A NEAR PERFECT MATCH

     In reproducing the balustrade ,which originally lined the roof of the front porch, we encountered a huge snag.  We have assumed for the past year that the 125 gorgeous balusters we found all over the house upon purchase were the original balusters removed in the early 80's by a previous owner.

  

As time approached to reconstruct the balustrade we realized that these pieces of architectural salvage were just that....salvaged from another house.  They neither match in shape the balusters on the first floor...

nor are they the correct length to have fit with the original post and rail we have used as a template to build the reproduction posts.

In a quandary as to what to do, we started getting estimates here locally from wood mills to determine what the cost might be to duplicate the original balusters.  We were just looking for ballpark figures and, given estimates of anywhere from $35 - $110 apiece, we decided we could not even afford a ticket into that ballpark. 

    I started searching online and came across Mr. Spindle .  And here is where we get excited.  Not only are the folks at Mr. Spindle pleasant to deal with and knowledgeable about their products, but also they are up to the task of reproducing my baluster at a VERY decent price.

    Here is how it has worked for me....

1.  I sent Mr. Spindle a photo of my porch spindle next to a tape measure.

A baluster from the first floor porch

2.  Kary out at Mr. Spindle (a long way from Virginia in Fargo, North Dakota) made a scaled drawing of the proposed turned baluster.

                               

3.  Upon approval, the spindle is turned and a sample photo sent.

                                     

4.   The next day the spindle arrives on  my doorstep.

An overnighted package arrives on my porch

5.   It is a near perfect match and I give Mr. Spindle the thumbs up to reproduce "X" number of balusters at a crazy fabulous price.

All of these things happened in under 5 days.  We eagerly await the arrival of all our balusters.  The folks at mrspindle.com say the shipment should be here next week.  We will be working on the handrails this weekend.

I am so excited to see how it all turns out! (pun for Wallace)   Check back to see photos of the finished project.