Before I break my legs, some advice please...

[ToughButterCup]

I need some temporary stairs. And I have a huge pile of pallets. See where this is going yet? 

And then I bumped into this.

 

And I have enough lead in my pencil to do it this weekend . But caution suggests I ask the commentariat for comment  first

[Pete]

Got some wood for £60 and made mine. They need to be solid as you will be carrying a lot of heavy stuff up them.

[jack]

Just buy some Ian. It isn't worth the time, hassle and risk for not much more than £100 

[ToughButterCup]

1 minute ago, jack said:

[...] or not much more than £100 

 

from ?

[newhome]

Noooo! Too risky. Your neck is worth more than the couple of hundred quid for a Stairbox one. Please don’t! 

[ToughButterCup]

25 minutes ago, Pete said:

Got some wood for £60 and made mine. [...]

 

You mean you made them from CLS and ply?

[jack]

We got ours on special from Jewsons or Travis for £130 from memory. You can get a bespoke flatpack one from stairbox for less than £200

[ToughButterCup]

4 minutes ago, newhome said:

Noooo! Too risky. [...]

 

I like controlling risk down to acceptable levels.

And I have a huge pile of waste wood. And ever dwindling piggy bank. 

[newhome]

Define acceptable. Risking your neck ain’t an acceptable risk IMO ?. Use the wood on another day. Have a look on fleabay or gumtree to see if someone is getting rid of an old one although the transport might be a PITA. 

[nod]

40 minutes ago, recoveringacademic said:

I need some temporary stairs. And I have a huge pile of pallets. See where this is going yet? 

And then I bumped into this.

 

And I have enough lead in my pencil to do it this weekend . But caution suggests I ask the commentariat for comment  first

 Bloody hell Ian 

Just burnt ours 

 

As Jacks says It’s not worth the hassle 100 quid for a straight flight 

Easy to move out of the way 

[ToughButterCup]

4 minutes ago, newhome said:

Define acceptable. [...]

 

Wot Debbie says. 

Risk appetite varies, and since I'm operating outside CDM2015  (because this is pure DIY - nobody else will be using then)  and I have a huge incentive to stay fit, I expect the risk to be as low as  using  normal stairs or lower.

 

@nod well I won't be burning mine.... ?

[Onoff]

Google "pallet stairs" & "pallet wood stairs" if you're really that tight & time short, you'll come up with gems like this:

 

 

Me being me I'd knock up a simple jig to suit my router and make some. These were cut down from a full flight I made.

 

 

 

 

You could though likely sell on a bought pair once finished with.

 

Spiral?

 

 

 

 

[Mr Punter]

If they are the heavy duty Euro Pallets - all the same size - it might be doable by stacking 2 per tread, fastening with long timber screws and supporting mid way from the ground.

 

This construction would weigh about 400Kg and represent a significant trip and fire hazard.

[ProDave]

Howdens sell a basic straight staircase for about £100

[Triassic]

If you have a pile of Euro pallets take them in your trailer to the local pallet yard, their worth £5 each, the ordinary ones are £3 each. Then use  the money to buy a real staircase.

[Redoctober]

I agree with the others. Not worth the bother - Your time and effort over something like this - no contest in my eyes.

https://www.slingsby.com/Access/Ladders/Single-section-ladders/BASE118062Single-section-aluminium-Ladders_BASE118062.htm?gclid=Cj0KCQiAj4biBRC-ARIsAA4WaFjfcFwsiN4hcPUbGPRzqCYJon6uNRjnF2wxj4c4PfK1yzAxv8CsDWgaAgVREALw_wcB

 

[recoveringbuilder]

Pity you weren’t near me I have a straight flight bought from jewsons looking for a new home!

[Pete]

33 minutes ago, recoveringacademic said:

 

You mean you made them from CLS and ply?

No, i bought two lengths of 8 x 2 for the strings and then made the steps out 6 x 2. If the wood is bent, warped twisted I always get the price reduced and cut it up and use it in small pieces. When I dismantle them will use wood for shelving in the garage

[ToughButterCup]

As soon often @Onoff hits the spot........ 'twil be a good discussion tonight in the pub. 

 

Photos to follow.

[Pete]

6 minutes ago, recoveringacademic said:

As soon often @Onoff hits the spot........ 'twil be a good discussion tonight in the pub. 

 

Photos to follow.

Yes but he tell you how long he took to make them!

[Gone West]

Certainly not the best but lasted me six years and cost nothing as surplus 4"x2".

 

[CC45]

home made here as well.

 

[Onoff]

Stacked pellets......aka a Fireworks Night bonfire ready to happen as alluded to above. A LOT of dry wood with a lot of air gaps to fan any flames.

 

I still might have the CAD drawing for the jig but it's router specific. 

[joe90]

Actually I would use the pallets, stacked they are very solid and simple to add a handrail. But I am very tight ?.

[ToughButterCup]

Thanks @Pete and @PeterStarck.

 

There's a balance to be held between stairs and ladders. I'm happy with either (or both). The motivation for this post came from meeting one of the people who regularly walk-in past our build. He isn't the fittest guy in the world, but he is intensely interested in what's going on. And always contributes sensible ideas. There's no way he can manage a ladder.

 

And it won't be long before I will be wanting to walk upstairs with kit in my arms - i.e. hands free.

 

There is also a simple design driver (restriction). The stairs go past the top of the wall that supports the staircase. And quite where they finish is , as yet, undefined. Hmmmmmm, yeah, I know.....

 

So a flexible set of 'stairs' is an attractive idea. Flexibility must not compromise safety. I've quite a bit of re-usable 8 by 2 and 6 by 2 knocking around, and too many pallets to ignore.

 

I feel some tooth-sucking  coming on while finishing the mezzanine today. (the one where I made a 30 mm mistake  on Thursday)