I am in the process of trimming a staircase in my home. The stairs climb 6 treads,wind around four treads, and continue up another 6 treads, 180 degrees from the first set. They are all open on one side and where they wind the wall is shaped like a quarter of hexagon. I would like to run wainscot up the wall. I am have trouble finding the correct angles. I have established a line 38″ up from the nose of the tread in the corners. This is not a true plane. Should it be? Would that ease matters? If I put the top in a true plane it changes the height off the nose of the tread for my handrail. Anybody have any hint or tricks?
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Tryin,
Its not one plane its three. Take a look at skirtboards on stairs like you are building.
You were on track the first time, take an equal measure from the nose of the top and bottom tread on each area. The height that you decide on should be the same on each.
Ex: the skirt board is 2" above the nose.
-zen
I'm glad I was on the right track. Got any hints for finding the correct angles. I am using a couple of wood blocks. I can get them to follow the angles going up the wall and get the corner miters good but the tops and bottoms are scued from each other. Do I just fudge them with a hand plane?
Please accept my apologies, my computer is down and I didnt get your message before. (writing from the library)
First thing you can do is look at the stair as 3 separate sets. If you have your total rise and run for each, you can find the angle with a stairmaster calculator. OR measure up two inches from the nose of each tread and establish a line on the wall... any tool that can find angles can tell you what it is. Protractor to digital level.
Oh and if you want to get really good finish work done, buy yourself a Starret angle finder. Look on amazon.
The problem you may be having is that your angle is like 34.4 degrees If that is the case you have to get as close as you can on your miter saw anyway.
If I understand what you are looking for, your top and bottom miter cut should be plumb, so if you have the skirtboard angle correct, the top and bottom of that board should be cut perpendicular to the floor, or the same as a plumb line would fall.
Sometimes the skirt is backcut so the skirt and base meet at an angle rather than 90 degrees, some feel it has a more finished look.
If I havent answered your question or am off track, you are welcome to redirect.
Oh and if you are good with a hand plane, there is no fudging about it, its the height of the trade, many carpenters dont carry one. Oh and a belt sander, and a few files also make great finish tools. I can usually finish a job with a shoe rasp and a hand plane faster than a guy can make fun of it, and get his electric door plane out of the box.
-zen
I second the block plane, or god forbid a jack, and file. A belt sander belt wrapped around a 2x makes a good file, make two or so in differing grits. The angles should be 60 with the saw at 30 for each abutting piece. If the drywall is deforming the joint so that your wainscot line won't line up with the baseboard bust out the BFH! If you bevel rip a 1x at 30 so it forms a ">", snug it in the corner and give it a few wacks (don't go above the wainscot's chairrail of course!). Chop off any loose bits with a stiff putty knife, which we call a drywall chisel in the trimming trade, and your boards should fit nicely.