I'm building an exterior railing for my front porch & stairs. I will be using pressure treated lumber. My balusters will be turned like these:
(source: elyriafence.com)
To secure the baluster to the bottom rail I was planning on nailing straight up into the baluster from the bottom.
I am unsure how to attach the balusters to the top railing. My handrail will be plowed on the bottom to provide side-to-side stability. I was thinking about using a finishing nail gun to toenail in the baluster to the bottom of the handrail. Is this sufficient? What size nail should I use? The top of the handrail will be routed decoratively, and I do not want to have the profile marred by a nail.
Edit:
I just saw the question on using dowel pins in railings. Would 1 dowel pin at the top and another on the bottom of the balusters hold securely?