Bannistration
Garret wins the prize (whatever that means). The mystery picture was indeed of our bannister - one of the many projects I have waiting for me.
There is a hollow cedar box at the top of the bannister where the knob is supposed to sit. We found the knob pushed way back in a closet when we moved in and the hole in the top of the hollow box long ago stripped out.
In addition to stripping the hole, it looks as though some helpful previous owner or denizen has repeatedly banged the screw protruding from the bottom of the knob into the top of the box.
The hollow box is about 3" deep.
The screw protrudes from the bottom of the knob about 2"
Currently the knobless bannister makes a convenient place to set a drink or precariously balance the mail.
The plan:
1. Use a jigsaw to cut out the top of the box so that the hole will be widened to just under the diameter of the knob base
2. Use wood paste to fill any of the craters not cut away in the top of the box.
3. Put semi-liquid Substance of Unknown Composition (SUC) down into the box to fill of of it, minus the dimensions of a the peice of wood that will follow it into the hole.
4. Push said peice of wood down into the SUC so that one end is firm on the base of the box and the other end is flush with the top surface of the box. Screw it down using predrilled holes.
5. Wait for the SUC to dry and harden.
6. Screw the knob down into the peice of wood.
7. Paint
8. Find someplace else to precariously balance the mail.
What suggestions do you have? What am I not accounting for in this plan? What should I use for the SUC?
posted by Scott in Washington at
12:58 PM
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6 comment(s):
How about just filling the hole with automotive bondo and putting the ball down in to it while it was wet. A lot less work, and a can of auto bondo will sit quite nicely in a tool shed for years and years without going bad, ready to be called in to service at a moments notice.
SD1
By
Anonymous, at
8/10/2005 03:33:00 PM
By
Nystral Djo, at
8/11/2005 08:21:00 AM
Do you think that would really work? Sounds a titch on the muddlesome side to me, but I'm all about the less work part.
Garrett,
How about I send you a corroded wax seal as a prize? They're hours of fun and entertainment for the whole family...
Leah,
Wanna hear my Jimmy Stuart imitation? ...I didn't think so...
Garrett,
That might work. I guess you're right about the stability issue. One concern I still have is that I don't know if the bannister itself is hollow or not. I'd hate to screw the dowel down, only to find I've essentially moved the problem of lack of purchase one level down further into the bannister.
Any other advice out there in Internet-land?
By
Scott in Washington, at
8/11/2005 12:31:00 PM
By
Anonymous, at
8/11/2005 07:24:00 PM
Zoo-zoo's petals Burt! Zoo-zoo's petals! M..My lips bleeding Burt!
Natalia figured it out too, but we figured we both were DQ'd due to an over-familiarity to your home.
By
Unknown, at
8/15/2005 11:52:00 AM
By
Scott in Washington, at
8/15/2005 12:50:00 PM
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