Old Decking Upcycled Into a Custom Railing
An old deck was poorly constructed and structurally unsound, but much of the lumber was still in fair shape. I built a new deck and made good use of the old lumber. I ripped the old 5/4 x 6" deck boards in to 1x2 balusters and wider 5" balusters. Each balustrade section received one ornamental baluster as a focal point. The decorative look was simple to make, just holes drilled and "bird's mouth" cuts on the edges. They look especially nice when backlit by the sun.
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@Holly Eaton Clements The safest way would be to use drill holes at the top and bottom and complete the long hole with a router and template. The router and template method are much safer and recommended for any DIY application. You do need a special router bit for lumber that thick, like this: http://www.toolbarn.com/freud-50509.html?gclid=COT7ns70lsUCFZaFaQod4awAiA Let me know if you want more details. Note: I used a table saw technique with the work piece held in place on the table with feather boards and the blade below the table and raised the blade carefully while it was spinning to cut up through the board, then complete the cut with the blade up. DO NOT ATTEMPT this if you are not completely comfortable with your skill and experience with this kind of operation on a table saw. The router method mentioned above is strongly recommended as safer.
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Thank you. I got a router for Christmas so perfect time to use it.
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