Stair Stingers

[cmagro]

Here are some final pics of the project I was posting some assembly info on.

Framing templates, curved nosing, curved level rail and treads all done on bot. Final field assembly was very easy since framework was done on bot..happy builder and happy clients.


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[Gary Campbell]

Christian...
Very nice work! You should be proud of a job well done. Thanks for posting.
Gary

[myxpykalix]

Man oh man...I knew you were talented and smart but did you have to go and prove it? Can I come and hang out with you? Very nice job!!

[brendan]

HI CHRISTIAN,
I AM NEW MEMBER WITH SHOPBOT,AND AM BUILDING STAIRCASES FOR 25 YRS OR SO,AND AM FASINATED WITH THE WAY YOU BUILD YOUR BEAUTIFUL CURVED STAIRS IN THIS FORUM.I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW HOW YOU WORK OUT THE STRINGERS/THREADS/ETC ON CAD.
YOU SAID YOU MADE YOUR OWN SOFTWARE POROGRAM
FOR THIS,AND I FOR ONE WOULD LOVE TO BUY IT OF
YOU,IF IT WAS FOR SALE.I USE A PROGRAM CALLED ALPHASTAIR(ALPHACAM) FOR ALL MY STRAIGHT STAIRS,
BUT HAVE BEEN LOOOKING FOR A WHILE,FOR SOFTWARE
FOR CURVED STAIRS.
ANY REPLY WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED,REGARDS BRENDAN

[gene]

Ditto on what Brendan said. I have a customer that wants a curved staircase something like the one you did but not as fancy. The handrails, were they split and reglued to get the curves to match the floor? i have done alot of straight staircases but no true curved ones.
Great work

[cmagro]

Brendan,

Working out the stringers, treads etc. is done by just drawing it correctly with CAD. Once the radius and the field dimensions are known then it's just a matter of designing the staircase. My program doesn't do the design work..it does the toolpaths. It's not a distributable program..in other words only the programmer would really know how to use it correctly.

If this helps here is an image of the components.


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With the pictures above and these cutout drawings you should easily be able to understand how it all goes together.

Gene,

The way I do curved handrails is by using a moulder. I create the sides and then insert about 7-8 flat pieces in-between them until I get the desired width. Then I run it through the moulder again to do the top of the rail. The actual bending is done in the field.

Christian

[cmagro]

Gene,

Clarification...only the incline curved rail (the one on the staircase itself) is done using bending rail. The LEVEL curved rail (balcony rail) is done on the bot with side and top profile bits.

Christian

[brendan]

CHRISTIAN,
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR THE QUICK REPLY,I ASSUME THE 3 "BRACKETS" AT THE BOTTOM OF PICTURE ABOVE ARE TAKEN FROM THE 3 RADIUS AND BENT ACORDINGLY?..IT IS A VERY INTERSTING WAY OF CURVING GEOMETRICAL STAIRCASES.JUST WOUNDERING
DID YOU HAVE TO SUPPORT IT WITH ANY STEEL WITHIN ,OR DID THE OUTSIDE LAMINATED OSB BOARD
DO THE TRICK BY IT SELF,REGARDS AGAIN BRENDAN

[gene]

Thanks, When you do a long piece on the bot does it just hang off one end and get repositioned or is it cut in sections and joined at the site? The pictures of the tread parts make it alot easier to understand, Thanks again for the help, as of now i have no job to use it on but i still like to learn new things, Absolutely beautiful staircase and balcolny railings

[cmagro]

Brendan,
The 3 brackets are just what you said...the outside laminating is EXTREMELY strong..you'd be very surprised. Add to that the layer of poplar (or whatever) that gets applied too.

Gene,

I'm assuming you mean a long piece of balcony rail. You cut a groove in a spoilboard about 1/4" deep. The blank (i.e. rail not shaped) get a 3/4" thick plywood attached to the bottom that fits in the groove (and is screwed to the bottom of the blank). When you place it in the groove the rail blank will be floating up in the air so the bit doesn't dig into the floor. You shape what you can and then slide the rail in the groove to do the next section.
Sometimes the curves and length of the balcony rail just doesn't fit on the bot...then I just make two pieces.

Christian