I am building two staight stairs stacked on top of each other that will have cherry treads with 1/2 inch tempered glass risers.
The tread in the picture is a leftover oak tread. Leftover in that the contractor incorrectly told me and signed a contract for this stairway to be in oak. EEEEKKKKKKKK!!!!!! $7800.00 mistake. So…I have the stringers done again…..and am working on the cherry treads.
Excuse my messy shop….the outside is finished and now they are insulating and drywalling my ceiling.
Stan
Replies
Cool Stan
What will you see when you look through that glass? I assume that there will not be anything on the back side of the stringers?
Make sure you keep the pic's coming, should be pretty neat.
Oh, BTW, how you going to pocket screw those risers to the treads!
Doug
Doug: The underside of this stairs has to be finished just like the topside. Its going to be pretty cool.
The railing will be sheets of tempered glass and stainless steel. I am not doing that. Just building these stairs.
Stan
What not a circular in glass?
Slick looking. Can't wait to see more.
I did a slew of displays for a salon, the temp. glass was almost more exp. than the wood! Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Stan, if I ever win the lottery, I'm calling you. I'll pay you just to sit in your shop and drink coffee and watch.
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain
RW, if we both win, I'll bring the coffee, you bring the sugar and cream.Leon Jester
Awesome!!!!!!
Can't wait to see the finished product, and hopefully
you'll let us follow along on your gyro build.
Doug beat me to it, as I was going to ask how your going
to pocket screw those risers.. <G>
I forgot to mention that these stairs are going to be freestanding. I am going to bolt microlams on the outside of these cherry stringers. These will then be clad in stainless steel which also will house the glass panels that sit on top of the stringers.
Stan
Cool look!
Do you allow for movement in the tread, making the riser loose or floating? Or do you make everything tight as your routs suggest?
I can just see my toady arse stomping up the middle making the the treads groan and the risers crack.
jag: The treads are a full 1.5 inches thick....and only span 36 inches. The risers are temered and I really believe the treads would split busting the risers. However....the dadoes for the risers have just a "little" slack. The risers will have clear silocone at the top of the glass into the tread....and rubber glazing blocks in the rabbet at the back of the tread. This should allow for some movement. The back of the treads rabbetted glass will have a tread cut off that will be trim screwed to the rabbet so that the riser could be replaced and also put in.
I have the mortise on one side one inch deep. The riser will go into this deep mortise enough to get inside the stringer on the opposite side...then the riser will go into a 1/2 deep mortise on that side. When its all done....should have 3/8 inch of glass riser inserted into the rabbets on both sides when centered.
Stan
Stan,
OK, a non gyro question. What is the purpose of the glass risers? I can't see how they have much structural value, but I'm not an engineer. And given they are tempered, real easy to shatter with a steel tipped shoe.
Jon
Sweet....I'm have to get pictures of the staircase I was working on prior to changing companies (once it's done). It has open risers and 2 1/4" thick laminated glass treads, with pin-mounted frameless glass railings. The landing at the first floor is 1,000 SF of glass floor as well.
The building should be done toward the end of the year, so I'll get some pics then.
Bob
Don't think I'd be walking up them stairs in my kilt...I'll just take the elevator, thanks.
Don
I actually applied to be the building maintenance guy- I was going to spend most of my day "sweeping" the floor below the glass area. When I found out they were going to etch the glass to make it opaque, I withdrew my application....lol.
Bob
Cool thanks for explaining.
I really like your work, as does a lot of us old Breaktimers.
I think the blue tarp is a nice colorful roof addition, and easy to see from the air. I'll be sorry to see it go. :=)
Oh, and the stairs look great!
Edited 9/2/2005 7:18 am ET by JRuss
I just flipped over to Taunton Press and did not find the "Stan Foster's Stairs - how-to and portfolio of gorgeous examples of work (a learning guide and art book in one)".
Why is that?
hacknhope: I am just a small time stairbuilder. There are many others more deserving of a book....but thanks for the comments.
Stan
" more deserving"?...no, you deserve it as much as anyone else,
....how about a "Stairbuilder's Treatise" update,hmmm,hmmmm?
I'll write a chapter on log spiral stairs......
"If 'tis to be,'twil be done by me."
Edited 9/2/2005 10:17 pm ET by Philter