How to Replicate Antique Staircase Balusters | Ask This Old House
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- In this video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva helps a homeowner by hand-carving a new rope baluster for their ornate Queen Anne home’s staircase.
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Ornate staircases-particularly those in older homes-can be difficult to repair. Their ornate and custom touches are difficult to replicate, and it often takes a true craftsperson to replicate balusters and moldings. General contractor Tom Silva is just the person for the job, helping one Queen Anne homeowner replace a baluster with a hand-carved replica.
Where to find it?
Tom helps a homeowner missing original spiral detailed spindles from their staircase by hand-turning
replicas on a lathe [amzn.to/3MwR3eK].
Then he traces the profile of the original baluster onto a manilla folder [amzn.to/3oubdhF] with a scribing compass [amzn.to/3WqqMUd]. Tom then cuts out the profile of the baluster with scissors [amzn.to/3Mtkz5a].
Tom measures and marks [amzn.to/42T5qBb] the center portion of the baluster in equal increments.
He uses the parting tool [amzn.to/3ODr347] for low points of the spindle details.
Then, Tom uses the spindle gouge [amzn.to/3ODr347] to carve into tighter areas.
He uses the skew chisel [amzn.to/3ODr347] to carve into the larger areas of the spindle and to round out the edges.
Tom uses a hand saw [amzn.to/3WB1K4Q] to cut slots in the spindle following the traced out lines from the string [amzn.to/3OAgpel].
He uses a rasp [amzn.to/3ODslMv] to file down the edges of the saw cuts until each section has a rounded edge.
Tom then applies a wax-free gel shellac [amzn.to/3WvNlqh] to the spindles to match the existing ones.
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Materials:
Wood blank [amzn.to/43qjJgx]
Manila paper [amzn.to/3oubdhF]
Landscaping string [amzn.to/3OAgpel]
Sandpaper [amzn.to/3Wqnm3P]
Wax-free shellac [amzn.to/3WvNlqh]
Gel stain [amzn.to/420ZXqS]
Dowel [amzn.to/42hQ4VX]
Tools:
Scribes [amzn.to/3WqqMUd]
Scissors [amzn.to/3Mtkz5a]
Tape measure [amzn.to/3MsEktz]
Lathe [homedepot.sjv....]
Assortment of turning chisels [amzn.to/3ODr347]
Calipers [amzn.to/42T5qBb]
Backsaw [amzn.to/3WB1K4Q]
Rasp [amzn.to/3ODslMv]
Coping saw [amzn.to/3ODkXke]
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How to Replicate Antique Staircase Balusters | Ask This Old House
/ @thisoldhouse
Now imagine that you have to make dozens of these balusters just for one staircase. You have to respect the amount of manual labor they put in detailing the old houses.
There were much faster and more consistent ways to make these, if you were making a bunch of them.
Tommy can do it in half the time because he doesn't sand them
The detail of older homes is astonishing. Wish people had the patience to give carpenters as myself enough time to make stuff like this happen instead of get it done with pre made balustrades!
Well said, that's how these old homes get cut up for parts before being torn down saving all the old part's, too much labor to make today
Cnc wood working
Beautiful Tommy. You are the complete wood craftsman!
My man Tommy. A Master.
Such skill and craftsmanship, I want to make room in our shop and get me a lathe.
Glasses are not enough you need a full face shield with the amount of turning I've done and how many chunks I've had hit ny shield i would have a face full of scars. Not to mention the finer particulates that easily get behind glasses
The thought process that went into making this is amazing! Thank you for showing, in great detail, how these are made
It's amazing how Mr Tom so much expertise he has. The rope pattern was done in a very clever way. A lot of work that I guess it has to be well paid. Thanks for the great video.
My shopsmith which I have had since 1987 has a lathe duplicator attachment that will perfectly reproduce all but the rope section. Works remarkably well
I remember those, my father always wanted one. He died in 1987.
This is incredible i thought Tommy would just take it to a wood shop that use lasers and computerized programs. And just have a machine do it. But he did it with basic tools and clever methods. All by hand
Mmmm beautiful work Tommy. I appreciate your explanations. Years back when I was in carpentry apprenticeship I got to learn about lathes and learn to use them (safely) I fell in love. So often guys would say “women will take our jobs” ha, not to worry, I would rather go for the detail work. To this day I enjoy taking the time along with patience to work on the small stuff. Too many of those guys that said those things just lacked the patience for detail work. Oh well🤷♂️
Where my dad used to work, they had a duplicarver, and it was basically a router on a wood lathe, and it had a pointer for the original, and a router bit for the copy. It could also do flat work, as my dad copied a cast aluminum eagle in walnut for inside and top of our front door.
As Tommy makes everything look easy and he is very good at what he does. They now make a replicating lathe that can replicate an existing baluster in minutes. As I have had done when we needed to replace a couple balusters in a 110 year old staircase. Any high end wood shop has this and they are reasonably priced to reproduce.
