Construction Channel Posted May 12, 2018 Share Posted May 12, 2018 I was going to add this to the stage 1 thread but I feel it deserves its own thread. I am finally starting to make my staircase , all those years that the piles of rough sawn trees have been getting in the way are coming to an end. Yay. I should think some of you already know I started this project a good couple of years ago by cutting down a dead oak tree in the meadow. If not I will provide links to the beginning of the story when I get inside. But either way check out all the progress. The oak is starting out in roughly 55x600x3400mm planks that I slabbed with the chainsaw mill, From that they get laid onto some trestles and cut to useable widths with my skill saw and 3 rails connected together. i found these here little rollers very helpful when trying to get the full slabs into the rights place. Then I put under the little batten to stop it moving while I cut it. so we now have reasonable width 55mm oak planks. Most are over 300mm all have 1 straight side but otherwise they are very rough from the chainsaw. thats is how I left all but 2 lengths because I wanted to get my head around the newel posts. The 2 I put over the planer have come up very nicely so far, The strings treads and risers will be made from the oak if I can get enough out of it but it is looking promising so far. The newels and spindles will be ash. The ash started as roughly 120x600x3900 slabs so I am having to cut them from both sides with the saw but with the rails they are coming out rather well. as for converting the timber i have gone gone a little further with the ash. First job is to cut them to usable length. Then they get pushed over this overhand planer bow up until I get a consistent cut. Then I repeat the process on an adjacent side while making sure my new flat face is hard against the guard so I end up with 2 straight sides and one square corner. from there i take it and put it through the thicknesser useing those faces as references, this give a nice straight even thickness post. now I know what final thicknesses I can achieve with the wood I have I have started making the first jig for housing the treads in the strings. I say first because I will probably end up with at least 2-3 as the lower flight will have draws as risers. After the landing there will be a standard flight finishing with 3 winders at the top. I modeled it all on cad first to optimise the width so it finishes nicely after the winders. its all just lines on ply at the moment but I’ll be getting the router out soon, and thats about as far as I have got. I’d better get back to work 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted May 12, 2018 Share Posted May 12, 2018 That's looking great. I am sure that will be much more of a feature than my stairbox stairs. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell griffiths Posted May 12, 2018 Share Posted May 12, 2018 Very impressed, top shelf stuff right there. Even a can of wife beater, to aid thinking. ?? in my mind I can do stuff like this but I’m really just an amateur wood butcher. 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Construction Channel Posted May 12, 2018 Author Share Posted May 12, 2018 8 minutes ago, ProDave said: That's looking great. I am sure that will be much more of a feature than my stairbox stairs. I could have a stairbox set fitted easily before the wedding..... luckily Faye is a very patient woman and likes the story behind this project. I might get them done In 2 weeks, depends how much time I spend procrastinating, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Construction Channel Posted May 12, 2018 Author Share Posted May 12, 2018 25 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said: Very impressed, top shelf stuff right there. Even a can of wife beater, to aid thinking. ?? in my mind I can do stuff like this but I’m really just an amateur wood butcher. Last time I did this was college and that was only putting the bits together, not actually machining all the parts. Your only as bad as you allow yourself to be. Speed and problem solving only come from experience, but quality of work is your own choice no matter what level you are. Edit: it does help that I’m storing all this machinery for a friend ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Construction Channel Posted May 12, 2018 Author Share Posted May 12, 2018 Well that’s it all on the ply. Now i I need to make it 8mm bigger so I can use a 30mm guide bush. Then I’m going to rout it out. I’ll do the tread first. Then transfer that to another jig with a guided cutter. Then go back and take out for the wedges and risers, thats the plan at least. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted May 12, 2018 Share Posted May 12, 2018 An awesome thread you beautiful man Damn you and your free tool collection, the stuff of wet dreams. Please add as much detail as time allows as this will be of utmost value! I used Kwikstep for the boys room, a total cop-out, but even that required a new brain and a second opinion Buildhub gold in the making, thanks for this. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Construction Channel Posted May 12, 2018 Author Share Posted May 12, 2018 Obviously I will rout the actual stairs with a 1/2 inch router but I am loving this little cordless makita for the making the jigs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted May 12, 2018 Share Posted May 12, 2018 Loving this! