If the gap is too small for a half post I rip a spindle down and use that instead which also looks really tidy - I think better than a rosette. Turn a Newel Post Into Pilasters. The post has a 50mm diameter peg (also known as a dowel) on the bottom, and the post peg fits into a 50mm hole in the newel base. Step 15 – Caulk the newel posts and the tops and bottoms of the new spindles. Using this I then use 1 1/2" as my standard. Place the handrail along the nosings of the staircase and place the handrail front face against the newel post as below: Take the scrap cut off and set in place where the newel will be mounted. In this staircase renovation episode, you'll see how a newel post is built on top of an existing newel post. I think it gives the balustrade a much better starting point and looks really neat once decorated. I lugged home these heavy halves of a Victorian-era newel from a flea market. Pegged newel post— Generally the more decorative part of the post. (If you have a more curvy newel post, you can build a case right around it to get to this point.) Cut piece of 2 X material that will just fit inside the bottom of the newel (snug but not tight). The finial at the top and the base plinth height inclines it that way. Reassemble the curtail step and volute newel and it should look as the following. Glue pocket hole plugs into your pocket holes, and use wood filler to fill any nail holes, gaps, and seams on the new newel posts and spindles. If you’re cutting down an existing newel post, don’t cut it too short as newel posts come in fixed lengths. We wrapped the base with 3/4″ MDF to build it out. Drop the 2 X material inside. Cut the newel to length. How to Build NEWEL POST-100 for About $60.46 Part 1. Here's how to re-create the look at your house. It was an excruciating six-block walk, but worth it considering how fab they look perched on plinths flanking the passage between my living and dining rooms. Please Note - Do not glue the volute newel into position yet. Step 16 – Paint the newel post… 1. I prefer to rip cut a newel post down on the bench saw and fix that to the wall instead. The other two newels need to have 1/2 of the bottom removed, a piece approximately 6” x 3” x 7-1/4” or more, so that the other half sits outside the stair framing. To trim the base, we glued 1 inch cove base to the top of the MDF and added some more for decoration. If you attach a 2 1/4 or 2 1/2" Handrail to the typical 5" bock Newel Post you usually end up with about 1 1/4" above and below. https://www.beneathmyheart.net/2013/02/how-to-build-a-newel-post You now need to cut the handrail to the correct length. Hold the 2 X in place and remove the newel cut off. Posts in this Series. https://www.jlconline.com/how-to/interiors/laying-out-newel-cuts_o You can make your own decorative newel post this weekend. Mark the perimeter of the 2 X and remove. I seldom have the need to deviate from that. 2. https://drillwarrior.com/how-do-you-make-a-newel-post-sturdy First, we glued and nailed a piece of MDF to the newel post to make it square. This newel post is mostly Victorian style. This means I need to remove a piece of the bottom of the newel that is approximately 3” x 3” x 7-1/4” high; the back, inside quarter. Because this page shows you step by step how I built this one. I attach the rail to the post at 1 1/2" down from the top of the block portion of the post.