Hand Rail and Fitting

Installation Guidelines
These instructions show the suggested method for cutting and attaching starting fittings and gooseneck fittings like those shown below.

Starting Fittings Gooseneck Fittings

Turnout
Volute
Starting Easing 2 Rise Gooseneck

It is recommended the following tools be on hand: Hand drill with bits (1/4”, 3/8”, 1”) 1/2” Box-end wrench, Miter box saw, Table saw
or Handsaw.

Important: Please read these instructions completely before beginning installation!

1 A Pitch Block can be used to mark cuts on the upeasing of the fitting. The Pitch Block can be taken from the stringer of
the stair as shown in Fig. 1a, if one is available. If not, the Pitch Block can be made by laying the hand rail on the nose of
the treads and setting a scrap of plywood next to the rail on the tread as shown in Fig. 1b. Make sure the corner of the board
is square and is setting against the nose of the next tread. Draw a line along the bottom of the hand rail on the board. Cut
along this line keeping it as straight as possible. Mark the sides of the Pitch Block as shown below. If the stair has more
than one flight, make a Pitch Block for each flight.

Plywood
RISE
RAKE
Pitch Handrail
Block
Scribe
RUN Stringer Line
Here
RAKE RISE
Fig. 1a Fig. 1b Pitch Block
RUN

2 Place the Starting Fitting on a flat surface. Slide the 3 Place the Pitch Block next to the fitting with the
Pitch Block under the fitting with the Run side down until Rise side down and the Rake side aligned with the
the Rake side contacts the bottom of the easement as shown mark made on the easement in Step 2. Scribe a line
in Fig. 2. Place a mark on the easement at the tangent point on the side of the easement along the Rake side of
where the Pitch Block contacts the easement. the Pitch Block as shown RAKE below in Fig. 3. This is
Pitch Block Mark Cut
the line to cut the correct angle on the easement.
Line Here
Starting
Easement RAKE
Mark RUN
Tangent
Point
RISE
Fig. 3 RAKE
Mark Cut
Pitch Block
Line Here
Starting Tangent
Easement RAKE Point
Mark RUN
RUN RISE
Tangent
Fig. 2
Point
RISE

Tangent

1 RUN RISE
Point
 Hand Rail and Fitting
Installation Guidelines
4 Fig. 4 It is recommended that the cut be made on the easement
using a power miter box. Place the Pitch Block on the miter
box table with the Run side down and the Rake side towards
the saw as shown in Fig. 4. Position the Starting Fitting
Cut Line
RAKE in the saw and slide the Pitch Block under the fitting to help
hold it at the proper angle. Always double check your marks
RUN before cutting.
Pitch Block

5 Make a template to mark the location of the Rail Bolt by cutting a 3/16” piece off the end of a
piece of hand rail. Center and drill a small hole 15/16” up from the bottom of the rail as shown
3/16" in Fig. 5. Align the template on the end of the hand rail and the fitting easement. Mark the
Template
location to drill the hole for the Rail Bolt on each.
15/16"
Drill 1/16" Note: Always assemble the balustrade completely without glue to make sure everything
Dia. Hole
Fig. 5 fits and then disassemble the balustrade and reassemble with glue.

6 Fig. 6a Fig. 6b
1/4" Dia.
Drill
3/8" Dia.a ¼” Dia. hole 2 1/8” deep into Hole
Hole
the Fitting Easement. Install the 1"
Straight Dia.
woodscrew end of the Rail Bolt Handrail Hole
into the easement until 1 7/16” of it
remains exposed as shown in Fig. 3/16"
6a. Finish Nails Template

Drill a 1” Dia. hole 1 ½” deep in the 15/16"

bottom of the hand rail as shown in Drill 1/16" 1-1/2"
2-1/8"
Fig. 6b. Dia. Hole
1-7/16" 3/8" Dia.
Drill a 3/8” Dia. hole in the end of Hole
the hand rail into the 1” Dia. hole as Fitting 1-3/8"
Easement
shown in Fig. 6b and 6c.
3/8" Dia.
Attach the fitting onto the end of Hole
the hand rail using the Rail Bolt as
shown in Fig. 6a. Align the profiles
and tighten the nut with a ½” box-
Fig. 6c
end wrench. Before final assembly Finish Nails
with glue, drive two small finish nails
in the end of the hand rail as show
in Fig. 6b and 6c. Cut off the heads
of the nails leaving about 1/8” of the
nail exposed. The nails will help
keep the profiles aligned until the
glue sets.
TIP!
ZipBolt makes rail
installation a breeze!

2
 Hand Rails and Fittings
Gooseneck Fitting Installation Instructions
When installing a 2-Rise gooseneck, cut the rail drop to length and attach the easement to the rail drop before continuing on to the next step.

1 Place the Gooseneck Fitting on a flat surface. Slide

RAKE
the Pitch Block under the fitting with the Rise side Mark
down until the Rake side contacts the bottom of the Tangent
easement as shown in Fig. 7. Place a mark on the Point RUN
Easement
easement at the tangent point where the Pitch Block Rail Dr
contacts the easement. Rail Drop

RISE

Fig. 7

2 Place the Pitch Block next to the fitting with the

Run side down and the Rake RAKE side aligned with the Mark Cut
Mark Line Here
mark made on the
Tangent easement in Step 1. Scribe a line
the easement along the Rake
on the side of Point RUNside of Easement RISE Tangent Point
Easement
the Pitch Block as shown below in Fig. 8. This is Rail Drop
Rail Drop the line to cut the correct angle on the easement. RAKE

RUN
RISE

Fig. 8

3
It is recommended that the cut be made on the easement
Fig. 9 using a power miter box. Place the Pitch Block on the miter
box table with the Rise side down and the Rake side towards
Cut Line the saw as shown in Fig. 9. Position the Gooseneck
RAKE Fitting in the saw and slide the Pitch Block under the fit-
ting to help hold it at the proper cutting angle. Always double
check your marks before cutting.
RISE