Sleek But Strong Handrail
I've mostly built traditional stairs using manufactured rail
parts. Recently, though, an architect asked me to install a
contemporary stainless steel handrail to fit a 10-by-10-foot
opening. The L-shaped balustrade and the horizontal guardrail
at the landing were to be fabricated from 1-inch square tubing,
with 3/8-inch solid square balusters 4 inches on-center
(1). Because the metal shop was several hours
away from the job site, one of the first things I did was make
an accurate full-scale template on sheets of plywood, fitting
it to the rough stair carriage and providing actual dimensions.
After...