Length Width Thickness
Wall stringer “ “ “
Outside stringer “ “ “
Risers (5 pieces) “ “ “
Treads plus nosings (4 pieces) “ “ “
Top tread (1 piece) “ “ “
Well-hole piece “ “ “
[Illustration: FIG. 122.]
After the material is prepared, proceed to make the templets. The
templets required are shown in Fig. 122.
Templet E, is used to lay out the brackets for the risers and treads
on the wall and outside stringers; templet G, to lay out the housing
for the treads on the wall stringer; templet H, for the housing for the
risers on the wall stringer.
Now take the piece for the wall stringer, A, Fig. 122, and draw the
line X, Y; proceed to lay it out.
Commencing at the bottom, lay templet E on the piece as shown at 1 A,
and draw lines for the riser and the bottom of the tread; then place
the templet as shown by 2 A, (remembering that in order to have the
bottom step the same height as the others the bottom riser must be the
thickness of the tread narrower than the others. This will be seen
by looking at the drawing, Fig. 122, which shows the height of the
risers). Then place templet E, in position as indicated by 3 A, and
draw the line for the riser and the tread, and so on until all the
lines have been drawn which will represent the front of the risers and
the bottom side of the treads.
After having drawn these lines, take templet G, and place it on the
tread line as shown at J, Fig. 122, and draw the lines for the top of
the steps, the nosing, and the wedges; the thickness of the step is to
be measured up from the tread line.
Now take templet H, place it in position on the riser lines, J, Fig.
122, draw lines back of the riser line for the thickness of the risers
and the wedges; then proceed to cut out the housing in the following
manner:
Take a center or auger bit the same size as the thickness of the step
and bore the depth that the housing is to be, as shown at 5 A, Fig.
122; then take a chisel and cut out as shown at 4 A, Fig. 122. This
will give room to use the back-saw to cut the rest of the lines. Now
take a chisel and remove the pieces to the depth required, which, in
this case, is ¼ inch; cut for the risers and remove in the same manner.
In larger work of this kind a router should be used.
To lay out the outside stringer take templet E, Fig. 122, and mark as
at B, Fig. 122. The riser is to form a miter with the front of the
bracket; so it will be necessary to begin at the top step and saw the
stringer off square to the face; then take a bevel (which will be set
at an angle of 45 degrees) and mark from the riser line so that it will
form a miter. Saw down this line; then saw the next tread line square
to the face. Repeat with the bevel as before, and saw the next riser
line, and so on until the bottom is reached. C, and D, Fig. 122, show
how the risers and the treads are to be cut. The ends of the risers are
to be cut at an angle of 45 degrees to fit the bracket on the outside
stringer. The end of the step is cut as shown in order to receive the
return nosing. The dovetails on the end are to receive the baluster
which supports the hand-rail.
The piece F, which is to form the well-hole, is built up of pieces,
then planed out with a round bottom plane. The method of fastening this
piece to the stringer is to halve the stringer and to cut out the
well-hole piece to receive it; then glue and screw together.
I, Fig. 122, shows what the top or landing step is to be.
The curves that are shown at the bottom and the top of the stringers
are known as easings. The student will use his own ingenuity in forming
the easing, remembering that a little glue will fasten pieces together,
and that it is not necessary to take a board the whole width at those
points of the stringers to accomplish this.
To put the stairs together after all the pieces have been prepared,
place the bottom riser in place and fasten it in with glue and a
wedge; then toe-nail it into the stringer from the back. Now fasten
the outside stringer to the riser, bracing it into position; then fit
the second riser and the first tread into place; then fasten with glue
and wedges, and toe-nail the riser and the tread to the stringer. The
treads will be nailed to the risers so as to unite the work firmly
together.
Another method of fastening the riser to the tread is to groove the
front edge of the tread and have a tongue on the riser, an illustration
of which is shown in Fig. 123.
[Illustration: FIG. 123.]
To decorate stairways mouldings are used; generally a cove moulding is
fastened under the front and the end of the tread, an illustration of
which is shown at Fig. 124. The hammer is used in this problem; it is
hardly necessary to explain its use.
[Illustration: FIG. 124.]
Toe-nailing is the driving of nails obliquely in order to fasten two
pieces that may be at an angle to each other, as illustrated by Fig.
125.
[Illustration: FIG. 125.]