PLATE 6.
PLATE VI.
DETAILS OF A NEWEL STAIRS, STARTING AND LANDING WITH WINDERS.
In planning stairs of this description several things have to be considered. First take off the height and going on a rod. Then decide how many steps there are to be. Draw a plan and elevation, as shown at Figs. 1 and 2. Set off the width of the stairs and draw the two newels. Now draw the line of travel 15 inches from the centre of rail. Take the centre of newels for centre, and strike the quarter of circle top and bottom in continuation of this line, which divide into as many divisions as there are to be steps. In drawing the winders keep the narrow ends as wide as possible, and for this purpose they can be brought past the newels into the strings; as we can have no sympathy with the system that crowds all the narrow ends of winders into the newels, by that means making the stairs unnecessarily dangerous. The dotted lines show the trimmers and joist; care must be taken to have sufficient headroom. It will be noticed that the wall string is jointed at both ends, so as to get sufficient width. When these strings are set out like this to a scale, it is seen at once what there is to joint on. Fig. 3 shows the short string at the bottom, and Fig. 4 that at the top. These short strings must be made to ease into the long wall string at the same height, also to ease into the skirting. To fix these stairs proceed as follows: set the steps 1, 2 and 3 at the bottom, and 12, 13 and 14 at the top, out full size on a board, with the wall strings and newels. Tongue and groove the strings together in the corners, having the tongue on the long string at the bottom. Mark the treads off the board to cut and not try to fit on the job. If the rods have been set out correct in the first place, and as correct can be worked to, they can be cut in the shop for the bottom winders, but for the top ones the lines should be taken off the board out to them, and cut when fixed. Put the flight together, including step No. 12 at the top and 3 at the bottom, then fix on the bottom newel, after which step No. 2 can be fixed in position. Then put the short string in its place, also step No. 1. Now let the stairs go down into their place and do all necessary blocking and screwing. It will be understood that everything has been fitted before this, also that these bottom winders are glued up. Next put on the long newel and glue and pin it; slip the short string at top into its place, then fix in the risers 13, 14 and 15, and treads 13 and 14 and the nosing at top. Glue, screw and block these after they are in. Before cutting the treads and risers at the top, try with a rod to see if the lines on them taken off the board are correct, and if there is any difference allow for it when cutting them in.
Fig. 5 shows the plan and Fig. 7 the elevation of the newel for the bottom, with part of winders to 1½ inch scale. In setting out the newels mark the position of risers on to them, thus, make 1, 2, Fig. 7, equal to 1, 2, Fig. 5, and set up the height of a rise, and square out a line and make 2, 3 equal 2, 3, Fig. 5; this riser, it will be seen, comes on the edge; again set up a rise, as shown by 3, 3. From 3 square out a line and make 3, 4 equal 3, 4, Fig. 5, and set up the height of a rise. The same process would be repeated as long as there were any risers striking the newel on plan. Of course the newel would be set out full size on the board that the winders were set out on.
Fig. 6 shows the plan of newel, and Fig. 8 the elevation of a part of it. Repeat the process described at Figs. 5 and 7.
PLATE 7.
