Opinions please! - cladding a newel post

[LBCarpentry]

Have a job starting next week to modify a timber staircase with new oak spindles, handrails etc.

The existing newel posts are 80mm square. I have decided to clad the newel posts using 6mm oak veneered mdf. I’m going to make a box section and glue them around the existing newel. My question is - what do you think is the best way to hide the mdf edge?

Options

1) 45 degree mitres along the length (my least fav option)
2) use that router cutter that is designed for locking mitres (will it work with 6mm?)
3) Simply edge the mdf with solid oak strips

Love to hear your thoughts

Cheers

 

[Setch]

I'd use solid oak for at least 2 faces, so you don't have to deal with the corners - I have glued long mitres in veneered mdf, but it's very difficult to soften the arrises without exposing raw mdf, and I think the corners on a newel would soon look tatty from knocks and scuffs.

 

[Trevanion]

1) 45 degree mitres along the length (my least fav option)

It would be very hard to do correctly and neatly, you'd need to sand the corners anyway and that would probably expose the MDF even if you only did it lightly. (Edit, Setch has already mentioned this in his post above)

2) use that router cutter that is designed for locking mitres (will it work with 6mm?)

I think the absolute minimum you can get with most lock mitre cutters is about 12mm thick, I don't think they can do anything smaller and I don't think you can get a smaller bit/cutter.

3) Simply edge the mdf with solid oak strips

Simply Awkward. I wouldn't want to try gluing anything onto 6mm MDF because it would be incredibly awkward and it would most likely just snap off instantly.

Love to hear your thoughts

Personally, I would machine up some 20mm x 20mm or 18mm x 18mm Oak strips and run a 10mm x 10mm rebate in them to create a 90 degree L section and stick that to the corners of the newels first, and then cut in the MDF into strips to fit in between the Oak strips. This would create a 4mm (Or 2mm if 18mm was used) step between the MDF and the oak stripping. You could always do it 16mm x 16mm Oak strip and have it flush with the MDF, but It's impossible to hide that kind of joint though, at least with a 4mm or 2mm step you can hide it and put a little chamfer on the oak strips to make it look good and also the Oak stripping will take any knocks and bumps without too much damage whilst MDF will marr and mark. You could even flute the Oak strips to look vintage 8)

 

[LBCarpentry]

this......this could be my answer! Great idea

 

[LBCarpentry]

I should also say I haven’t fully written off using 12mm instead of 6mm if it makes life easier

My only thought is that I’ll end up with a 104mm newel post which would start looking too fat!

 

[Trevanion]

I should also say I haven’t fully written off using 12mm instead of 6mm if it makes life easier

My only thought is that I’ll end up with a 104mm newel post which would start looking too fat!

I saw some really nice 150mm Pitch Pine Newels where the grain was so fine you could barely see it on a staircase the other day, A staircase built to last a lifetime that one!

 

[Doug B]

I’d definitely do it in solid, this is the last one I did rebated the long edges on 2 of the pieces to the depth of the thickness of the timber leaving a 1/4” tongue, the corners were then rounded over with a 1/4” round over bit which not only eased the corners but also helped completely disguise the joints

 

[worn thumbs]

1) 45 degree mitres along the length (my least fav option)

It would be very hard to do correctly and neatly, you'd need to sand the corners anyway and that would probably expose the MDF even if you only did it lightly. (Edit, Setch has already mentioned this in his post above)

2) use that router cutter that is designed for locking mitres (will it work with 6mm?)

I think the absolute minimum you can get with most lock mitre cutters is about 12mm thick, I don't think they can do anything smaller and I don't think you can get a smaller bit/cutter.

3) Simply edge the mdf with solid oak strips

Simply Awkward. I wouldn't want to try gluing anything onto 6mm MDF because it would be incredibly awkward and it would most likely just snap off instantly.

Love to hear your thoughts

Personally, I would machine up some 20mm x 20mm or 18mm x 18mm Oak strips and run a 10mm x 10mm rebate in them to create a 90 degree L section and stick that to the corners of the newels first, and then cut in the MDF into strips to fit in between the Oak strips. This would create a 4mm (Or 2mm if 18mm was used) step between the MDF and the oak stripping. You could always do it 16mm x 16mm Oak strip and have it flush with the MDF, but It's impossible to hide that kind of joint though, at least with a 4mm or 2mm step you can hide it and put a little chamfer on the oak strips to make it look good and also the Oak stripping will take any knocks and bumps without too much damage whilst MDF will marr and mark. You could even flute the Oak strips to look vintage 8)

I'd do something like this but avoid the tricky stuff by using the L-section as a cover strip on the faces of the veneered MDF.It would increase the bulk of the newel a bit and the outer corners probably should be softened.

 

[MikeG.]

This looks one of those occasions when doing it in veneer is more trouble than it's worth. I'd do it in solid wood. I'd take the precaution of some relief cuts on the back face........but faffing about with tiny bits of lipping just sounds more trouble than it's worth.

 

[AJB Temple]

Or....avoid all faffing about entirely and replace the posts with solid ones.

 

[LBCarpentry]

I’d definitely do it in solid, this is the last one I did rebated the long edges on 2 of the pieces to the depth of the thickness of the timber leaving a 1/4” tongue, the corners were then rounded over with a 1/4” round over bit which not only eased the corners but also helped completely disguise the joints


View attachment 88368920


View attachment 8

That looks excellent. What’s the size of this newel? W x d?

 

[LBCarpentry]

And what thickness cladding

 

[Setch]

Here's one I did recently, a bit of a Faff as it was on a winder, so it needed scribing to the angled treads which joined it.

Not oak, which made it easier - this was reclaimed redwood, and I used 12mm for the plain faces, and 4mm (ish) for the complex scribe.

Sorry about the picture quality, the lighting was awful.

 

[Doug B]

I’d definitely do it in solid, this is the last one I did rebated the long edges on 2 of the pieces to the depth of the thickness of the timber leaving a 1/4” tongue, the corners were then rounded over with a 1/4” round over bit which not only eased the corners but also helped completely disguise the joints

That looks excellent. What’s the size of this newel? W x d?

The existing newel post was 72mm, the Oak cladding was 18mm so the finished post was 108mm
You could go for thinner cladding as others have suggested

 

[Jacob]

Or....avoid all faffing about entirely and replace the posts with solid ones.

Or don't do it - tell them to paint them instead!

 

[toolsntat]

Solid with mitre-lock :arrow: :arrow:
https://www.woodworkuk.co.uk/forum/view ... f=9&t=8138
Cheers Andy