Recently, I had to install some short balusters between a finished stair and a finished ceiling. Aesthetics and space limitations precluded nailing, and the contorted geometry of the situation eliminated normal dowels. Some spring-loaded dowels, however, did the trick nicely. As shown in the drawing, I bored the balusters deep enough to take the compressed spring and the dowel. I also bored holes in the ceiling and the stair treads deep enough to take a little over half the length of the dowels. I made these holes a little oversize and beveled the ends of the dowels to make sure they could slide home. A bit of yellow glue on each dowel fills the slight gap and secures each joint.
By the way, if you want to dry-fit a joint with a test dowel, be sure to cut the test dowel nearly clear through at the interface so that it will break easily. If you don’t, you’ll never get the test joint apart.
—Jim Hassberger, Livermore, CA
Edited and illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #119
