There were a couple of areas in the old post that had been damaged over the years, so we repaired those by cutting out the damaged area, cutting a new piece of oak the same size, and installing it with some wood glue. These replacement pieces should not be very noticeable once they are sanded and stained.
We then built and installed the second step. This was done in the same way as the first step, but was much easier as this piece was not as complicated. Bending the riser was a bit trickier this time though (wood almost cracked a couple of times), as the curve of this step has a small radius.
We then installed the second post using biscuits, wood glue, and a few finish nails. This post was a bit tricky, as the wall is not perfectly straight, so I had to trace the shape of the wall onto the wood and then cut the wood to match that shape.
Well, the difficult stuff is done and it's starting to look like our mock-up. We need to do some sanding on the posts, install the railing, install some trimwork, and then sand everything to prepare for staining.
