- 1). Set the first staircase railing post onto the second step from the bottom of the staircase. Center the post on the edge of the step where you wish the railing to stand. The post should stand at least 1 inch from the edge of the step tread to ensure there is enough support to hold it in place. Use a pencil to trace the outline of the post onto the step tread.
- 2). Remove the post from the stair tread and make four holes at each corner of the tracing, using a drill. Insert a jigsaw blade into one of the holes you have drilled and cut out the post hole by following the pencil tracing you made. Slide the railing post through the step and onto the floor below. Use a post level to make sure the post is straight.
- 3). Drill two holes in the side of the railing post where it extends below the staircase tread using a drill and countersink bit. The first hole should be about 1 inch below the staircase tread and the second should be about 1 inch above the floor. Drill two small pilot holes inside the countersink holes you have just drilled, using a drill and wood bit. Slide a carriage bolt through a washer and into each pilot hole with the head facing outward. Slide a second washer onto the back end of each bolt and thread the nut. Tighten the carriage bolts in place using a ratchet set and screwdriver. If you are installing the railing on a freestanding staircase, repeat each step of the installation on the second step from the top. If you are installing the railing on an enclosed staircase, use the second-floor wall to anchor the top end of the handrail.
- 4). Cut two circular pieces of scrap wood to fill the countersink holes you made using a hole cutter. Place a bead of wood glue onto the inside and edges of the hole plugs and press them into place so the countersink holes are covered. Fasten them in place with a hammer. Use a knife to scrape away the excess glue once dry.
- 5). Lock the handrail material against the post you have just installed, using easy clamps. The rail should run up and down the length of the stairs at the level you would prefer it to permanently sit. Place a ruler on the second step from the bottom (where you have installed the post) and measure the gap from stair tread to the bottom of the handrail. Move upstairs and use the ruler to perform the same measurement so the angle of the handrail is evenly set. Use an easy clamp to hold the top end of the handrail in place at the proper height.
- 6). Mark the angle of the handrail on both sides of the post, using a pencil. Remove the handrail from its clamps. Cut the post along the line you have drawn using a handsaw. Make a second diagonal pencil mark all around the post about 1 inch below the cut you have just made. Measure and mark the top of the post with a line about 1/2 inch from the inside and outside edge. Use the handsaw to cut a tab into the top of the post by cutting along two lines you have drawn on the top of the post. Cut down to the level of the line you have drawn on the sides of the post and remove the debris. You should be left with a center tab that runs top to bottom on the railing post. This tab will seat a notch you will be cutting into the handrail in the next step.
- 7). Measure the width of the tab you have created atop your railing post(s), using a tape measure. Set a router to this width and cut out the groove along the bottom of the handrail, which will correspond with the post tabs. Lay the routed handrail in place on the post tabs. Drill a hole through the side of the handrail, into the post tab and out the other side. Slide a matching size dowel through the hole and hammer into place. Cut away any excess dowel with the handsaw.
- 8). Mark and drill two pilot holes through each step tread between the two posts, using a wooden template. A template should consist of a piece of 2-by-4 lumber that has been cut to the length of a step tread and then cut so it has a lip along one of its lengths. It should be drilled out with two holes the same size as those you are making in the treads. Move the template from one step to the next to ensure evenly spaced pilot holes for the baluster placement. Drill the same size pilot hole in the center of the bottom of each baluster.
- 9). Coat the top of each baluster with wood glue and slide it into the groove in the bottom of the handrail. Coat a wooden dowel with wood glue and hammer it up into the baluster through the hole you have cut in the step tread. Nail the top of the baluster in place permanently using a nail gun. Repeat the process on every step until the railing is complete.
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