Including bar rail molding, also called Chicago bar rail or wood bar armrests, lends a refined, skilled end to any DIY dwelling or industrial bar venture. Primarily, it offers a cushty perimeter for friends, whether or not seated or standing, and creates a protecting lip to include glassware and spills on the bar prime, retaining the ground clear and secure.
Selecting the wooden for bar arm rests
Our wood bar rail molding is obtainable in 4 forms of wooden: cherry, onerous maple, purple oak, and poplar. Every choice affords a unique shade, density, and grain sample.
- Poplar: Creamy white with occasional darkish streaks, poplar is straightforward to chop, sand, and paint. Nevertheless, it’s softer and extra vulnerable to dings and scratches than different hardwoods.
- Laborious maple: Off-white with yellow-brown and pink tones, onerous maple has an in depth grain and is extremely proof against dents and put on.Â
- Cherry: Recognized for its wealthy, reddish-brown shade and clean, shut grain, cherry resists humidity and customarily doesn’t warp. It darkens with solar publicity and stains superbly.Â
- Pink oak: Mild brown with a slight purple tint and an open grain, purple oak is exceptionally sturdy and well-suited for high-traffic areas. Its power and nail-holding capability make it a preferred alternative for furnishings and bars.
All of our wood arm rests come unstained as a way to match the arm relaxation to your bar or select a complementary stain or shade in case you are seeking to create distinction. Remember to stain, varnish, or paint your arm rail and let every bit dry absolutely earlier than set up.
Selecting between mitered and rounded corners
When planning any armrest venture, take into account the best way to handle the bar’s corners:
- Mitered Corners: Probably the most economical choice is to make mitered corners utilizing two straight molding items minimize at an angle.
- Rounded Corners: Rounded or radiused corners supply a custom-made, polished look, decreasing sharp edges and minimizing the chance of accidents. Crafted from a single piece of hardwood, radius corners are a premium choice, with pricing various by wooden sort and radius measurement (1.5″, 3″, or 6″).
Set up suggestions for bar rail molding
1. Give your self sufficient size
In case your bar is 12 toes lengthy, don’t simply purchase 12 toes of molding. Purchase some extra size to present your self room for cuts and errors.
2. Measure, measure, after which measure once more
Triple-check your numbers earlier than you begin chopping. Belief us on this one.
How-to set up wood bar rail molding
You acquired your arm relaxation order and are prepared to put in. Right here’s the way you go about it.
Instruments wanted
- Electrical drill
- Screws
- Miter noticed (chop noticed)
- Clamps (for securing molding whereas drilling)
- Wooden glue
- Measuring tape
1. Put together the bar prime
Our wood arm rails relaxation at an angle over two items of stepped wooden. The highest piece of wooden is your completed bar prime; the underside piece of wooden juts out additional and offers structural help.
As you’ll be able to see within the determine above, the underside piece of wooden ought to measure ¾” thick and prolong three inches previous your completed bar prime. Your completed bar prime ought to measure 1 ¼” thick. In case your bar prime is thinner, shim it with a bit of unfinished scrap wooden (you received’t see the shim when the set up is full). Use glue and pneumatic staples to adjoin the structural wooden, completed bar prime, and any shim you would possibly use.
2. Minimize molding to size
Our wood arm rails are available in 2′, 4′, and eight’ lengths. We suggest shopping for the subsequent largest rail size for every straight run of your bar and chopping it all the way down to measurement. It will cut back the variety of seams in your completed product. If in case you have a run longer than 8′, it’s essential to seam two items of rail collectively.
We suggest utilizing a shawl joint in case you are seaming collectively two lengths of arm relaxation in a straight run. This requires chopping a beveled edge in order that the 2 items match collectively at an angle, making for a tighter seam.
In case your bar has a nook or corners, and also you determined to go the miter joint route, minimize the ends of your adjoining molding at a 45-degree angle. Observe that arm relaxation has a large profile, so chopping it to a exact 45-degree angle is tough. If you’re new to woodworking, it’s possible you’ll wish to search the assistance of somebody extra skilled. You may also discover this video on chopping exact miter joints useful.
In case your bar has a nook or corners and also you opted for radius corners, you might minimize a beveled edge to kind your seam. Nevertheless, chopping a radius nook on a miter noticed could be significantly tough. As an alternative, we suggest a easy butt joint. It’s possible you’ll select to chop clear ends, however no particular cuts are vital.
3. Dry match all items
You wish to make certain all the pieces matches collectively as meant earlier than you begin drilling and gluing. Don’t skip this step.
4. Pre-drill holes
Picket arm rests are fixed in common intervals from the underside (see above determine for screw placement). To safe the molding, pre-drill holes within the underside, taking care to not drill by the wooden. Use clamps to carry the molding in place.
5. Assemble and end arm relaxation
As soon as your holes are drilled, you’ll be able to start attaching your molding. With glue on the seam the place the arm rail meets the bar prime, align and screw the molding into place. Wipe away extra glue for a clear end. In case your arm rail doesn’t finish at a wall, connect bar rail molding finish caps for a completed look. These must be glued on to keep away from seen nails.
As soon as put in, your bar will boast knowledgeable, completed look with added consolation in your friends. Benefit from the outcomes!
