The Seven Year Staircase

[oakchas]

NEW Updates, see below!(page 2)

It's almost done... and it hasn't been 7 years really (but sorta... So I'll flesh that story out later)

I'm nearly finished with the staircase... treads and risers are done, I'm working on the newels now and the Balustrades only need to be finish assembled and put in place.

These are the shells to go around the torsion box newel posts.
Raised Natural multicolor slate panels in oak face frames.

Torsion Box:


three of the four panels for the outside, the fourth will stay off until the rail system is put in place, and tightened:

[oakchas]

how the panels are held i nplace

this is how the slates were held in place
Slate "raised panels":


Backside of the face frame with slate panels along side:


electrical tape to hold in place:


After stapling to hold the floating slate panels:


the slates may look unevenly cut... they are not. but since they vary in thickness, it appears as though some of the bevels are crooked.

[GeekMom]

What a beautiful idea! I like the slate in the dividers. Be sure to post pics when you're finished.

[Ken Massingale]

Awesome!
ken

[Wood_workur]

nice. be sure to post the results

[lrogers]

What a tease! How long before we see the "completed" stair case???? I think it's going to be a winner.

[mater]

That is going to be beautiful.

[linear]

Wow! I love the slate!

[oakchas]

treads & risers

Here's a couple of shots of the treads and risers.

Risers:


1st few treads... the bottom is curly figured white oak (sorry for the focus):


With the exception of the first two treads, all were glued up panels.

Oh, and here's two of the upper newels in place:

[oakchas]

here's a quick overlay of the plans onto the photo of the upper newels. Baluster is built... It just needs to go in place, and the top and bottom rails attached.

[oakchas]

Here's the first railing system, installed....


And here's how the balustrade system was assembled....DOVETAILS! LOTS OF 'EM!



Trim's yet to do... but I'm poundin it out as quick as I can.

[JR]

Man, that is the coolest! I'd like to see the jig you used to do those dovetails.

JR

[GeekMom]

That's probably one of the prettiest - and most interesting - that I've seen!

[oakchas]

Thanks folks! It has been a labor of love/hate... pain and sorrow for quite a while... I had the vision... but what a chore to implement.

As to the jig for the dovetails, I'll show the hows after it's all done... from the planning to the completion...

[dsellinger]

I gotta say, that is one sweet railing.
You have done a spectacular job there.