The original Newel Post was cut off many years ago, a common practice, often to make it easier to get large items of furniture upstairs. The problem with this particular ‘stub’ was that it had been cut at 45 degrees so the standard procedure of inserting a dowel would not have been sufficiently strong enough. I was reluctant to take the Newel out and start again as this would have required the bottom of the stair case to be opened up,so as well as two dowels, two splines were let in to enable the replacement newel to be fitted with confidence. Then the bottom cap and handrail were fitted once the glues were completly dry. The spindles are then cut to length and installed. All the components i machined from stock timber using a spindle moulder and router. It is important to have a solid newel as everything else depends on that, also it gets alot of stress put on it, If you have children, watch as they swing around the post using it as a fulcrum when comming down the stairs.