Set angle finder on 2x4 to read pitch or 3.
How to cut stair rails. If you find steps that do not have a stud in the wall near them use a metal toggle drywall anchor to mount the rail bracket instead. Mark the edges as rise and run then connect the marks with a straight line to form a right triangle then cut it out and you ve got a pitch block. Use a foam brush to apply an even layer of a combination of oil based stain and polyurethane varnish onto an unfinished stair rail. Stretch the measuring tape from the bottom of the staircase to the top securing the end of the tape measure to the edge of the top stair with adhesive tape.
At the bottom step subtract the thickness of a tread from the rise and mark a line perpendicular to the rise. The formula for a level cut 90 degree of stair example. How to cut an angle on a handrail. The level cut is used to cut a component that is angled with the stairs level at the top or bottom.
Cut the end of the handrail on a 45 degree mitered angle. With the stair railing mounted it s easy to measure for and install the short pieces that return to the wall at the top and bottom of the rail. Use level and speed square together to read stair angle or pitch. 90 37 5 52 5.
You will want the angle to slope upward toward the ceiling when the handrail is installed so be. Set the miter saw on a 45 degree angle. Measure along the edges of the stairs to the floor at the bottom. Lay 2x4 on stair noses to act as straight edge.
This is a cut line to allow you to shift the entire set of stairs down. Rest the handrail on the stairs with the 45 degree. For example the point at which the skirt board sits level on the floor at the bottom of the stair. This let me see how the start and end of the run looked so i could get equal spacing between.
When the treads are installed this cut will make the bottom step the same height as the others. For a tight fit. Measure from the long point of the 45 degree miter on the rail to the wall and add about 1 16 in. To cut the angle of the handrail place the hypotenuse or rake of the pitch block against the fence of a miter saw and adjust the blade angle to match the rise side of the pitch block.
Then cut the returns on your power miter saw.