Fixing a 3 kite winder in place?

[Ian H]

I got a staircase delivered today, I roughly assembled it to check it fits and plan to fix it properly at the weekend.

Could anyone give me advice on when/where to screw, glue, clamp, wedge and bolt it?

It's a 3 kite winder with 3 newels, top middle and bottom. Picture shows it assembled dry and simply propped up. I will be building a wall level with the lower left hand side so also want to fix to that.

Thanks

 

[Ian H]

I've just had a read of this:

http://www.carpentry-tips-and-tricks.com/how-to-install-stairs.html#

Seems pretty straightforward and looks like I was right to notch the top newel rather than space the opposite side.

My stairs haven't come with the holes for the dowels so I'll have to buy some. What size should I be looking for?

 

[Ian H]

I called into the place I bought them and they gave me some advice and 12mm newels.

So today I bolted it out of sight:

Used loads of glue on the steps, risers and dowels

And then left it to set.

I'm going to move the bottom newel post back so it's level with the existing stair top post. I should have ordered them like that in the first place but wasn't sure if it would have worked.

 

[big-all]

in my humble opinion the wedges should be thinner to finish about 10mm short off the nosing to give a bit more support to avoid movement in years to come but will be fine for a few years

 

[Ian H]

Could I use something to fill any of the left over gaps at the end of the wedges?

 

[bobsuerita]

my only word of advice would have been too pack stairs of the wall so you could have stuck your plasterboard behind string and not on top

 

[Ian H]

I did think that might have been better but every mm counts at the bottom, there needs to be a door there at 90degrees to the bottom 3 steps.

I was thinking of either using a 9mm board or seeing if the plasterer could bond then skim the brick above the stairs.

 

[Ian H]

Would you put some fixings into the wall on the top side of the steps? We could hide them with filler and paint.

 

[big-all]

if you put any fixings into the wall they need to be spaced so the string will be supported but not pulled towards the wall 0.5 -1mm is ok and quite normal but definately less than 2mm if possible
as for the wedges i would personally go for foaming pu glue and part wedges that fit
or as you have some D4 glue i would go for timber ripped down to the correct thickness to need a slight bit off compression to be a friction fit at the nose so the glue will take up the 0.5-1mm deviation along the length

 

[Ian H]

I've not done the wedges yet but today I fitted the lower newel but moved it to be level with the existing one.

Hacked it

Sanded it

Glued and screwed it

And then curved the bottom step with some 8x2 under it

I've not dared to walk on it yet, want to build the wall first. I'm going to do a thread about the door in the woodwork section now.

 

[big-all]

good job in general well impressed buuuuuuutttttt

THE GLUE you only need about a micron thick film to stick lol
a 1mm bead will cover about 25mm with some to spare

 

[Ian H]

Really

I thought the more the merrier!!!

 

[big-all]

excessive glue can actually delay the glue setting as it skins over and stops it drying where as with a minimum amount it will dry fairly instantly as the wood will suck all the moisture out