The image below depicts a Gothic newel design I’m working on. I got the idea from the fence (really the fence post) that surrounds the old State Capitol building in Baton Rouge, LA. I love the pattern and hope to add it to my newel designs eventually. I still have to come up with a cap and proper base.
gothic fence post
gothic fence post
gothic_newel
The shank or shaft of the fence post is four sided. It alternates bead and cove (better seen in the bottom drawing)
This is a balcony detail that I really like. Most balcony rail heights are only 36inches high because of the minimum height code requirement. Consequently most installers cut the newels down to accommodate the rail height. This little drawing depicts a way to keep your newels long by adding goose neck fittings to the handrail. The newels are then kept long and tall. Makes for a nice show don’t you think?
balcony detail
I made these newels for a customer in Tennessee. They are indeed in poplar and came out fine I think. The large N108 is 8 inches wide at the base and the N107′s are 5 1/2 inches wide at the base.
Large Newels
large newels
These six newels are my N112 newels from Architectural Turnings. The customer wanted them in Brazilian Cherry (also called Jatoba). The largest is 5 1/2inches by 48 inches. The smaller newels are 3 1/2 inches X 48 inches
Jatoba Barley twisted newels
These were ordered from a repeat customer in Mass. The twists are called rope twists as opposed to the more popular barley twists. Since the balusters were tapered I recommended the shallower rope twist. There are around 220 balusters for two stairways in this home. I hope to get pictures of the finished project. They usually do a beautiful job.
These are in soft maple.
This is my first attempt at modeling what I can my Pottery Newels. A customer in the Mobile, Alabama area some time back asked me to reproduce a newel and set of balusters that his wife saw in a Pottery Barn catalog. They weren’t for sale but were just part of a sales page. I posted pictures on my web site and have had a number of customers ask for them.
The larger newels is 8″ by 54″ high and the smaller brother is 5 1/2″ X 52″ high.
This is my first real stab and trying to make the newels photo realistic. I definitely have some work to do but not bad I think.
I’m still playing with this tapered newel design and sort of like this style better. They look more like classic Greek columns and can be fluted or left plain. The smaller newel is 5 1/2″ wide and the larger one is 7″. The newel on the far left has the classic bow while the two others are a straight taper. The straight taper is better I think.
I’ve been working on my 3D modeling and rendering and want to create some newel designs. OK the modeling is coming along but I have lots of work to do as for rendering. I’m having fun with the modeling at least. The image below is my shot at developing a tapered newel with the option of fluting. I like the simplicity of the design but am unsettled about how much taper to use – extreme taper or slight. Hope you like the colors.
These are of course over-the-post newels and require a newel cap that will match the handrail profile.
These newels were popular in the New Orleans area. We call them double bells because of the stacked bell motif obviously. It is a design I like but really don’t make that often. People have not been requesting them.
The first image (not a good one I know) was sent me from a contractor in Kentucky. I hadn’t seen one of my newels painted black but there you have it with black iron balusters.
double bell newel
This other image is of red oak double bells. Can’t remember where these went but I like the way they came out.
