Archive for the ‘Chicago Bar Rails’ Category

What Is True Chicago Bar Rail Molding?

Chicago bar rail molding. The term has become popular in the bar-building industry in recent years, with more and more bar parts manufacturers marketing their products as “Chicago bar rail molding.” But here at Hardwoods Incorporated, we make the original Chicago bar rail molding. What Is True Chicago Bar Rail Molding? The original Chicago bar rail moldings are thick and sturdy, built to withstand thousands of people bellying up to the speakeasy bar for their illicit drinks. It has a stylized, curved apron, giving it a bold but smooth appearance. This apron became a practical location for installing neon lighting…

Busy making bar rail molding.

We had another productive morning in the shop making these BR 450 bar rail moldings from cherry, maple, oak and poplar. At Hardwoods Incorporated we make every bar building product we sell, we never run out of inventory and turn orders around fast for the bars across America! Our BR 450 Bar rail moldings are made with a simple 3/4″ x 1-3/4″ notch ready to install onto any single or double layer bar top at least 3/4″ thick or thicker making completion of your bar top quick and easy. When using a double layer bar top, install a drip edge molding…

Traditional wood bar arm rest molding with cropped corners.

When building a home or commercial bar of any size or shape at some point in the process you will need to decide how to deal with the corner or corners of the bar rail molding. The standard option for navigating turns in bar rail molding is the simple 90 degree mitered corner. Although this option may be a fast and easy way to make the corner it can result in a somewhat sharp edge at the very tip of the miter that can be a little tough on your guests. There is another option. How about taking the edge…

Custom orders of Chicago Bar Rail Molding.

We really enjoy making customized versions of our bar rail moldings and parts. We especially like making curved parts in wood species that can be a challenge to work with such as quartersawn oak and natural hickory. Pictured below are two such jobs we made recently for clients needing curved and matching straight rails for home bars under construction in Arizona and New York. BR475 Bar Rail Molding Natural Hickory BR475-S Bar Rail Corners Quartersawn Red Oak Nothing says custom more than the addition of curved moldings made from figured or unusual hardwoods. For more information on customizing your home…

Do you know about the new addition to our Bar Rail Molding Line?

Introducing our BR450 Chicago bar rail molding! We’re making and stocking our new BR450 Bar rail molding in premium red oak and poplar hardwoods for quick shipment nationwide. This simple notched design is very versatile and allows for installation on a variety of bar top thicknesses and configurations. Our BR450 wood arm rest moldings are great for home bars, commercial bars and drink rails along a wall for extra guests.When using our solid hardwood bar top kits on a plywood sub base the BR450 makes for a perfect fit. With the installation of our matching drip edge molding underneath the bar rail and…

Fitting Bar Rail Radius Corners & Straights

Although all of our bar rail molding both radius and straight are made to meet or exceed industry standards for fit and consistency, it may be necessary to scribe and adjust the placement of the seams to achieve optimum results. This is especially true where curved parts intersect with straight parts as the conditions on the job site can vary from those under which the curved and straight parts were made. Not to worry, you can make slight adjustments out or up of either the straight or curved part to make a near perfect transition then sand and feather in…

Bar Rail Molding 101

At Hardwoods Incorporated we’ve been making our bar rail moldings and matching radius bar rail corners to the same design specifications for over 40 years. Our double notch bar rail system accepts (2) layers of ¾” bar top material sandwiched one on top of another for a solid 1-1/2” thick bar top providing stability and strength. (As shown) All of our Chicago style bar rail moldings BR475, BR550, BR650, BR475-3CM and BR475-S lay at a perfect comfortable angle displaying their 3 dimensional qualities ideal for use on home bars, commercial bars and pub rails. When choosing a bar…

How to Build a Bar – Standard Dimensions, Specs & Resources

What are standard bar dimensions? How tall is a standard bar? How wide should you make a bar top? How do you build a home bar? How do you install Chicago bar rail? How do you cut and install curved radius bar rails for corners? These are the questions we receive all day, every day by wood workers, architects and contractors building home bars and commercial bars alike. Hardwoods Incorporated is now introducing our Bar Building Resources. Visit our new Bar Building Resource Center to learn how to install bar rail molding standard bar dimension and specifications how to cut…

How to Install Bar Rail

How to Install Bar Rail A short guide to installing Chicago style bar rail: The tools we will be using to fit and install the bar rail molding are a drill, glue, screws, spoil board, biscuit joiner, and biscuits. The sub top should extend out beyond the main bar top 1 and 9/16″ as shown. We first set up the spoil board to hold the bar rail up in position while cutting. We set the miter box angle at 45 degrees and position the bar rail on the spoil board to make the first cut. Next, we reset the miter…

The Original Chicago Bar Rail

Are you building a bar, installing and counter in your store, shelving in your home, or finally finishing that man cave? Then you need to know about BR 475S Chicago Bar Rail! BR 475S Bar Rail is the original style of Chicago Bar Rail. This bar rail style originally appeared in taverns, corner bars, VFW’S, American Legions, firehouses, and pubs throughout the USA in the early 40’s & 50’s. This bar rail style includes a shirt/apron that gives it a much thicker curvy appearance. During that era of bar building the Chicago bar rails were usually made from mahogany and…