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 👏 👍🏼

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

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

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

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 👍

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

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

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. 👍

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

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.

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.

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

Excellent job done

Fantastic, thank you 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

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!

lovely job mate

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.

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.

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?

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😀

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

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.

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.

Did u. Are those cheap spindles outta 2x2. That gives me an idea

My comment is well well done 👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿

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

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

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

What is that massive fillet on the string

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

Naff is the word your looking for

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

Spindles cant be more than 100mil not less

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