Q:

I recently installed a handrail on an existing open stair. Even though it came out well, I spent a lot of time cutting blocks to find the correct angle at which to cut the ends of the rail. One end butts into a wall; the other butts into a newel post. Is there a simple way to find this angle?

George T. Fitzgerald, Taylor, MI

A:

Stephen Winchester, a carpenter and woodworker in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, replies: The simplest method is to use a pitch block. The dimensions of a pitch block come from the size of the run, or the depth of a tread minus any overhang, and the size of the rise, or the height of each step. Mark these measurements on two edges of a square piece of scrap plywood. Mark the edges as rise and run, then connect the marks with a straight line to form a right triangle, then cut it out, and you’ve got a pitch block.

To cut the angle of the handrail, place the hypotenuse, or rake, of the pitch block against the fence of a miter saw and adjust the blade angle to match the rise side of the pitch block. Presto! The correct angle, first time, every time.

It’s still a good idea to cut a scrap piece the exact width and length of the handrail to test the fit before cutting the real handrail. Newel posts and walls are never exactly plumb, and it’s better to waste a piece of scrap than a good handrail.

Making a pitch block

Using a pitch block