# Spiral Staircase.



## Van (Mar 13, 2008)

Spiral Staircase! 
Steel.
Custom.

Need I say more ?


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## soundlight (Mar 13, 2008)

OH JOY! We had to make a custom steel staircase last year. While it wasn't a spiral unit, it had a 90 degree turn in it, and we had to build the steps out of ESM. That was fun...lemme tell ya...I got reeeeeealy good at cutting ESM with an angle grinder and bolt cutters, and also learned that you should _always_ wear a welding jacket while cutting with the metal chop saw.


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## Footer (Mar 13, 2008)

That'll be a fun jig to build....


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## Van (Mar 13, 2008)

My ranting has inspired me to start a new thread in the scenery area. I'l re-post these drawings there in a couple of days along with some pictures of the finished product.


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## Footer (Mar 13, 2008)

It least its a rather simple design, and not that tall. Making the stairs will be quick, getting them in place will be another thing all together, and them moving it is as completely other thing. I would probably go with sch. 80 pipe, it would add 50# or so but I think it would be worth it. The 1x3 is a bit overkill in my opinion, you could probably get away with .049 1x3 or .060 1x2. Doing the hand rail will be a bit of a beast. Good luck with that... If it all ends up square you did something right...


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## mbenonis (Mar 14, 2008)

I built a spiral staircase a few years out of wood. 8 ft tall, and a full rotation. Actually worked quite well.


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## Van (Mar 14, 2008)

Footer4321 said:


> It least its a rather simple design, and not that tall. Making the stairs will be quick, getting them in place will be another thing all together, and them moving it is as completely other thing. I would probably go with sch. 80 pipe, it would add 50# or so but I think it would be worth it. The 1x3 is a bit overkill in my opinion, you could probably get away with .049 1x3 or .060 1x2. Doing the hand rail will be a bit of a beast. Good luck with that... If it all ends up square you did something right...


 
The hand rail.... so the thought is, get a peice of 1" SST have it bent into a 6' diameter circle, tack it at the top pull it down like a spring tacking it along the way. I hope it works. 

Derek, If you read this... could you moveit to the scenery thread. It was going to start as a rant about designers, but it might prove more informative than I thought.


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## Darthrob13 (Mar 14, 2008)

I <3 spiral staircases.


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## Footer (Mar 14, 2008)

Van said:


> The hand rail.... so the thought is, get a peice of 1" SST have it bent into a 6' diameter circle, tack it at the top pull it down like a spring tacking it along the way. I hope it works.



That sounds like plan that could work, just going to be a slow process. This is going to be a project where you tack it up to death.


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## Van (Mar 17, 2008)

Footer4321 said:


> That sounds like plan that could work, just going to be a slow process. This is going to be a project where you tack it up to death.


 
I get a lot of projects like that, is that why people call me tacky ?


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## Footer (Mar 17, 2008)

Van said:


> I get a lot of projects like that, is that why people call me tacky ?



No, that would be that leisure that you still wear.....


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## jwl868 (Mar 17, 2008)

Van said:


> The hand rail.... so the thought is, get a peice of 1" SST have it bent into a 6' diameter circle, tack it at the top pull it down like a spring tacking it along the way. I hope it works.



Just a thought - will a 6' diameter circle be long enough? (I can't view the .dwg file so I don't know the stairs diameter and the height...)

Joe


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## Van (Mar 18, 2008)

Well I'm hoping so, the staircase is only a total of 9' high. Elven treads at 12" on the outside ege. so if I get a 20' peice of steel bent to a 6' diameter, it's going to overlap itself a couple of times, should be plenty. I'm hoping. Got it stood up today, and placed the step units on it, looks good. Can wait to get the escape platform in place so I can put the finishing touches on it.


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## jwl868 (Mar 18, 2008)

I see. (I imagined more steps and taller.)

Looks like there will be 5 or so feet to spare, depending on your "ornamentation" or the ends of the rail at the top and bottom.

(Sounds like a cool project - way beyond anything I could attempt.)


Joe


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## Logos (Mar 18, 2008)

Van said:


> Elven treads at 12" on the outside ege.




If they were dwarvish treads would they be different on the outside edge.


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## Van (Mar 19, 2008)

Logos said:


> If they were dwarvish treads would they be different on the outside edge.


 
ARRRR! Caught again. ! 

Eleven steps. 
'though, in truth, they are sort of Dwarvish since they are tapered they look like they'd be happy wrapping around a column, or descending into the depths of Modor.


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## jwl868 (Mar 19, 2008)

Actually, dwarvish steps would descend into the depths of Moria.

Joe


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