New handrails

Whoa, it's really winter, so it's way too cold to work in the tent. So I'm in the process of finishing the last loose parts and the turn has come to the handrails.

 

The new handrails will be milled out of mahogany pieces of 28 x 52 mm, and a total of 6 pieces are needed. It is a rather cumbersome process, because you can not just make the cuts with a jigsaw - it will not look nice. That's why I made a template and milled them out with the router - it took a long time! I have rounded the edges with the router in a radius of 12.5 mm, so that the handrails become a little oval, which I think is nicest. Then they do not look like broomsticks.

 

I have decided that the handrails will be mounted from above, because I do not want a number of large screws in the ceiling - especially not because the planks in the roof have a different direction, so the screws would hit the joints in some places. So I need to make 32 stainless steel brackets of 40 x 52 x 3 mm to attach the handrails. The brackets will be milled up in the handrails, so there will only a small flap of approx. 10 mm visible on each side.

February 27, 2010:
I have finished making the small stainless steel brackets for attaching the handrails. I got the steel cut to the right size, so I just had to drill holes and countersink them, and the ends had to be rounded. Incredibly much time goes by with something like this when the material is stainless steel - it is a hassle to drill in, if the pitch on the drill is not correct, it burns almost immediately. I also ordered screws to mount them with, so now the handrails just need some oil and varnish, then I can mount the brackets.

April 20, 2010:
Now I'm almost finished with the handrails. They are varnished and I am in the process of installing the stainless steel brackets. I use the Swedish wonder-remedy Ettan - a mixture of wood tar, beeswax and linseed oil - it will keep the water out of the joints. It sticks like hell, stays soft, and does not dissolve in water. I intend to pack all exterior brackets and moldings with it - it's very efficient and it makes it easy to disassemble later.