Beacon Hill Staircase Makeover - [Step 4 ~ Middle Stair Fitted]

How to attach the balusters to the treads, that was the question. As I recall, some have drilled holes and inserted wires or wooden pegs. I didn't have either on hand, so E-6000 glue to the fore. It will hold just about anything to anything and is strong.

The wall side of the staircase is on top. I put bits of quarter round under the balusters so they would not be glued at the very edge of the treads. Since the staircase is larger than the magnetic jig, I turned the jig upside down. You can't see the magnets holding it in place in this photo. The graph was cut from part of a quilting accessory. It is useful for lining up the bits and pieces. The newel post at the bottom of the stair is glued in place and will anchor the handrail. When the glue is thoroughly dry, the handrail will be glued in place by putting a tiny blob of glue on the ends of the balusters and again left to dry for a good long while.

The contractor and the doctor like what they see. The doctor is a bit put out that construction is taking so long, but this is New Orleans, which runs on its own schedule.

The E-6000 worked well. The unit looks flimsy but is really quite sturdy, even with the handrail not attached to anything at the very top. The contractor is explaining that a newel post will be part of the railing that will surround the opening in the floor. The handrail will fit snugly against it, giving the impression that it is all of one piece. [Smoke and mirrors. 😉 ] 

A coat of clear satin acrylic will be applied to all of the staircase sections when they are all finished. The next step is to tackle the ground floor stairs, which have two landings and need to be jury-rigged so as to slide in and out smoothly. I've ordered some flooring material, which means a bit will have to be shaved off so they'll fit.

Beacon Hill Staircase Makeover [Step 3~Staining]

Back to work on the Beacon Hill! It was too wet to work in the garden today, so the banisters and newel posts got stained.

I stained the ends of the banisters and newel posts and set them out to dry while I stained the handrails. They need to be stained before being glued in place, as the stain won't stick to glue. Staining them first means no little white spots. The staircase will receive a coat or two of clear satin poly after it is assembled and ready to install.

I used the stain pen. It was low on stain, so I tried to refill it with a small hypodermic needle without an actual needle. It didn't work very well, hence the two big blobs of stain. I ended up touching the tip of the felt to the surface of the stain in the can. It drew up enough liquid to cover one piece. The photos of the white staircase is my inspiration for this remodel.

The staircase has a void where the original banisters were cut off of the outer piece. I've ordered some 1/8" quarter round to fill in the gap. It will make a much neater finish. 

I'm working on the section of staircase from the middle floor as it is a straight run. While I'm waiting for the quarter round to arrive, I need to cut the original banisters away from the ground floor staircase with its two landings. I'm still determined to build the staircases individually so they can be removed easily.

Organizing the Craft Room

Truth be told, I've been avoiding the craft room because it is so cluttered and disorganized. Adding the purchases from the Atlanta mini show was the last straw. It is a small bedroom, but has lovely bright light from a window as well as overhead and task lighting. My sister came over to brainstorm with me and pointed out that there is a nice wall just begging for some shelving. Here are some before photos.

This photo shows the doorway to the hall, the blank wall, and the doorway to the closet.

The worktable (an old desk) is in the foreground. There is a drafting table under the wall-mounted tv, with a couple of kit boxes on it. Not sure what is in the boxes under the table. 

Moving counterclockwise around the room, this shows more clutter. Actually, this picture makes it look nearly organized. It doesn't reflect the cluttered feel of standing there in real life. 

Inside the closet. Lots of nice drawers for storage, some of them labeled but not necessarily containing what its label promises, some empty. This will be a challenge in itself. Some items, like the beginning stash of egg cartons on the shelf and some large tools, can go out to the garage as soon as I get the last two sets of shelves assembled out there.

The first order of business was going to Home Depot for the components for the new shelves -- two wall brackets, four 4-foot shelves, eight shelf brackets, and some toggle bolts. Came home, moved the table and boxes away from the wall. Grabbed the wall brackets to check placement of the holes and realized I'd accidentally picked up two different brands, one Rubbermaid, one Closetmaid. Same length, different configuration. I blame the general messiness of Home Depot's bins. Anyway, back to the store to exchange one. 

Back home, measured the wall for placement of the top toggle bolt, and went out to the garage to get the power drill. After in intense search, the drill was not to be found. I have a feeling I know where it went. In preparing for the move last summer, I donated several tool boxes filled with art supplies to a local school. I think the tool box with the drill in it was inadvertently included. I ordered a hand drill and assorted bits from Amazon, but then borrowed a cordless power drill from my sister, who reminded me that I can shop their well supplied garage any time I need a tool.

Without a level, I relied on the Laws of Gravity to help hang the wall brackets. I fastened the top hole with a toggle bolt but did not pull it up snug. I let it hang down, perfectly vertical, and marked the other holes. Voila! The wall brackets were in place. The rest of the project went quickly. The shelves don't need to be very far apart, so I could add a fifth one at the bottom. The two mini drawer units are for tiny accessories, one for the Beacon Hill and one for the Pierce. That's landscaping items on the second shelf. They may be moved to the top shelf, as there is quite a long way to go before either of those buildings needs landscaping.

The goal for the shelves is display of furniture and accessories for houses in progress. If they are easily seen, I won't be as likely to buy duplicates. Walmart has some roughly shoebox sized storage containers made of clear plastic, which will be a good way to organize by room while mitigating dust. The organizing continues!