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Construction Channel Posted May 12, 2018 Author Share Posted May 12, 2018 Well the first jig is ready to be transferred to its final bit of ply. The slot at the bottom is so I can slide a bit of wood through into the last routed tread which should hopefully set my gauge. I cut a slot so i can use both sides of the jig and the bit of wood stays out of the routers way. Also I didn’t rout all the way through at the right hand end. I decided it would be too flimsy so for the long cut on the kite winder I will have to do it in situ. but it’s 7:00 on a Saturday so I’m going to the pub, so that’s it until tomorrow evening. Grr the pic is upside down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tennentslager Posted May 12, 2018 Share Posted May 12, 2018 Great thread... You should get some apprenticeship candidates to get that workshop buzzing every day. Must be a social enterprise there in the making. First customer the local council, they supply lots of access ramps for clients who become old and frail and want to stay in their own homes...nah not serious just want to come and play with those big machines ??? Keep it coming 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted May 12, 2018 Share Posted May 12, 2018 I brilliant thread, all credit to you. I too used a stair box kit but did the landing and hand rails myself and I am well chuffed with the result. I built a straight staircase years ago so know how hard it can be. Keep up the photos and narrative. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC45 Posted May 12, 2018 Share Posted May 12, 2018 (edited) What a brilliant blog. I lived in Writtle near Chelmsford in Essex for 16 years, I left 7 years ago - if I was still there I'd be tempted to offer a hand. In fact I would be there! Def the pets parts unfolding here. Edited May 12, 2018 by CC45 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Construction Channel Posted May 12, 2018 Author Share Posted May 12, 2018 as promised, here are a few of the videos leading up to this stage, (there are quite a few so ill just list the opening ones..) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Construction Channel Posted May 13, 2018 Author Share Posted May 13, 2018 sorry to disappoint but it turns out this evening is a right off, iv been labouring on the best bricklayer I know to lay one of my garden walls all day(not technically part of the house so its ok) its Sunday, he had to go shopping at 3 and iv been in the pub ever since......... we'll pick this up tomorrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Construction Channel Posted May 13, 2018 Author Share Posted May 13, 2018 too late to edit the other post but I really should have included this one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 Starting the Ash..., Faye looks totally at home handing large equipment... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Construction Channel Posted May 13, 2018 Author Share Posted May 13, 2018 1 minute ago, Onoff said: Starting the Ash..., Faye looks totally at home handing large equipment... watching herself was a good learning block...... I honestly didn't leave it in just to be mean...... she still hates driving it, but she will if you ask her to which is a huge advantage to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Construction Channel Posted June 16, 2018 Author Share Posted June 16, 2018 Ok we’re back! Not on film yet but the wedding venue has been cleared and the bar has been reinstated into the workshop so I spent this evening trying to carry on with the stair jigs...... oh it was all going so well... on a trend worktop jig you use a half inch cutter and a 30mm guide bush. This gives about a 8mm gap between the cutter and the jig. So after laying out my the actual hole I want on a piece of ply I went and expanded it all by 8mm before I routed it into a jig, (potentially the mistake) then i routed a location slot so it gauges the next tread from the previous one. (This bit works great) as its a perfectly square slot it means I can tap the little bit of oak through for the opposite string. I tested the open tread jig first and it worked a treat. I even practiced on some ply for the first string and offered it up to my quarter landing and everything fitted ( phew ) so carried on to make the closed tread jig by transferring the original one with a flush cutting router bit to another bit of ply. So then I tested the new jig and I was very happy as it also seemed to work very nicely. until I saw this Notice the bit routed out has rounded internal corners!!! so now I either make up a set of complicated inserts so that the 30mm guide doesn’t go around the top internal in the picture or remake both of them without expanding them by 8mm....... then it comes to weather or not I should use a stair trenching bit which are flared. https://www.trenddirectuk.com/c242x1-2tc?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8e6ryIHZ2wIV6L3tCh1D0gv0EAQYASABEgLfgPD_BwE It sounds like I should use it but I can’t find any with a guide bearing so I assume they are just useing the shank as a guide. Or or use a straight cutter which I can get with a guide bearing. Hmmm,,, Iv got some research to be doing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC45 Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 All beyond my woodworking ability. Respect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 (edited) 5 minutes ago, CC45 said: All beyond my woodworking ability. Respect. I read it he was using a Trend jig at first. But no, home brew, top man! (Hastily edited ) Edited June 16, 2018 by Onoff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC45 Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 So obviously a man who knows when to make use of others abilities? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Construction Channel Posted June 16, 2018 Author Share Posted June 16, 2018 6 minutes ago, Onoff said: Nah! He bought the jig, cop out! have you seen the price of the trend ones.. https://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/Trend-Stair-A-5027654504628-Staircase-Jig-Complete-Closed-Riser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 4 minutes ago, CC45 said: So obviously a man who knows when to make use of others abilities? Read my edit! Did he buy it no! He made it and now has the fun of working out the issues! Been there! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 1 minute ago, Construction Channel said: have you seen the price of the trend ones.. https://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/Trend-Stair-A-5027654504628-Staircase-Jig-Complete-Closed-Riser Did you try and work it out on CAD first? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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