Gentlemen,
I am in over my head on this one. I laminated the big pieces and they look good. When I get to the steps, conveniently located 6 inches into the radius, things go south. Can I fix this without starting over and making new laminations? Most importanly, how should I have approached this from the start? How do I look like a hero next time instead of the idiot with a saw like this time?
Thank You
Dustin
Replies
To me the skirt on the step should be continuous from top of the base at one end to bottom of base at the other end. Also the joint at the top should be mitered. That is the base should hit the skirt at an angle that is not perpendicular to the base.
I would start again, no time like the present to do it right. First lose the electrical tools, LOL. I would have returned that skirt moulding piece on the top to the one below it with a mitre cut. To be quite honest the only curved trim and jambs I've done were on windows but when I do skirt trimming on a carpeted stair, I return the pieces and it comes out quite nice. Specialty building stores sell flexible moulding for just this type of application but you should be able to cut the return on hardwood stock, then score the back of the piece to make the radius and a cap moulding on top hides the scoring in the back. Anything more than that and I call Warren Day, perhaps the most meticulous, honest, and hard working trim carpenter in these parts. Of course he probably cant help you there.
The angled skirt could be omitted and replaced with mitered pieces. Kinda like this:
I think it's salvageable.
I can’t see the upper transition, so things might not match, but here’s my take:
In the close-up picture (#032), I see two transition blocks, and one rise.
Since there is only one rise, and no stringer with its set rake angle, you can fudge things.
If it’s possible to remove the trim without damaging it, I’d do this:
Remove the two short transition blocks, and don’t worry about damaging them, they’re history.
Then trace the line of the remaining base pieces, including the left end of the upper piece.
Now remove both the curved base and the landing base.
With the wood out of the way, connect the lines on the wall by holding a straightedge on an angle.
At the top end, the connecting line should meet the landing line at, or just back of, its square end cut (you want to make sure you leave enough wood to work with).
At the bottom end, you have plenty of wood, so you can land just about anywhere.
If you held your straightedge too low at the bottom, tight to the landing nosing, you would not, of course, have any wood showing at the nosing, and your transition would consist of two triangles. That’s obviously no good.
If you hold it too high, you’ll be showing a piece of wood that’s way wider than the adjacent base, and you’d have to curve it around the corner. Obviously, you’d like to be done with your bending, so pull it back a bit. Actually, your start and end points look just about right in the photo.
Once you decide on a top line with a pleasing amount of wood showing, divide that angle in half, and miter all of the pieces to fit. That is, the landing base will be about as long as it is now at its top edge, but will be shorter at its bottom edge.
Conversely, the curved base will be shorter at its top edge than at its bottom edge.
We do this all of the time with door trim, etc, but the rule is the same: take the angle of 90*, and divide it in half. Two 45* cuts add up to 90*.
In your case, you have to measure the angle, and do the math. And sometimes your miter saw will confuse you, because when it says "Zero", it also means 90*.
You'll figure it out just fine. Just play around with some scraps before you cut that nice, curved piece!
I think you’ll be fine.
Aitchkay
You may want to pull the curved aspect into the transition with something like the attachment.