# Stairs



## andrewm (30 Jun 2006)

I have reached a point where I need to replace my staircase in order to gain a bit more headroom and to create something a little more 'contemporary'. It needs to be a quarter turn with (possibly) and extra 90 degree turn on the last step. My current sketch is this:







This is based on the existing staircase but is two steps lower at the point where it starts the wind. It is perhaps not obvious but the bottom step turns through 90 degrees. There is a wall at the front of the drawing.

Now what I would really like to do is dispense with the newel post completely but I can't find a way of doing it and still provide the necessary support. The banisters will be attached to the outside of the stretcher, either as stainless steel posts or if I can manage it glass.

Can anyone with experience of this sort of thing give me any pointers. I will probably need to get them built to my design due to lack of workshop space for anything that size so want to have a fairly good idea of what I want before approaching anyone.

Thanks,

Andrew


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## Anonymous (30 Jun 2006)

Recently sorted one of these out for a freind. We ended up using steel for the sides of the stairs, encased them in wood for appearance and used wooden treads. Worked very well


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## andrewm (30 Jun 2006)

Tony":15is2wfg said:


> Recently sorted one of these out for a freind. We ended up using steel for the sides of the stairs, encased them in wood for appearance and used wooden treads. Worked very well



Well, I certainly wouldn't be adverse to using metal. If it was stainless steel would even consider keeping it natural but I guess that might cost a bit more. How did you fix the wooden stairs to the stringers? I am guessing brackets welded for each step with some sort of metal ties between the two stringers.

As I said this is till early stages. I had assumed wood because I have a better idea of what is involved. If you don't mind me asking how much would I expect to pay for it in metal. PM if more appropriate.

Cheers,

Andrew


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## Scrit (2 Jul 2006)

If you get rid of the newel post you'll end up with all short grain and no strength on the inside of the winder. The only possible solution might be to make a curved laminated stringer in one piece, but I suspect that machining the mortises for the winders might prove to be a bit of a pipper. It would be interesting to see what the BCO made out of it, though!

Scrit


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