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Prescriptive codes don't address the connection at less common angles, so base the connection off more typical ones using bolts, structural screws, blocking, and steel tension ties.
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Nice work Stan. How's the gyrocopter coming?
Jon
Jon: I am getting it inspected tomorrow by a FAA guy. I am a little nervous....but I think it will pass. If it doesnt...I will be advised what to change for my own safety. If it does get its airworthiness certificate....I will be flying it Sunday and posting some pictures. I know without a doubt that it does fly real nice....I just cant say how I am so certain. ;)
Stan,
What can I say? YOU DA MAN!!
I have one question though, How did you tear yourself away from working on the Gyro to build this staircase. LOL maybe when it was outside tied to the tree?
Later
Professor: Thanks....It was a problem with that gyro in the stairshop. I have a deep passion for stairways and gyrocopters. I disciplined myself and allocated a little time each day to get the gyrocopter built ...and OUT OF MY SHOP...so I could get back to stairways 100%. It all balances out...I was a little behind on my stairwork...but three weeks of intense concentration and I was back on track. I didnt work any longer hours...just made things happen. Now I am back in my laid back mode......but just today I sold a freestanding stairway...and then in the same house I found out they want me to build a two story spiral stairway.
That is how I ended up taking these pictures today so I can e-mail the new client some pictures of how her spiral stairs will look like.
Stan, I'm sorry for appearing crass, but would that cost the customer more than $15K?
Beautiful work.
Maybe someday we can get Andy to do a photo shoot on one of your more unusual projects.
stone: I hate appearing to be secretive...but I almost never discuss price for respect for the customers privacy.
"...I almost never discuss price for respect for the customers privacy."
I think that's entirely appropriate. If you built one for me, I wouldn't want everyone out there to know how much I paid for it.
If people are curious, you might be able to tell them that your spiral stairs generally run from $119.95 to $159.95 or something like that. (Obiously bogus numbers) That way you're giving people an idea, but not giving put exact info.
I'm curious about the baluster location. You've got one of them against the next step up, and the other near the middle of the tread. I would have expected them to be at roughly 1/3 of the way in from the front and back of the tread.
Is that just personal preference, or is there some other reason for it?If Wile E. Coyote had enough money to buy all that Acme crap, why didn't he just buy dinner?
Boss: Normally...yes...the baluster is set in from the nosing...but I did that so that I could tie the treads together...and also each of the balusters attached to the tread nosings gives for and aft stiffness...and lateral stiffness to the rail. The middle of the step baluster add nothing to the rigidity of the rail...but those front attached balusters add a lot. You would not believe how solid it makes the stairs after those screws are driven through the baluster and into the tread nosing.
The cat is following you. Nice spiral.
Was the black cat a hired professional model or do you provide a black cat with each set of spiral stairs?
Casey: That cat practically lives on that stairway along with his grey haired buddy who was camera shy today. That silly cat was walking the railing...and hanging upside down fighting its tail.
That stairway is one giant catpost
Stan,
Just curious how the FAA inspection went on the gyrocopter. I've heard they can be a breeze or ??????? depending on the inspector.
Anyhow, hope it went OK.
Jon
Jon: The inspection went well. I had one thing I forgot...a white light to go with my red and green navigation lights. I cant fly after dark until my 40 hours are flown off anyway...I will have the light on by then.
"The inspection went well"
Stan,
Glad to hear it went well. Any plans on flying in to EAA AirVenture this year? Two place rotorcraft are not all that common there. If you do, I might be a volunteer up there this year, so let me know, so I can check it out.
Jon
Jon: I would love to fly up there....but the week before I will be over in Indiana at the national rotorcraft convention for three days. This is ALL rotorcraft..and I feel like I am in heaven when I am there. Greatest bunch of people...and lots of gyrocopters/helicopters.
I flew to Osh Kosh once...and it was an experience. I was in a Cherokee 180 and the airspace was best described as as full of flies there were so many in the air proceding to land....it is the worlds busiest airport that week.
"I would love to fly up there....but the week before I will be over in Indiana at the national rotorcraft convention for three days. This is ALL rotorcraft..and I feel like I am in heaven when I am there."
Stan,
Maybe THAT'S WHY there always' seem to be a disproportionately small showing of gyrocopters at AirVenture. The few I've seen fly do some pretty impressive stuff though.
"I flew to Osh Kosh once... .....the airspace was best described as as full of flies there were so many in the air proceeding to land....it is the worlds busiest airport that week."
Tell me about it. I'm about fifty miles south, and the shear volume of aircraft, often in formation overhead, I here and see over my house just prior. Then the fly-in itself. Having dozens of aircraft in the air at one time, and at the same time, near supersonic fly-by's by the military stuff. Best was two years ago, B1B bombers, in formation, maybe 150' off the ground, full afterburners. The sound was deafening.
