I've been thinking about the loft railing for awhile now. I want to do something interesting that will fit with the stairs, door, and general timber frame aesthetic. I also want a safe, strong railing.

What I came up with is a heavy-duty "timber framed" design that uses three large 4x7 ponderosa pine posts and three rough-cut, weathered, circular-sawn barn wood 2x8s. Its a mix of new and old wood in cool design:



The old barnwood 2x8s will have reduced tenons on either side which will fit into mortises on the two end pine posts. The three 2x8s will pass completely through the middle of the center post. The 2x8s and posts will be draw-bored and pegged with the same 1" white oak pegs used everywhere in the frame.



The post opposite the loft stairs will be lag bolted directly into a bent 2 post. All three posts have a 2.5" thick, 7" long extension which sits on the face on the bent 2 Douglas Fir tie beam. The posts will be lag-bolted to the tie beam here, perhaps in two places. All lag bolts will be counter-sunk and plugged with a hardwood plug.



The loft stairs/ladder will lag bolt directly into a post on one side and into the railing post on the opposite side.

The current plan is to do this before I apply the loft flooring, so the flooring will have to be scribed around these posts. Perhaps the posts should be placed after the flooring. I'm not sure yet.