Both the turned newels and the box newels can either be bought as a half newel (split in half lengthwise) or can be ripped in half on a tablesaw. This half newel is used in place of a rosette where the handrail meets a wall. The half newel gives a very nice look to the handrail system.

The bottom of a half newel can be anchored in any of the ways mentioned for the regular newels, but how you anchor the top depends on whether there is anything solid behind it or not.

1. To determine this, set the half newel against the wall where it will be mounted and plumb it.
2. Mark the edges so you know where it is going.  Remove half newel.
3. Between the lines use a nail to drive through the Sheetrock to see if there is anything there.
4. If there is not a stud or deadwood framing to anchor to, you will need to cut a hole in the Sheetrock big enough to put a 2×4 or a 2×6 in between the studs at handrail level.
5. Once the deadwood is nailed or screwed in, replace the Sheetrock, and patch.
6. Drill a hole in the top of the newel that will be hidden by the rail.  Run a 3″ or 3 1/2″ screw or lag with a flat washer through the hole into the deadwood through the hole into the deadwood that you  just put into the wall.