I made some curved handrails by laminating a number of thin strips of wood together using aliphatic resin glue. They came off the mold with the right radius, but after lying around the job site for a few days, they started to lose their curve as the laminations began to creep along the glue lines.
As shown in the drawing, I virtually eliminated the problem in subsequent rails by inserting 1/2-in. hardwood dowels (liberally coated with glue) into the core of the rail on 6-in. to 8-in. centers. The dowels are hidden by the outer, profiled laminations. This method also eliminates the danger of cutting into metal screws when installing balusters or cutting the handrail to fit posts, goosenecks, turnout easings and other fittings.
Klaus Matthies, Regina, None
Edited and Illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #62
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Great tip!