Trimming flying newel

[bsr]

Hello

This newel protrudes below the stairs - is it called a flying or floating newel? It is at the top of the stairs although you can't see that from below.

We want to fit cupboards below the stairs. I'm not sure if boxing around the base of the newel would look OK since it is 1/3 across the alcove width so it wouldn't line up with the doors.

Would you trim the newel flush with the string? At an angle? If so, how best to keep the cut neat and square? I might need to buy a fine-toothed hand saw? I have track saw, all-purpose hand saw, hacksaw, multi-tool.

I've seen a flush trimmed newel here and it seems to look ok:
https://www.proremodeler.com/how-build-boxed-newel-stairs

I'm wondering if the string might be tenoned into the newel.

Thanks in advance

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Pretty much every string is tenoned into the newels on stairs with half landings or kite winders. That means you need to be careful how much of the newel you cut away. I'd probably stop a little short of going dead flush and I'd certainly avoid making anything other than a horizontal cut as an angled cut would greatly increase the possibility of exposing a tenon and thereby weakening the stairs. Mark the cut, knife the line then use a sharp tenon saw to do the deed

I'd ignore the article for your purposes - it's an American article and features a stair with a cut string. Those are common in the USA and use two, three or more identical parallel stringers with the treads nailed or screwed onto the horizontal flats of the stringers. The newels in the first example in the article example are screwed to the sides of the stringers but look to be non-structural (and how the hell could you get a structural connection into a weak, biscuit jointed box?). British (and many European) stairs like yours use a housed stringer design with the treads and risers held in them housings with wedges and strengthened with glue blocks. In such a stair the stringers are normally tenoned into the newels which most certainly is structural. For additionsl strength the tenons are sometimes draw bored and pinned. Chalk and cheese!

 

[bsr]

Thank you. If we can't cut it flush we'll still have to box around it, so may as well leave it. Here's what we are thinking of doing. Shaker oak doors with mirror infill where shown. Shelf with hanging rail at 195cm and shoe storage below.

I think the 2/3 1/3 split would line up better with the newel but be too wide and heavy a door especially with mirror so am inclined towards equal doors.

I was going to screw & plug a 4x1 oak veneer lining around the opening, and infill the triangular panel with the same oak veneer MDF as used for the shaker door panels.
Do you agree with MDF infill or would painted plasterboard look better?
Face fix (doors on frame) or in-frame? I was thinking face fix with 4x kitchen hinges in each door. Top door right hand hung with two hinges.

What do do with the lining? Run it around the newel, stop either side, or only line where there will be a door and caulk / bead around the infill panel? I was thinking to do the latter and to bring out the shelf flush to the door lining so it acted as a top stop for the doors. See the picture.

Sorry for all the small questions but there are too many options for the detailing!