In the second picture the blue line shows the top plate for the half wall with spindles and the red highlights a beam of 2×12's.
I'm not sure if it is clear but the half wall ends at a 2×6 that has been added to beam.
Would it be safe to remove the spindles altogether?
If I need support can it be done from above?
Best Answer
It's difficult to see exactly how this is framed, but...The 2x framing directly below your blue line appears to be the top plate of the wall with spindles in it. That wall appears to be supporting attic/ceiling framing members. The perpendicular members (2x6?) appear to be bearing on the spindle wall, and not spanning over. That leads me to believe that the spindles cannot be removed, without some means of reinforcing.
With some additional information you might be able to tell how best to make it work. You might be able to replace the spindle wall with a beam in the attic space, spanning from the 2x12 beam to the next load bearing wall at the other end of the spindle wall. You could possibly use joist hangers to frame the perpendicular 2x6 members into the face of the new beam. All of this would need to be designed for the appropriate loads. That is just conceptually how I would approach it. But it really is necessary to get a better view of the framing. Too much is concealed by insulation, to make a confident judgement.