I am going to replace the balcony railing with one that matches the house’s vintage. I found pictures of the old entrance and want to emulate this. How do I manufacture the balcony posts in the best way? See picture of the old posts and a drawing of the intended appearance. I am planning to saw out a rounded shape from two sides of the post using a template and then sand it to an even shape. So it won’t be a completely round top.
How do I do this in the best way?
Appreciate tips on tools and method for the best result for a DIY enthusiast.
How do I do this in the best way?
Appreciate tips on tools and method for the best result for a DIY enthusiast.
It depends on what tools you have. 
I would have used a coarse saw and then a regular hand plane.
If you don't have a plane, get one... or you can use a rasp, and in the absence of a rasp, a piece of molding with coarse sandpaper glued on.
If you're more into machines, maybe a belt sander for the rough work and then move on to a random orbital sander.
If you look at the shading in the picture, it's not completely round-sanded; rather, there are four curved sides with a slight edge in the angle between them. You can choose how pronounced that edge should be.
I would have used a coarse saw and then a regular hand plane.
If you don't have a plane, get one...
or you can use a rasp, and in the absence of a rasp, a piece of molding with coarse sandpaper glued on.If you're more into machines, maybe a belt sander for the rough work and then move on to a random orbital sander.
If you look at the shading in the picture, it's not completely round-sanded; rather, there are four curved sides with a slight edge in the angle between them. You can choose how pronounced that edge should be.
