Old Style Stairs!

[jmbfestool]

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[Top Knot]

Henceforth, you shall be known as "Ninja"...

(cough) .... Sir Ninja  [big grin]

How did you attach the balusters to the treads, I see the diamond shaped cut outs, how deep are they, and did you use any other means of fixing?
Also, have you noticed any sag in the stringers since all those treads have been put in? If the stringers flex too much with up and down traffic the stress on the joints of the balusters, handrail and treads may take some strain over time...  [scared] all the extra bracing you have put in does look very solid and well executed!! Boy I look forward to a job such as this some day... it looks right up my ally. I just hope to do it as well as you have done. At least I know who to ask for advice...  [not worthy]

 

[speed]

nice tight scribes there, whats with using a chisel? didnt think you did handtools [tongue]

if i lived a little closer i could have given you a hand, im sure you wouldn't mind a 24yr old festool adict,  joiner on site [smile]

quick edit.

are the pegs on the left hand side staying like that or are you flushing them up? they look like toe stubbers

 

[Craftsman]

Nice work. Everything looks like it went together really well. I restored and worked on the old row homes around Baltimores inner harbour for over 20 years . so I understand the challanges these old house can be. Your stairs look like what would have been there when the house was originally built. Good job!

 

[LostInTheWood]

Wow that looks great JMB.  Seems like you've spent quite some time there.....glass, plate, cup, and a roll of toilet paper right there on the table!!!  [wink]

Seriously, nice work.  So nice that if I lived in that house I would just lie to people and tell them I did it myself.... ;D

 

[Guy Ashley]

Cracking job JMB!!

Never again will I accuse you of just being a "Paslode & Gripfill" monkey!! [big grin] [big grin]

 

[jmbfestool]

Henceforth, you shall be known as "Ninja"...

(cough) .... Sir Ninja   [big grin]

How did you attach the balusters to the treads, I see the diamond shaped cut outs, how deep are they, and did you use any other means of fixing?
Also, have you noticed any sag in the stringers since all those treads have been put in? If the stringers flex too much with up and down traffic the stress on the joints of the balusters, handrail and treads may take some strain over time...  [scared] all the extra bracing you have put in does look very solid and well executed!! Boy I look forward to a job such as this some day... it looks right up my ally. I just hope to do it as well as you have done. At least I know who to ask for advice...  [not worthy]

Thank you very much!  but your Stairs look MINT!  So its me who should be asking for advice on what to do!

Well I chiseled like you said Diamond shaped cut outs they are round about 10mm deep give or take lol  I then glued and pinned the balusters to the handrail and used a very small amount of glue just under the balusters so I am hoping that the stairs wont move more than 10mm lol but if their is some movement then at least the balusters can move up or down instead of coming of the handrail which are just angled and but up to the handrail as their is no channel on the handrail its how the client designed them.

If you look at the picture showing the carriage nearest to the wall I have fixed a bolt chemically into the wall to support the stairs more and if you look at the carriage where the balusters are you can see the newel post has a saddle joint which is further down so closing up the span between the support beam.  I have fixed the newel post to the floor and studding above with 250mm screws.  So I am hopping the 500mm reduced span is enough the stop the stairs sagging between the support and newel post.    I have RAN JUMPED and me and the client have jumped on the stairs and it feels dead solid!  No creaking or anything.     

The client said he has never walked up wooden stairs that felt so solid. He said kinda scary that the stairs do not creak or anything! I said y? He said well if some one was to come in to kill me I would not hear them coming up the stairs!  Haahaaa LOL

JMB

 

[jmbfestool]

nice tight scribes there, whats with using a chisel? didnt think you did handtools [tongue]

if i lived a little closer i could have given you a hand, im sure you wouldn't mind a 24yr old festool adict,  joiner on site [smile]

quick edit.

are the pegs on the left hand side staying like that or are you flushing them up? they look like toe stubbers

Cheers Dude!  Same age as me then! lol

Haahaa! lol Where do you live?!?!?

YEs they are for now!  He likes them I also like them it gives the stairs character as well as actually holding the treads/risers in place.   He said leave them sticking out and if he does stub his toes on them he said he will ask me to come back and cut them flush!

JMB

 

[jmbfestool]

Wow that looks great JMB.   Seems like you've spent quite some time there.....glass, plate, cup, and a roll of toilet paper right there on the table!!!  [wink]

Seriously, nice work.  So nice that if I lived in that house I would just lie to people and tell them I did it myself.... ;D

Thank you!

YEs they are mine!  They kept on giving me Tea and high juice water and biscuits and toast!  Even got me fish and chips last time.

lol! Defiantly different! I never even seen stairs like that then the first time I get to see that type of stairs is when I actually fit one my self lol!   He still has a lot of work to do around his house but hes doing it bit by bit!  

His next job is a MASSIVE OAK conservatory.  Of course I can not make it but I told him the company I worked for can make it and fit it but he is still insisting on me fitting it he said he will insist that I have to help fit the conservatory with the company.  I dont know how thats going to work if the company will be okay with me working on it with them be another nice job to do though.

JMB

 

[jmbfestool]

Cracking job JMB!!

Never again will I accuse you of just being a "Paslode & Gripfill" monkey!! [big grin] [big grin]

Cheers!!

