Newel Post Getting Its Crown-Finally

I started the staircase, lets just say it was over 4 years ago and leave it at that. Nothing is so boring as stripping those staircases. You never get done. And I didn't finish it yet. But the stair railings are down to the last step. I just need to wax them. The garnet shellac has been applied and smoothed for the last time and now I'm ready to take my #0000 steel wool and apply my dark wax. It smells so good!

I waxed the top part of the newel post already because I need to put the trim back on the top. I don't know what the actual name is for it, but I refer to the trim as the "crown". I took it off when I stripped the stairs because I read that the builder often put the house's original blueprints down inside the newel post. I needed to take that top part off and the crown hid the joint between the pieces. But mine was empty. I hope I don't split the wood nailing it back on there. I'm excited getting that piece back on there where it belongs after all this time.


note* Notice the window trim behind the newel post in the picture is too dark. That was one of my first projects when we moved in. I stained it too dark and used a different finish, I don't even recall what I used for that, possibly a poly. But it is way too dark. I learned from it. I'll redo that at some point.