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  • Tree Branch Handrail
  • Add rustic charm to your home—naturally.
    From "B. Original"
    episode DBOR-153


    PHOTO

    B. Original with the warmth and character of natural wood.
    Wood fixtures with the look of natural tree branches add rustic charm to your home—but they can cost a bundle. Never fear, Michele Beschen is here with a great project that brings natural wood into the home.

    The B. Original host shares her techniques for creating a beautiful handrail from a tree branch you strip and finish yourself. Beauty doesn’t get much more natural than that.

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    PHOTO

    Figure A
    PHOTO

    Figure B
    PHOTO

    Figure C
    PHOTO

    Figure D
    Tree Branch Handrail

    long branch for rail
    draw knife
    wipe on polyurethane
    fine-grit sandpaper
    tack cloth
    handrail hardware

    • Choose a long, straight branch that is at least 2" in diameter (figure A).

    • Clamp the branch securely to two sawhorses or worktables so it doesn’t slip while you remove the bark. Michele Beschen prefers to peel away the bark with a standard drawknife—available at any woodworking store—while the limb is still fairly green.

    • Peel away the bark (figure B). To avoid giving the handrail a completely "bald" look, you can keep a little bit of the darker colored wood from the inside edge of the bark (figure C).

      Note: Take your time peeling away the bark, and always be sure to have both hands on the knife.

    • Set the bark strips aside for use in another project.

    • If the branch is still fairly green, let it dry out thoroughly to get rid of any excess moisture after you peel the bark.

    • Once the wood is dried, sand it down with a fine-grit sandpaper until it’s smooth (figure D). Wipe the piece with a tack cloth to remove any dust.

    • Apply a coat of wipe-on polyurethane finish. Let that coat dry, then sand the rail again. Apply at least two more coats of wipe-on polyurethane, sanding in between coats, to get the desired sheen.

    • Install the rail with standard hardware.


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