originally been constructed.

Has anyone done anything like this on here that might be able to offer some advice?

 

[big-all]

i simply dont understand how a chunky newel post can rot whilst the step' floorjoists'floor and string are unaffected on a suspended floor??
has anything else been replaced at a different time or has another possible source off damage like wet/dry rot /worm been treated??
more concerned about sorting any possible future problem?

 

[williamglossop]

The base of the post had been damaged for many years. The floor has been replaced and boarded over a while ago. It's a suspended timber floor and there isn't any damage elsewhere.

Either way..... I'm still trying to work out the best way to fit a new newel post. It's not a task I've taken on before, but I'm handy on the tools..... handy enough to give it a go anyway.... I'm just trying to work out the best sequence.... and how to accurately mark out the newel for the notches etc.

 

[big-all]

you really need a mortice chisel or risk breaking a normal chisel
twin pin marking gauge
just make sure the centre off the newel and string match up
and offset the dowel pins 2mm to tighten as you drive them home

 

[Tigercubrider]

I did similar to yours, but the original newel had been cut down to the height of the stringer when the whole handrail was removed.
I took the original newel out, and very carefully cut the new newel to match the tenon. Loads of trial fittings etc.
I whittled pegs to act as dowels .

once the handrail is fitted, the whole lot locks up.
It was ages ago when I did it, but I have a feeling that I left it all loose until I had everything ready to assemble so that it all went together as one?

 

[williamglossop]

Thanks for the replies. I decided to remove the bottom bullnose step and I'll dry fit the newel to the stringer and second step first so that I can fit the post from the front. Once it's chopped out for the 2nd step and stringer - I'll temporarily replace the bullnose step, mark the post for that, then remove it, router it out, rinal fix the post and then re-instate the bullnose step- that's the plan anyway.

Big-All - I have a dual pin mortise gague, but don't have a mortise chisel - I assume a router with a flush cut bit, set up against a guide, will do the job.

I'll post pics of the job as I go along for anyone else in the future that might have to do the same.

 

[blup]

Dropping the mortised newel onto the tenon might be sufficient, you might get extra support by adding some wood under the riser/tread and using the existing holes through the tenon. Ongoing pics of the project would be great.

 

[big-all]

you can rough out the top 30 or so mm off the mortice with a router with 2 fences and about 15-20 passes at 6-8mm depth increments assuming a 1/2" router any deeper requites specialist long cutters
now you can do it with one fence but so open to mistakes iff you go in the wrong direction [look it up]

 

[williamglossop]

Managed it.

First off - I had to remove the bullnose step. It wasn't possible to do it with the step in place. It was fairly easy to remove. The tread was nailed on and came off pretty easy - although I had to be pretty careful.

Once I'd done that... I measured up from the floor to the bottom of the tenon. Then I fabricated a frame around the tenon using scrap wood and mitre fix. I did this to create a router jig. I marked the mortice on the post, then fixed the jig in place

I the rostered it out as deep as I could then finished it with a hammer, chisel and multi tool.

I could then get the post onto the tenon and marked out the second tread and riser. Then I routered them out and used a 24mm auger bit for the nosing of the step.

Once I'd done that. I made a second rebate on the back of the post around the mortice that was 3 mm deep and was done to allow the stringer to sit in the back of the post by a couple of mm. The tenon wasn't plumb, so I did this to allow me to plumb the post. If I'd just fitted it over the tenon, the back of the newel was up against the stringer and it hadn't be cut perfectly plumb so the post wouldn't sit plumb without a gap.

Once I'd done that, I fitted it all back together - used decent glue and towelled it together. I offset the dowel holes on the post by a couple of mm so that the dowel pulled it really tight against the stringer. It worked out pretty good.

After that.... did the handrail and spindles. I put the spindles too close, but I can't change em..... at least they're even.

The top post was easier cos I was fixing to an existing base.

 

[big-all]

cracking job well done
thanks for letting us know how you got on it makes it all worth it

 

[blup]

Great job