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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, 

99DF0BDE-E63A-4E76-8FD7-130F570DFAEB.thumb.jpeg.e0b98359094a9097e2c60d11e3b1cbfc.jpeg

 

From that they get laid onto some trestles and cut to useable widths with my skill saw and 3 rails connected together. 

911C55AF-6401-46CF-A043-BD70519DAD21.thumb.jpeg.21c9e2e4911290e07ea7f7a6c0224eb6.jpeg

 

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. 9DBA5D9B-B26B-44B7-8709-03406764573A.thumb.jpeg.79bc35923981cdf18481b91e9f0b004e.jpeg

 

so we now have reasonable width 55mm oak planks. Most are over 300mm

 

673B68C1-CA1F-411B-8AF1-5E7FC53796BD.thumb.jpeg.2dad2a387c7b4e70face25b0624c7a45.jpeg

 

all have 1 straight side but otherwise they are very rough from the chainsaw. B4EB44DE-AB8E-4A45-A169-B70DC28378F8.thumb.jpeg.eec8dd8bd9127d098a0ea77a8513e538.jpeg

 

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, 85103463-8609-4C6A-8F82-1F2E14382FEE.thumb.jpeg.b474cd32d1d3e611b35c680fcb15d2c4.jpeg

 

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. 3D77E658-2D5E-4D1F-9594-649B2DB88A73.thumb.jpeg.fb44646cb29f333fb699bbf5761429b7.jpeg49CBC96F-DFD9-4287-9EB3-610584958AE8.thumb.jpeg.d76ad6dac42cd0beb28d58574599ba94.jpeg

 

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. 2D69805A-50DF-4DB5-A659-5487D4520F12.thumb.jpeg.f0eebd5ed050d6dcc785f62d367c54f0.jpeg

image.thumb.jpg.6c4a442da830caa61be266157f893ea8.jpg

 

from there i take it and put it through the thicknesser useing those faces as references, this give a nice straight even thickness post. 930255A7-BD20-4D01-841F-8F45EB6CABD3.thumb.jpeg.4e88f7821820933d6e174b727d8535ae.jpegE31F2BD7-6513-41CA-8D77-458006F2621D.thumb.jpeg.9e26ba789b94c2ba8803c7f55b38c343.jpeg

 

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. 

C367BDF8-7DE7-4399-A5AC-8E49F13E7AF6.thumb.jpeg.6d76ab15d0f7fe3acffd5a3887d99e8b.jpegCE5399E7-302B-429B-9297-62733FFD9085.thumb.jpeg.1900ed596c9dfb5ebf564f000cec3cde.jpeg

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 ;) 

8C09EC3B-F1B2-4ED2-8384-4358DFCB79D7.jpeg

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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, 

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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 ?

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Well that’s it all on the ply. 

07B50C5E-978B-4820-8487-6B4E37BBD173.thumb.jpeg.0f07f83689fe06330c77ccd9379dfbab.jpeg

 

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. 0F6258A9-02FB-48BC-A3B6-B0896A593C41.thumb.jpeg.65c6eb632ec527ac4f003e1641364746.jpeg

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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. 

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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. 2ED1717F-6269-45C8-AF96-5708D8DB1656.thumb.jpeg.243629d45eacfff97320ca110a376eae.jpeg

Grr the pic is upside down. 

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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

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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.

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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.

 

:D

Edited by CC45
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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 ;) 

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1 minute ago, Onoff said:

Starting the Ash..., Faye looks totally at home handing large equipment...

 

;)

 

 

:D 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 :) 

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  • 1 month later...

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)

A13F6284-ECAF-4BED-A51D-50458E8A3A36.thumb.jpeg.109d85d7580acaddfaeee808058c1342.jpegF5375F93-9570-48D3-BFF5-6C0F2F541992.thumb.jpeg.fe5ecba7370774c89b861b2749f11bc8.jpeg

 

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 )

 

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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. 

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until I saw this  EA203002-DAE0-4E29-8F35-CD72D8519A2F.thumb.jpeg.b5a4483d89c9ff17cb22313d0d9f60d3.jpeg 

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. 

 

 

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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 by Onoff
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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! 

 

SAM_5964_zps81a2ae9b.thumb.jpg.b9c9dfab45907caa0e6a516afc366216.jpg

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