Manual of Purpose-Made Woodworking Joinery

Designing, setting out and making stairs 121

First – on the plan- view rod – a large right angle

representing the risers of steps No.2 and 7 (Figure

6.53(a) and shown above unnumbered) was drawn

on the L/H side – its corner being the centre for all

the radial riser- faces and for the quadrant- shaped

deemed width and 2R+G pitch line (also shown here

with broken lines). Next, the path of the deemed-

width quadrant (excluding the bottom, protrud-

ing step) was divided into five by trial- and- error

stepping- out with a beam compass/trammel- head

compass and the intersecting arcs were lined up to

the centre point and pencil- lined to represent the

inner- four radiating riser- faces. The same compass

setting was then marked beyond the right- hand

newel position and pencil- lined back to the radial

centre to form the bottom, protruding step. Next,

parallel lines were drawn, projecting by 22mm from

each riser- face to represent the edge of each step’s

nosing. The shape of the bullnose- end was then

established with a compass (as in Figure 6.51(c))

to allow a short, non- curved entry into the newel

post. Finally, by trial- and- error compass work – to

Setting out the above 6- tapered- tread

stair

Figures 6.49(a)(b)(c): As established previously in
the detail related to Figure 6.45, one of the first jobs
was to set out the full- size plan of the tapered steps
(to enable the initial, oversized treads to be laid in
their precise position and marked out for length
and tapered shape) and the elevational- views of the
strings (to enable the ‘easing’ curves to be developed
by extending the tapered- tread extremities up from
the plan- view). If possible, this should be drawn on
one rod, say a sheet of white- emulsioned hardboard,
but – for convenience – I did it on three half- sheets of
painted hardboard, as indicated in Figure 6.49 below.
Once the plan- view rod had been set out, the other
two rods were joined to it to form an L shape. To
avoid accidental separation, they were held in position
with self- adhesive duct tape. Note that the partly-
drawn newel posts were not on the original rods, but
an allowance was shown past the shoulder lines for
string- tenons into the posts.

Figure 6.49 (a) The plan view rod; (b) the elevational view rod of the outer return- string; and (c) the elevational view

rod of the inner wall- string.

Meeting the stair regulations

Total rise = 1330 mm ÷ 7 = 190 mm

Going on tapered steps = 221 mm

2R+G on tapered steps = 601 mm

Pitch on tapered steps = 40.05°









(a) (b)

(c)