When the original was made it was done on a duplicating lathe and I imagine some poor trainee did em by the hundreds.
This could be one of the best this old house vids ever
I also like the episode of Tommy and Kevin building the custom screen door.👍🏼
Great tutorial! Now I should be able to make one… after 30 more years of experience.
Maniller envelope
Tommy. Amazing. (I know... redundant.)
Tommy thanks for all this year's of great work info and tips i hope you be ther for many years more
Always wondered how they did that rope shape, very clever but a lot of work.
Very impressive Tom, I always admire your skill.
Beautiful! A few hours of skilled craftsmanship for generations of aesthetic beauty!
the master at work
Tommy I always knew you where a great carpenter. But I had no idea you were an extraordinary one.
Boy, wouldn't it be awesome to live next door to tommy ! Hey, can i come and we make something, just the amount you could just by hanging around and giving him a hand if he ever needed it . Hell i settle for a day .
Great production and cinematography on this piece. Loved it!
Wow! Such steady hands. I'm so envious.
That’s some talent and patience he has to getting that profile. Rear bread the likes of Tommy.
I like that watch. What kind of watch is Tommy wearing?
Well done Tommy! Definitely one of my favorite episodes😊
Interesting use of Tenso connectors
So true
Modem day wizard, this guy can do anything. 😮
For some reason this is really relaxing to watch.
Thats incredible
This man is a true genius!!! amazing!!!
Wow!! Tommy you are the best, this brought me back to elementary school with our teacher who taught us woodworking which I still remember and use today. Your work is amazing thank you for posting
I never thought you had to go that much trouble do make one of those. Guess that why I sold all my wood working equipment. Gave at up. Has always wonderful job.
Tommy’s a beast.
Lots of work, great job. Next time you can borrow my Legacy ornamental lathe.
Where can i get the screw in riveter and tool?
Much respect. Been watching these guys for many years!😊
Amazing work!
Tom Silva is absolutely the best in the world at his craft.
Decades of experience and patience, Tom you’re the best!
wow tommy nice job
This is pure ASMR for woodworking.
Ahh… I was hoping for this video since I seen the install one… 😁
Nice job! I kept wondering how you were going to cut the rope pattern.
Tom can do it all!!
The amount of patience and skill is astounding. I'd probably mess something up, get angry and karate chop it...
Aww, how cutesy wutesy...
Good job Tom.
Excellent song choice for this vid!
Tommy, you're the man
Wow amazing work Tommy!
That turned piece will be there centuries from now until some kid kicks it out playing on the stairs.
Nice Job as always Tom!
Very impressive craftsmanship
👌👌👌👌👌
Tommy is the Man.
👍👍
Tom Silva is an American gangster
@@Kevin-mp5of so is your mom
@AVE proved this oil rag theory wrong.... 14:03
AVE is wrong. A few TH-camrs have videos showing the spontaneous combustion of oily rags
@@rd-ch1on to which he proved wrong. You do you. Go buy a expensive fire trash can and support the sponsors!
It's no theory. It does happen. I vividly remember the demonstration at TAFE. I have never binned oily or stain soaked rags without letting them dry completely and as flat as possible in open air since that day.
@@WoahVinnie You do you and love and support all things AVE
@@rd-ch1on That's an assumption. You know what they say about assuming! I'm sorry other people are roasting you on your other comments. #StopTheBleed
I was a little disappointed in this effort. First, Tommy should have measured the distance between high points to get the correct spacing, then layout using a ruler or tape measure instead of eyeballing it. Second, the very rough finish using the rasp was quite rustic and didn't seem to match the original very well.
Nicely done tommy, loved it👍
The lathe should have the feature to make thread automatically
You’re thinking of a metal lathe, which has a lot of features for machining metal, including single point thread turning. You can put wood on a metal lathe, but you would still need a custom cutter head and a good working knowledge of the thread turning process.
wtf is "maniller" ?
A Manila is a large, usually brown, envelope, designed to carry documents without them having to be folded
@Let’s Go Brandon! FJB!It’s “Manila” A Manila envelope.
It's almost like a flavoring in ice cream. Vaniller.
@@johnlebzelter4208Manila is a city in the Philippines. Manilla is the cartonboard type folder.
@@johnlebzelter4208 He said "maniller " not " manila". Turn on your listening ears Johnny boy
Wow. Awfully rough looking. It's like he just gave up
13:25 It was a look he was going for. So it looked more like rope.
@@L16Jitter The title of the video is about replicating balusters. He didn't replicate. The original baluster doesn't look like the dude who made it gave up on the sanding part. Tommy gave up..tapped out.
@@L16Jitter r d is just jealous he can’t even cut a 90 ° cut on a miter saw when it’s set at 90°😂
@@rd-ch1on he literally said that was the look he was going for haha
@@johnlebzelter4208 Tommy's lobstah can cut 90° angles on his maniller miter sawr.
Perfectionist Tom Silva 🙇🫡