Porch rails to round post

[festooltim]

Working on a big wrap around porch, installing composite hand rails to 8" round post. I'm thinking of using the Trion with circle cutter attachment and hold the rail ends in a jig to cut the radius. Does anyone have experience with this or suggestions. Tried cutting free hand but requires alot of sanding to get good fit. Top rail is 3" high.

 

[Alan m]

not sure if follow you right.
is the handrail comming along straight(or curved) and where it meets the 8"post you want to go around it to create a continues rail.

if so i presume the inside radius will be 6" ( 4"radius +2" for hand room).
you could use a router to cut the shape or to smouth out a pre cut edge from the trion. if you had a good jig and a long bit you would get most of the way through the 3". a flush cut bit would finish it.

i dont thisk the jigsaw would get a good enough finish.

a osilating spindle sander (or drum on the drill press)  could do the same job for you.

 

[festooltim]

The columns are 8 inch diameter and the railing is straight it goes  between the columns and there is a top and bottom rail.

 

[Alan m]

o so the rail is going in at 90 degrees to the tangent line of the cirle. is the face of the post smooth or flutted etc.
if it is flat you could make a jig to route etc the slight curve into the ends of the rails.
if it is flutted etc i would cit a flat spot on the post for the rail to sit into, again a different jig in the shape of the handrial and the router..

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Spindle sander is the tool you need.

 

[Holzhacker]

I've done this on a few jobs in the past.
Jigsaw, slow, precise feed to get the cut as nice as possible;
Hold belt sander side ways so it works sort of like a spindle sander and detail as needed; this step depends on your belt sander. My PC belt is too big and doesn't fit in well enough to use. My old Ryobi belt has a nice compact profile and fits into radius's very well
Minor rasping or filing to be picky about it;
Done
After the first couple it gets a lot easier and quicker

 

[Kevin Stricker]

Make a jig and use your router.  Rough cut with a jigsaw, then clean up with a pattern bit.  Much easier to make one perfect template than many perfect cuts.

 

[Brice Burrell]

Make a jig and use your router.  Rough cut with a jigsaw, then clean up with a pattern bit.  Much easier to make one perfect template than many perfect cuts.

This is what I'd do.  You'll need a long bit and maybe another jig for the bottom rail.

 

[festooltim]

Thanks guys, i wanted to use the router but the top rail is 3"x3" i didn't want to buy a bit to cut that. A spindle sander would be sweet but i don't have one and to make work well it would need a 8" sanding drum. I made a jig today to use the jigsaw and hold everthing in line, will give it a go tomorrow. I just bought the Trion on Friday and impressed with how square it cuts. I sold my old PC jigsaw the same day to a Friend for 50 bucks so i feel like i got the festool Trion for $200, still not cheap but i think I'm going to like it. Again thanks for the advice.

 

[Kevin Stricker]

No need to cut it in one pass.  Even a 1" pattern bit will work as you can make a cut then reset lower and ride the bearing on the just cut surface.  Flip the board and do the same from the bottom using a bottom bearing bit.

Another option would be to let the rail into the post a 1/4 or 1/2", then you don't need to get a perfect end cut.  Make the cut with a circ saw and finish with a chisel.  I don't think the sander option would work very well holding a long board and trying to get a consistent cut.

Hope your jigsaw jig works.

 

[BobKovacs]

Another option would be to let the rail into the post a 1/4 or 1/2", then you don't need to get a perfect end cut.  Make the cut with a circ saw and finish with a chisel.  I don't think the sander option would work very well holding a long board and trying to get a consistent cut.

That's actually probably a better idea for several reasons- it'll eliminate the gap that's bound to occur when the wood starts to shrink, and it'll also help provide some bearing for the joint.  The one thing that hasn't been mentioned here is how the rail is going to be fastened to this 8" post- given the need to withstand a 200lb force, it's not going to be acceptable to just pin nail them together.

 

[festooltim]

Columns are Dura Cast made with some form of fiberglass, railing system is Trex I think its called Radiance Rail. It has its own mounting hardware.  Installed 3 sections today. The jig worked perfect at first but then the jigsaw blade must have lost its edge because the last couple cuts it wanted to cut straight and not curve. I don't think i have the perfect blade for the job. Will try and different blade tomorrow.