Home DIY

I have always been heavy. ms_com once pushed me over for bants when I was putting my socks on, went straight through the shitty pine bed in our then rental. I broke another bed at uni, because reasons, the corner leg snapped off. Propped it up with what I could find in an unfamiliar flat at 3am, which happened to be two upturned frying pans stacked on top of each other. Not sure if it was properly repaired.

Pictured below is our newel post.

It has had the end sliced off, I think probably to accommodate the stair lift which the previous owner had installed.

Is there a way to restore it that's within the grasp of an amateur DIYer who doesn't even own a set of woodworking tools?

I would probably go about it by buying a piece of wood of similar width and depth, glueing and screwing it on, then cutting, planing and sanding it to something like the original shape.

Easy?

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Had to paint a room in my old flat in a day before a friend rents it off me for a year. Was at Wikes early and needed 5lt if decent trade white, went with their cover plus trade stuff which is more expensive than standard trade and way more than contract mat or the consumer paint.
What a load of bollocks, might as well have not bothered, this is after a proper sugar soap wash down and 2 coats over magnolia.
Nearly used all the 5lt for a 3x4m room.
Those marks visible on the wall were not even there before and are not from my furniture.
I never buy shit paint but this was what I presumed would be good enough.
lesson learned.

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I wouldn't have the confidence that I could match the existing top profile so I would lop the existing top off also and graft on a mostly new/complete post. Then you can either shape the top from scratch or buy a fancy newel post topper. Depending on the desired finished height, you might just need to graft onto the side and not take so much off the top instead of the dog leg in my image below.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1216383507/squirrel-wooden-finial-for-staircase

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Is that freshly painted? I usually go for the Leyland Super Leytex and it looks dogshit until fully dried. Opacity goes way up as it dries. Always shits me up after the first coat until I remember.

Any recommendations for angle grinder discs (115mm) or are they much of a muchness?

Depends on what you are cutting and how neat the cut needs to be I reckon. If agricultural, then they are very much consumable so unless you are using them every day and don't want the false economy of buying cheap, then cheapest at Screwfix/TS is what I would go for. Too cheap goes into the area of explodey eye loss.

What are you cutting?

Ah yes, that's an obvious question. Paving slabs/stones. Previous ones I've used don't seem to last long at all.

See if you can find a newel post online with a Matching profile. Then mark the needed cuts up in pencil and take it to your nearest joinery shop for them to cut in 30 seconds and for about £10.

Glue and clamps until dry should hold fine

Edit: I'd be trying to match the profile by hand with some scribing as I'm a masochist.

2nd coat was 7pm last night.
Should have ordered the paint earlier, did look at screwfix but they couldn’t deliver next day so had to get something local.
There was more choice in the big tubs so would have got Leyland or similar had i been buying more paint.

Well if you couldn't do it then I definitely couldn't!

Probably good advice (not the squirrel though).

There's another post the same at the bottom of the stairs and the other end of the landing rail but I suppose they don't really have to match.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/12163835­07/squirrel-wooden-finial-for-staircase

@BareNecessities should do commissions.

This thread is amazing.

Yeah, no kidding, I've just volunteered myself to do secondary glazing (for the olds) as I've had two customers highly recommended it (double over single). Out of my standard zone but I'll try and share resources/suppliers . I haven't told them but I'm expecting the first will be in by March - hoping it'll be shockingly simple with the only bore being getting the existing windows upto a good paint standard

I’d want a diamond disc for that. Don’t have much experience cutting stone though.

Ive got a diamond disc for cutting bricks and such, lasted an absolute lifetime unlike the thin quick cut disc I use for metal which last about 3 mins.

@Dooks-Fatberg I'd imagine you'd get better answers in here

@Dooks-Fatberg they usually have a quite bulletproof lacquer finish, if or when sanded back osmo is a standard good finish. The colour will come with age. Being engineered/ veneer I would cut out a wax or varnish finish that would suit a solid aged heritage floor.. in short do nothing (I'm assuming they have ~4mm oak top?)

Good job! Chasing isn't fun but worth the effort. A pair of these might help make the wiring job easier, I've found them a game changer.

KAIWEETS Wire Strippers Electrical, 3 in 1 Wire Cutters, Electrical Tools Terminal Crimper for Electricians, Circuit, Distribution Box Repair, AWG 10-22, Pressure Adjust Rotary Switch, SK5 Cutter https://amzn.eu/d/dTipryu

Cheers, looks like a diamond disc is the way to go.

@Dooks-Fatberg ^^^ I might retract that do nothing statement, I was just in disbelief that there was no finish on them, asking the installer or manufacturer is a good route. But I would put my.money on osmo

Found an old 80’s or 90’s ikea cabinet on the street. Made a quick plinth and it fits near perfect, kinda into the amount it sticks out. Will prob upgrade handles.

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Still need a track saw to cut the upstand but may just order some ply pre cut.

What's wrong with the current handles?

A bit utilitarian maybe, but easily replaceable.

Alternative (probably not great) idea - reprofile the top so it doesn't look like it's been chopped in half