Oak balustrading job,WIP. (Very pic heavy! Well you lot asked..)

[AlexR]

As a few have asked, I'll shamelessly copy and paste it from a Uk forum I already posted it on. [tongue]
Well the customer wanted me to open up the staircase's with spindle and post balustrading. This is to be fitted to a 50's semi detached house so no Victorian turned spindles. So this what I made for them.

No not that! That's the before pics  [wink]
I went with blank 41mm American white Oak spindles and fluted them myself. I chooses this route after finding I could only get spindles fluted on two sides. I also ordered blank 90mm AWO and did the fluting after cutting mortises etc, on site.
I started on the spindles. After buying a twin flute cutter for the router from Wealdens, I went with 8mm shank version just for the baby 1010. I was going to do these on the router table till i found the worktop router table had bowed.  Going to have to make mk2 one day. So i ended up making this jig and using the 1010 solely.(and solely so i can post it on FOG.)  [big grin] [big grin]

Just to add the little beast didn't even get warm after 1 hour work, 120 cuts which is 30 spindles 4 sides.
Unfortunately i experience a bit of burn at the start of each cut. So i made this scrapper to clean up.

 

[AlexR]

I'd explained and given descriptions of the style and general look i was going for but I didn't get round to making samples for the customer. Then when I fitted they where overseas so it was a relief to hear they love it.
I put the finish on the spindles before taking them to site. Fiddes Hard wax oil. They're laid down on carpet here to remove screwed on temporary battens

My SCM on home made stand with sacrificial fence. I found having the back of the blade buried in the fence at least 40mm behind the cut piece hugely reduces splintering. 

To get the shallow Pyramid on the newel,I scribe a 25mm from the end line round the post and set the saw to bevel to 30 deg. They where then mortised out to saddle the existing strings and fluted.  This newel was the worst for grain and colour deviation between the laminates but it finished not really noticeable, the camera definitely makes it stand out.

editted to say  this is a landing newel that extends through ceiling so Pyramid end cut both sides and half lap jointed into landing joist then screwed with 5" coach screws, oak plugged .

 

[AlexR]

Yeah i really love this 1010 nothing seems to phase it. It's the only router I have that plunges through the base, which was another problem with this router bit been two short and my other routers collet's not plunging all the way to base. I don't need to many excuses to play with fessy do I?:twisted:      Did you notice the little mod to the rail fence?
It's taking a bit of getting use to with side handle and locking knob.

I couldn't remove the first step like I like as this one was screeded in. So I chopped an extra bit out of the first step to slide the newel in then knock it back over the stringer tenon, in this case I left the stringer same thickness and chopped bigger mortice into post. The post is dug and buried a foot into the concrete. She is solid Captain.  [eek]  This post is a full 1.8m long just under 1.5m exposed. Pic before concreted.

No finish on post,handrail or base rail here.

|'d originally wanted to take the old stud wall completely out. And bring it up just over the string fitting nicely under the wide oak base rail but no can do very wonky brick and after 1st landing would have had a step in the wall. So 55mm sticky out drywall it had to be.

Last pic has the finish Hardwax Oil on. And note repaired bottom step.

 

[AlexR]

:lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

 

[AlexR]

No finish on the posts or handrails in this pic. Note the fluting on the post, I did with 42 deg to follow angle of stairs. The little hole on the newel was to remove blemish that i plugged later.

Have u'all had enuff pic's? Do want more?

 

[Brice Burrell]

[thumbs up] Great job!

 

[jonny round boy]

Ditto!

Nice carpet, too.... [huh]

 

[AlexR]

These are the last pics promise.

 

[AlexR]

Ditto!

Nice carpet, too.... [huh]

What's wrong with carpet? Customers says,2take up as needed as it's been replaced" I like a cushy work site and it's a lot quieter leaving most of it on.

 

[Tim Morris]

Alex I do a lot of stairs. Those are absolutely beautiful. I have family in the Manchester area, whenever we get together we talk about day to day life. So I'm curious what would an install like that cost over there if you don't mind me asking?
PS There is no such thing as too many pictures.

 

[AlexR]

Just under ?2k with finish. 6 days work,one in shop. On this one i did stud wall, plastering, extra trim and laminate floor as well. I should mention I'm a one man band/juggler. ;D

 

[Tim Morris]

I have to say darn good show for a one man band.

 

[jmbfestool]

Im hard to impress but I must say done a good job and nice design.  I think a lot of people can do good job but just cant design well and the things they make or do can look stupid or silly or over board but thats sound!  [wink]

 

[Wonderwino]

Really nice job Alex!  If you can get some pictures after the walls are painted and the flooring is finished, that would be great.

 

[Warrior]

Nice work Alex!

what's up with the exposed copper?

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Nice work Alex!

what's up with the exposed copper?

That is what I was going to ask.

Looks like solid brick, or masonry walls?

 

[AlexR]

Yeah the copper pipes are hideous, they've just had a new wet central heating system installed and the heat engineers installing didn't put much thought into aesthetics! They did a job on those landing floor boards as well! Yes the walls are all brick. The ones in the landing pic are actual in a cupboard , I've got the job to make it a decent cupboard with frame and 2 doors.
The finish pics aren't great, they where taken as I was leaving in the evening with flash. I'll get some better pics with natural light when i get back there. I tell I'm bit concerned what there final choice decor and carpet will be.  [eek]      I had a hard sell getting them understand my design but they do love it now it's in.  ;D
Customers got to love'em. Though these are some of the nicest people you could meet. They've kept me busy through the years with building extension,2 bathrooms,kitchen ,laundry and study. I've got 25sq.m /270 sq.ft floor tile job later this year for them as well.  [cool]

 

[Jay Knoll]

Alex

A great job and very nice pictorial summary, they sure are loyal customers but with work like that why wouldn't they be!  Now if the just install a nice berber carpet to set off your craftsmanship

Jay

 

[dltflt]

Great job!  I love a solid wood stair case.  I waiting for my friend to get wood for his stair case that we will be doing in solid Oak.

 

[honeydoman]

great job !  was wondering why one of the newell post had the fluting one longer than the other which looks nice to follow the angle with the fluting, but none that I noticed we done that way except for that one.?

one thing that also would have looked great, I think would be to angle the fluting to match the railing going down, so each 2x2 would have a 32" lets say flute and the next one would also be 32" but done about 3" or so (whatever it is)  lower to follow the angle of the rail.

but it looks great ! and you did a great job.

i also noticed that you did the flutes both at the same time with that bit?  is that correct?