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Thread: Staircase Railing Question

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    St. Charles, IL
    Posts
    420

    Almost done...

    I've been limited to working on this project on weekends only, so it seems to be taking me a lot longer to finish this one. There were actually 2 layers of treads and risers on this staircase, which really screwed up the rise for the first and last step. Apparently a flooring guy just cut the nosings off the existing treads, then set the new treads and risers in a bed of liquid nails and sunk about 20 18 ga. brads into each tread, then used excessive amounts of molding to cover the gaps.

    The homeowner wasn't crazy about the excessive use of molding on her existing staircase, so for this project I routed dadoes into the underside of the treads to receive the risers for a nice clean look. The outside treads needed a stop dado, which I made on my Festool toys. I also picked up a Wheaton tread template jig so that I could get a perfect fit for each tread and riser. The starter step was also a lot of fun to make. I made a series of relief cuts on my table saw to the back side of the riser so that only 3/32 of material was left, then I wrapped and clamped it around a 2x form slathered in polyurethane adhesive.

    P1010175.JPGP1010179.JPGP1010180.JPGP1010181.JPG

    cont'd...

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    St. Charles, IL
    Posts
    420
    After removing the 2 layers of treads and risers, I had to recalculate the rise and make custom shims for each step. These I glued and screwed to the existing stringers. Next task was to cut the new skirtboards out of 1x12 Poplar. I used screws and plugs on the skirtboards which allowed me to control how much it hugged the contoured wall. The inside skirtboards were no problem, but the outside skirtboard wall was out of plumb and messed up my first attempt. My second attempt was much better and my mitered outside corners closed up nicely and went into their respective dadoes without too much trouble.

    After all of the treads and risers were cut to fit, I had to fasten the staircase backwards, working from top down rather than bottom up. This was due to a 2" drywall ledge which was directly above one side of the top tread which had to be slid under the ledge in order to fit. This backwards technique also allowed me to fasten the tread to the risers using pocket screws from underneath, rather than screw from above and behind. I still prefer the bottom up approach, but I didn't have a choice with the constraints on this staircase.

    In addition to the pocket screws, each tread was set in a bead polyurethane adhesive, then screwed to the stringer and riser from above and pluged with home made side grain plugs to match. The homeowner's husband is painting the risers and skirtboards this week, then I go back this weekend to install the removable railing. I'll post more pics once it is all finished.

    P1010189.JPGP1010190.JPGP1010191.JPGP1010192.JPGP1010193.JPG

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Harrisburg, NC
    Posts
    2,255
    They look good Frank. I know you will be glad to get them done.

    Richard

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    St. Charles, IL
    Posts
    420
    Well...this project is finally finished. The railing is completely removable using a combination of KeyLocks and MiniLocks. All you need is a block of wood, a hammer and a screwdriver. I followed Richard's and Steve's advice and made the railing sections separate instead of continuous (thank you both for this sound advice). I encounterd a wide variety of obstacles with this project and I'll think twice before attempting another project like this with an older home.

    Thanks for viewing.

    P1010194.JPGP1010200.JPGP1010199.JPGP1010195.JPGP1010197.JPG
    Last edited by Frank Snyder; 03-13-2007 at 3:35 PM.

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Meridian Id
    Posts
    528
    Nice job Frank, turned out real well.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Harrisburg, NC
    Posts
    2,255
    Well it looks good from here. Well done.

    Richard

  7. #22
    Nice job Frank...looks great. And yes stairmakers are a very special breed. I have always been in awe of the ability to overcome those "obstacles".
    Glenn Clabo
    Michigan

  8. #23
    Turned out real nice Frank.
    A big thumbs up to ya!!


  9. #24
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Delaplane, VA
    Posts
    429
    Great job Frank!
    Bill Simmeth
    Delaplane VA

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    St. Charles, IL
    Posts
    420
    Thanks again, guys. I envy those who get to install new staircases in vacant new homes where there are less obstacles (and homeowners) to conted with . Staircases are challenging enough to build...

  11. #26
    I just finished this one, along with all the cabinets, and all the base trim in the house.
    This was pretty well cut and dried. No curves, etc.

    http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=51758

    Post 26


  12. #27
    Frank I must say you do some very nice work,very nice.

    Dennis

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Whidbey Island , Wa.
    Posts
    914
    Frank where you the guy doing his own stair case the one with the turn and removable handrail from a couple of months ago? Did you finish that yet , or was it someone else?

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    St. Charles, IL
    Posts
    420
    Dennis - Thanks for the compliment. The real staircase experts are Steve Clardy and Richard Wolf, both of whom provided me with their wisdom and advice for this project. Without their help, I'd still be scratching my head.

    Paul - Good memory. Yep, that was me. I updated that thread with the finished product about a month ago (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...t=79891&page=2).

    Frank

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