Those ATC's are good.
Jon
Stan - Great work! Looks like the cat enjoys it too.
I have a question if you don't mind- I would imagine there is some springback in the railing once it is removed from the clamps, is there any method or fomula to predict how much to allow for this? Or just experience?
Thanks, Mike.
Articcat: That rail had 8.. 3/16th inch laminates. I did bend it at a little tighter of a radius. But....the railing is like a coil spring. All I have to do is shorten it a tad...and insert it into the mortise on the bottom newel. I can then pull tension on it and the tighter I pull...the smaller the radius it ends up at. It could actually have its radius increase by not cutting off as much railing.
Stan,
Beautiful, absolutely beautiful!
Next time yer in the Tavern...drinks on me!
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
Once again, Sweet stuff you build Mr. Foster. Question, what is the Inside dimension between your balusters?? From the pictures they seem a little larger than 4", and if so, what did the inspector say?? Thanks again for your Pictures, Jim J
J.D. Thanks....
Jim: The owners only wanted two per tread....its out in the country and so I conceded. Otherwise...there would have been 3 per tread. It was way over 4 inches...if I recall it was close to 8 inches between.
My opinion on a spiral...I feel if it is infant assessable...there should be a gate at the top. The wide baluster spacing is nothing compared to a tumble down one of these things for a toddler.
I am finishing another one today...they have an infant that is on the second floor. They also wanted just two balusters per tread like this one. I insisted on building them an oak gate to match the stairway. I will post pictures of it tonight.
Edited 3/1/2004 6:41:45 AM ET by Stan Foster
Mr. Foster, I thank you for the feedback, I also want to thank you for the Pictures, that you post. This site Rocks. By chance, do you have the Owners sign off ie-" You John and Mary HO accept any and all liablitly for this product, including, but not limited too, the unsafe baluster spacing, which was brought to your attention at the design stage" Be Safe out there, Jim J
44: I do have a clause in our contract stating something to that effect. However...I am reviewing my thinking and I now am not going to have that as an option. I was thinking to myself yesterday.....I am turning away work now..so what if I lose a sale?
Now...as far as safety...I am far less worried about wide baluster spacing which is under code ..than I am about the stairways that are so slick that a fly cant land on them. I broke my tail bone working on one.....I strongly recommend a carpet runner. I feel that codes nit pick in the wrong areas.
Stan,
You now allow customers to specify the baluster spacing allowed by code, but will not in the future? If I understand you correctly do you think it is a significant safety concern?
Jon Blakemore
Jon: On rare exceptions I have done what the customer wants. I probably wont anymore.
And here I was sitting nervous, I thank you for your reply. I also agree with your statement ie codes nit pick/wrong areas. The first of the year, my client, myself, and three city deptmartment heads, had a little sitdown. I opened the meeting with the statement,, " when we are all thru here, I'am wanting a water meter, how ever we need to figure this out." Man oh man do they have some really thick books. Believe it or not I think of most all you guys on this site in my work travels, never off the clock, well almost never. Be safe out there Jim J ps- we grandfathered the water meter use/application. That one did not come easy.
Stan,
Once again you have done an exemplary work!
I really like the understated look of the railing and balusters.
Just enough curves to make it look well thought out but not overly ornamental.
If you wo'nt give us a ball park price on something like this how about how many hours are into it??
then we can just mulitply by ten to get the price!!??
:)
Nice work!!
Hire me!!Mr T
Do not try this at home!
I am an Experienced Professional!
Remodeling Lead Carpenter w/ 20 years exp.
+ A Construction Engineering Degree
Located in Elmira, NY
Incessantly Whining Liberal
Sarcastic Smartass
Cunning Linguist
Family Man
Dog Lover (NOT THAT WAY YOU PREVERT!!!)
Mr. T: Thanks. I have several projects going at once..and I kind of switch back and forth like a one-eyed cat watching several mice.
That particular stairway took a couple of weeks in my shop...and it took two days to install.
I have the jigs all made up for routing the column and making the treads and supports.
outSTANding!
Beautiful job as always Stan.........
Does the baluster on the front of each tread support the front of the tread?
How do you fasten the base center and rail post to the floor?
You must have used ALOT of biscuit joints on those treads.............
Great looking set of stairs, I'm sure your customer is elated......
Thanks for sharing............
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
Sorry Stan, I overlooked post 22, you answered the baulster to tread question.
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
Bob: Thanks for the compliment. The column has a 5/4 disc screwed to the bottom of the column. This is then screwed to the floor with wood plugs hiding the screws. There are no biscuits at all in this stairway. I have a biscuit jointer...but never use it when gluing side grain. I can never get the joint to break at the joint..it always breaks in the grain off the joint. Not so of course with endgrain.