How to build wooden balusters

Although balusters can be found in a wide variety at any specialized store, more and more owners choose to make them on their own. If you are one of these owners, you need to consider making them from a hard wood, that can resist high loads and will be sturdy enough to endure stress. If you make some balusters for interior decoration, you can use softer woods.

Materials

Woodworking lathe
Wood (of your choice)
Router
Milling unit
Sandpaper
Stain (or sealant)

Decide on the materials and on the design. Balusters can be made from any type of wood. If you’re doing interior balusters, than you can use softer wood, like maple or pine tree, but for outdoor use your balusters should be made from pressure treated lumber.

Choosing the design it’s not easy. If you choose a more complicated design, then it will be harder for you to keep the uniformity among all your balusters. Keep it simple.

Carving

First of all you’ll need to carve a dummy baluster with your router. You can round edges and hollow areas. If you want more intricate designs, then you will need more tools. After you have acquired the wanted design, use some sandpaper to smooth the surface.

You can also try and create a template from an existing design. You don’t really need to create it all by yourself.

Finishing

After you make the balusters, you need to cover them with a coat or more of stain or paint. Make sure that the seal you are using to treat the wood is good for it.