Stair Railing (In Progress)
An in-progress project: a white oak stair railing with a flat top rail and plywood art panels hung on hidden cleats between the rails. The drawing set is a 2-page PDF (side elevation + cleat/panel detail); this page is its home while the build comes together.
Design at a glance
- Material: white oak, S3S; panels are 3/4" plywood
- Slope: 35.3° (measured), assuming a 7-1/16″ riser and 10″ tread — verify on the actual stair
- Run: 98″ (8′-2″) along the slope; 80″ clear between posts, 87″ overall including posts
- Top rail: 1-3/4″ × 3″, laid flat; top of rail 36″ above the nosing line
- Posts: 4×4
- Infill: 5 panels, 12″ wide, with gaps of 3-1/3″ (all under 4″)
- Panel mounting: 2×2 oak cleats hidden behind the panels; the panel butts the rail underside, outside the cleat, and is screwed into the cleat
Notes and open items
- Test the real art openings against a 4″ sphere — the drawing only checks the 3-1/3″ gaps.
- Use stainless or coated fasteners with white oak (tannin staining).
- Panel art in the drawing is a placeholder.
- Dimensions come from an assumed riser/tread; re-measure before cutting.