Haahaaa! lol I told you Im working towards a workshop joiner away from site chippy! 

JMB

 

[jmbfestool]

Nice work. Everything looks like it went together really well. I restored and worked on the old row homes around Baltimores inner harbour for over 20 years . so I understand the challanges these old house can be. Your stairs look like what would have been there when the house was originally built. Good job!

thank you!

I'm glad you think that cus that's what the client wants.  He has been looking at something called gassin or somethin where you leave some chemical in the room and block up the windows and doors and it the ages the wood over night or something.

Jmb

 

[speed]

nice tight scribes there, whats with using a chisel? didnt think you did handtools [tongue]

if i lived a little closer i could have given you a hand, im sure you wouldn't mind a 24yr old festool adict,  joiner on site [smile]

quick edit.

are the pegs on the left hand side staying like that or are you flushing them up? they look like toe stubbers

Cheers Dude!  Same age as me then! lol

Haahaa! lol Where do you live?!?!?

YEs they are for now!  He likes them I also like them it gives the stairs character as well as actually holding the treads/risers in place.   He said leave them sticking out and if he does stub his toes on them he said he will ask me to come back and cut them flush!

JMB

didnt know we were same age, thaught you were 26/7 near on same name too im jamie but dad calls me james lol

im from barnsley , south yorkshire so around 80 mile from alton towers

good luck with the conservatory job [smile]

 

[jonny round boy]

Nice work. Everything looks like it went together really well. I restored and worked on the old row homes around Baltimores inner harbour for over 20 years . so I understand the challanges these old house can be. Your stairs look like what would have been there when the house was originally built. Good job!

thank you!

I'm glad you think that cus that's what the client wants.  He has been looking at something called gassin or somethin where you leave some chemical in the room and block up the windows and doors and it the ages the wood over night or something.

Jmb

JMB,

It's called 'fuming' and it's done to darker the colour of oak. It's done with amonia. This is a piece I made a college. The centre section is oak which was fumed. This is before:

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And this is the same piece of oak after fuming:

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Amonia fuming is why oak beams in old barns are always nearly black - because of the centuries of exposure to amonia in horse-pee!

 

[jmbfestool]

YES! Thats what he said it was called Fuming and used amonia!     What do you think about doing that to the stairs?!?!?!? Does it affect the wood in anyway?!?  Should you leave it for a while to dry out before you do it?!?!  

What about health issues?  How long do you leave it exposed to the amonia fumes?

Thank you JMB

 

[jonny round boy]

It all depends on how much amonia you use, and how concentrated it is in the air.

For that small piece, it was done with maybe a couple of teaspoons of amonia, sealed with the piece of oak in a plastic dustbin for (IIRC) about 4 hours.

For the stairs, you'd need to seal off the room (as near to completely airtight as you can) then you'd need (and I'm guessing here) maybe a couple of litres of amonia, and leave it 24 hours.

Trouble is, it will colour the existing old oak too so you may end up with the stairs still being lighter in colour, but everything a bit darker than it was.

 

[woodguy7]

Stairs turned out realy nice JMB, proud of ya  ;D

JRB, thats pretty funky looking.  I like it.  Whats with the big padlock on the bench ?  You would never see that in a Scottish college  [poke]  [big grin]

 

[Craftsman]

YES! Thats what he said it was called Fuming and used amonia!     What do you think about doing that to the stairs?!?!?!? Does it affect the wood in anyway?!?  Should you leave it for a while to dry out before you do it?!?!  

What about health issues?  How long do you leave it exposed to the amonia fumes?

Thank you JMB

I,ve used Amonia for fuming  White Oak. You can do a test piece under a small plastic tent to determine how long to expose your Oak because it depends on the concentartion of Tannin in the Oak. It leave White Oak darker but kind of Grey looking until you apply a finish like oil. Very toxic so you want to wear rubber gloves and you don't want to be breathing the fumes. Household amoina product are to weak to fume Oak.

 

[Ken Nagrod]

It all depends on how much amonia you use, and how concentrated it is in the air.

For that small piece, it was done with maybe a couple of teaspoons of amonia, sealed with the piece of oak in a plastic dustbin for (IIRC) about 4 hours.

For the stairs, you'd need to seal off the room (as near to completely airtight as you can) then you'd need (and I'm guessing here) maybe a couple of litres of amonia, and leave it 24 hours.

Trouble is, it will colour the existing old oak too so you may end up with the stairs still being lighter in colour, but everything a bit darker than it was.

JMB,

I think you should get a couple of horses and tie them up on the staircase.  That'll do double duty-testing the weight capacity and changing the color of the wood.  Give them plenty of tea.

 

[jmbfestool]

Cracking job JMB!!

Never again will I accuse you of just being a "Paslode & Gripfill" monkey!! [big grin] [big grin]

Oh any way! I hate gripfill or pinkgrip its CRAP dont know why people use it!  So I could never be a Gripfill monkey! Maybe a paslode though lol!

JMB

 

[jmbfestool]

Stairs turned out realy nice JMB, proud of ya  ;D

JRB, thats pretty funky looking.  I like it.  Whats with the big padlock on the bench ?  You would never see that in a Scottish college  [poke]  [big grin]

Thank you Wooddie!

JMB