I’ve been feeling pretty motivated by how quickly the railing went up and was anxious to finish the deck. I had originally planned on using my miter saw and drill press to prep each spindle, but I opted to cut them in groups by section instead. With over 70 spindles total, this saved me quite a bit of time with roughly the same results.

I installed the main platform spindles in three groups, one for each side. I planned the spacing so that I’d only need a 2×4 to help me line them up: 1 1/2″ offset from the center posts of each run, and 3 1/2″ apart. I saved any spindles with warpage until the end of the runs. This made for a very even look, overall.

I had to dig to anchor the lower deck posts to the stair risers. I’m glad I buried the bottom of the risers rather than cut them down, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to secure the posts properly. This involved more root trimming with my sawzall for the left post, which was slow, sweaty work.

Since these were the only posts that would have their top exposed, I finished them off with treated caps and tops from Menards. Not wanting to calculate the geometry to get the stair rails at the correct angle, I chose to eyeball it instead. I lined up and marked a 2×4 where I wanted the handrail to run and used that as a template for cutting the other three boards.

The rail cap was measured the same way. I adjusted my cordless saw to match the angle I’d need to cut, and used my Multi Max to finish it off. By notching it out this way, I ended up with a nice, clean looking transition at the top of the handrail where it meets the deck post.

After installing the final spindles on the stair rails, the deck construction was complete. I gave it a final inspection and tested the rails for strength. I’m quite happy with how it turned out. It really cleans up this part of the yard, and is going to be a fun place to hang out.