BENDING A WOOD HANDRAIL

Do you want to know how to bend a wooden handrail? 

Although bending a wood handrail is one of the trickier parts of installing stairs and a balustrade, it shouldn't deter anyone from trying it with the correct equipment, some advance preparation, and knowledge of the procedure. Time and preparation are the most crucial factors to take into account during this procedure. When you are really bending and the glue is beginning to dry, you should have plenty of time if you make the effort to make sure everything is set up and ordered as it should be.

First Step

Make sure you arrange all of your clamps or shims according to the type of bending bracket you are using as the initial step. It is crucial that everything be prepared before applying the adhesive because time will be of the essence during the actual laminating procedure. For instance, setting up clamps implies that they are open and ready to use, with one at each bracket and one in the middle. Additionally, ensure that the steps are free of debris to prevent trip risks.

Second Step

Put some adhesive in the paint pan now, and prepare your roller. Then you're prepared to go. You have approximately 15 to 20 minutes from this point to get the handrail bent, so check your setup one more time to make sure it's ready. Therefore, while working rapidly will be necessary, you don't have to work so quickly that you put yourself at risk or make mistakes. It only requires decent, rapid speed. Soak your roller in glue and start rolling it onto all of the pieces, taking care to coat them evenly and thinly all the way down.

Third Step

The rail then starts to bend around the bending brackets. Either start from the middle and go toward either end simultaneously, or start at one end and carefully push the rail around each bracket (or into the guide). Just be sure to tighten or shim the rail as you go and to always move toward an open end. As soon as the last clamp is in position at the end, the rail may move freely. Make sure the handrail is positioned either in the slot or flat on the bracket's base. This will ensure that the bottom of the rail is level. You will want to clamp at each bracket and at least one clamp in between. Often the outside pieces are larger at the top, so they tend to want to open up at the bottom.

Therefore, it's crucial to carefully check the top and bottom of the rail for gaps and seal them as needed. If you are using a bracket-style rail rather than a guide, you may remove the clamp from each bracket, save for the top and bottom, and re-clamp next to it once the entire rail has been bent. If a bracket is slightly out of place or if the radius is not ideal, the bend may not always have a perfect radius, which will enable the rail to flow evenly rather than kink.