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Step 1
Purchase a tauring machine, new or used, to bend iron for a spiral staircase. These pricey machines, found in iron fabrication shops, use a system of rollers to smoothly bend iron handrails. A used tauring machine may occasionally be available for sale or auction.
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Step 2
Turn the iron handrail on a metal lathe for a smooth rounded surface before bending. Afterwards, you will not be able to vary the surface features easily.
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Step 3
Program the dimensions of your handrail into the tauring machine to allow the rollers to pull the handrail through, bending it as it moves. You will need the length of the piece, plus the location and degree of the bend.
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Step 4
Monitor an older tauring machine and adjust the rollers by hand if it is not equipped with computerized functions.
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Step 5
Practice bending inexpensive angle iron before you bend your handrail. If computerized, you can test the dimensions for a perfect match.
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Step 6
Bend a wooden handrail by building a temporary support system above the outside perimeter of your staircase and clamping the crosscut sections to the guide, starting with the inside piece.
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Step 7
Use a commercial steam box to dampen wooden cross-sections or wrap hot, damp rags around sections until they are pliable. The bending process is one of gentle coaxing.
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Step 8
Add additional cross-section pieces as the previous ones dry and form. Patience is required when bending a wooden stair rail since each section forms individually before the next.
