How to cut miters- curved stair stringer
Currently doing the mental prep to build a curved set of stairs. I’ve gone over the inside and outside radius for the 2×4 form walls, gone over the radius for the walk line. got the total number of degrees for the outside stringer so it will land near the door. Figured out the routing for the wall stringer and was feeling pretty good until I thought how am I going to make the mitered cuts for the risers on a curved skirt? I can’t put in on my slider because of the weight & curve. Looking back at a post from Stan Foster in 2001 at the time he used a cordless skilsaw. I’ve tried those and I might be better off with axe for the woodshed. Any ideas?
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Man I can't Wait for the answer to this one!
I've been working on it for years!!
I make Congas and other percussion drums, This compound radius curve angle thing is tough.
Very simple, hope I don't dash your expectations.
A Japanese pull saw.
Swoop..done.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
Hmmm not exactly my question.
I'll post my question separately.
That was my 1st thought and I've used them for paint grade stringers in the past. but trying to make 15 or 16 cuts 7 to 8 inches deep after all the work of laminating the stringer. I think I'll have to forgo the coffee that day.
How about making a guide block to guide a hand saw? Or for the skilsaw, you might bandsaw a piece that fits the radius and gives you a flat surface to work from.
Larry
I've used a guide and the little Porter Cable worm drive trim saw... I think a cordless would work just fine. Anything with a a small sole plate.
I'm not sure how you're building your rough stair stringers, and your skirts... but if it's what I call a normal manner, a handsaw is going to be a hard row to hoe.
Winterlude by the telephone wire,
Winterlude, it's makin' me lazy,
Come on, sit by the logs in the fire.
The moonlight reflects from the window
Where the snowflakes, they cover the sand.
Come out tonight, ev'rything will be tight,
Winterlude, this dude thinks you're grand.
We did a curved stair and we used a router with a 45° bit, made a sled for it and ran it down the vertical of the riser using a strait edge for a guide. You have to do a little clean up at the end with a saw/chisel or that ax that you referred to!
May not be a true 45 but you just have to match your riser to it.
I don't know how Stan does it, probably has a better way.
Doug
Doug, Using your idea with discman's curved base sounds like a good solution. Think I'll take a few practice runs.
Mathewson,
How tall are your risers? You can pretty quickly build a wedge-like cradle out of framing lumber to hold them to cut flat on your slider. It works well if you have a decent hold down clamp.
I CUT THEM STANDING UP ON MY DEWALT 706 (not really shouting). Cut as deep as I can, then finish with a sushi saw and a really sharp block plane. That particular saw will cut almost 7" standing up.
I've also cut them entirely by hand and with a skillsaw. Neither is that hard if you consider yourself proficient and have a way to clean up the cuts. Again, I like a block plane, but even a long sanding block will do the trick.
I like Snort's (?) idea of a shoot board and little Porter Cable. I've always, always wanted one of those saws.
- KIT