Replies

1. 
   DougU | Apr 09, 2005 02:11am | #1

   Berrie

   There's several ways to make a radius end step but I don't see anything wrong with your method.

   Looks like a good enough way to do it and I doubt that you'd save a bundle of time doing it differently.

   In the "old days" they kerfed the back of a solid piece of oak and steamed it to bend it. There isn't anything easy about that though.

   I think what you did looks good.

   Doug

1. 
   zendo | Apr 09, 2005 02:28am | #2

   Barrie,

   Thats some serious amount of wood.  I think you should take that method on the road for pine stairs, just leaving the laminations would look good.

   As last post said, and there is an example in the old Taunton 'Stairs' book on building a bullnose.

   You make a great stair, might be a bunch of work to drill for the newels, its usually just the tread thickness.

   -zen 

1. 
   Barrie2777 | Apr 09, 2005 03:55am | #4

   Can I not attach the newel to the tread before I fix the tread?

1. 
   zendo | Apr 10, 2005 08:30pm | #6

   I guess you could, Im not sure of what your final strength would be?  200lb test from the side would be code, but it might work. 

   I was thinking of the old style spun newel with the round post attachment or insert that fit down through the tread and was attached to the floor.

   -zen

1. 
   Barrie2777 | Apr 10, 2005 11:10pm | #7

   At the place where I bought all the handrail parts, they make a square newel post with raised panels on the sides. The post is hollow. They suggest securely fixing a block of wood to the tread, equal in dimension to the hollow section. Then apply glue to the sides of the block and slide the newel post onto it. What strength do you think this will give?

2. 
   dIrishInMe | Apr 10, 2005 11:28pm | #8

   I know this kinda takes the all the fun out of it but most stair part catalogs offer bullnosed or starter steps in various configurations.  Here is one that we use...

   http://www.coffmanstairs.com/

    Matt

3. 
   zendo | Apr 11, 2005 04:00pm | #9

   Barrie,

   I figure that if the system comes from a stair company, it works.

   The only part in question would probably be the attachment to the tread.  If I was in doubt I would just put a plate under the tread for the fasteners to go up through.

   Sounds like a nice newel.

   -zen

2. 
   Barrie2777 | Apr 09, 2005 03:53am | #3

   I concidered the kerfing method but with that method comes a bent surface which is comprised of many small "flats" which have to be sanded smooth. Of coarse the width of the flats depends on the frequency of the kerfs. I have bandsawed the oak to 3/32" in thickness. I think this to be a max. thickness for a dry bend. The double wedges drew the 3/32 tight to the pine form.

1. 
   Bear | Apr 09, 2005 04:01am | #5

   I make bullnose starting steps all the time. I use either birch ply or oak ply. Saw kerfs 1/4 inch apart that go to a depth of only leaving the top veneer. It is bent around two ply froms that fit into dados and are glued. The key is getting the depth correct.Bear