So, with my new-found ability to bend handrails, I'm wondering if I could improve my process. Right now, that is to make stanchions by bending an eye around a number 80 drill bit, and cutting to a marked length. It's a fairly manual process, but also one I can do on autopilot at this point (and sometimes do, I have a box of over-length stanchions ready to go). For the rail itself, I use what came on the commercial model as a guide, but also what proto photos I can find. I then hand bend it to match, and I've gotten pretty good at this, too. But, I wonder if this is something I can jig up, and would appreciate any pointers in that direction.
Stanchions are grabbed from my box, inspected for suitability, cut to a marked length, and bent at a marked point.
for soldering the stanchions, I pin everything in place and do every other one up and then repeat for the skipped stanchions. I carefully unpin the handrail, and test fit, and find that I've got it correct 99% of the time.
