Pro Handyman Blog

This is a fairly simple handyman job if you have the right tools. When a stair spindle comes loose, you hope it isn’t broken and that it can slip back into place.

Whether or not the spindle is on a level surface or an incline (like going up the stairs), the repair is pretty much the same. The hope is that the spindle can be reused. If not, you may have to find another one or have one turned on a lathe. In most cases, the spindle is held in place by inserting the top into a hole in the underside of the wood hand rail and then pinned in place at the bottom.

You can clean up the end of the spindle with a light sanding, and remove any glue from the hole in the hand rail with soldering brush and some sandpaper. Don’t ream it out so much though, that it becomes sloppy when inserting the spindle.

You can spread a light coat of glue on the end of the spindle and insert it into the underside of the hand rail. Swing the bottom into place against the surface and use a pneumatic nailer and squeeze off a nail or brad to hold it in place. Install another nail or brad in the opposite side to hold it in place. You may consider filling the divot with wood filler and painting it, but the nail holes will be small enough where you probably won’t notice.