Curved stairway belly--steel studs

[Stan Foster]

This is the freestanding 180 degree stairway with walnut/oak railing.

I just installed the steel studs in the belly of this stairway. So much faster than the first belly I framed years ago. On that one...I laminated and glued plyood strips into propeller shapes onto the stairway. I guess since I am into aviation...making propellers fascinated me. Well,,, those took way too long. My next stairway I simply let the steel studs do the twisting as the inside stringer is much steeper than the outside stringer. The drywallers loved it..and I havent done it differently in since my 2nd curved stairway.

www.stansstairways.com


Stan

[rustbucket]

Nice Job! Stairways like this always mystify me. Beyond my skill set.

[dgbldr]

Nice job Stan. Do the metal studs serve any purpose other than being nailers for drywall? Seems to me you could accomplish the same thing with strips of plywood thin enough to twist, like 3/8".

[Stan Foster]

dgbldr- You are probably right!


Stan

[calvert]

Stan, beautiful work. I just plastered the back of a stairway with a quarter turn helical form at the second floor landing and I have a question for you regarding the interface of your stringers and the drywall/plaster that may be installed as the situation may dictate.

Is the edge of the finished underside, as it abuts your stairway stringer, typically trimmed with a L-bead/corner bead or some other metal or plastic trim to give a defining edge to the drywall/plaster and allow for whatever expansion/contraction that may occur with the stringer?

The stairway I just plastered (circa 1870) had a beaded profile on the bottom edge of the exposed stringer. The original finish plaster carried to the backside of that bead...but with the inevitable expansion and contraction of the stringer there was always a crack at that interface which various owners tried to caulk/putty and typically made a messy looking affair out of the whole thing.

I installed wire mesh to the backside of the stairway after we did extensive carpentry reinforcement of the stringers, treads and risers. The basecoat was applied and then I bent a veneer plaster cornerbead to the twist of the helical turn and adhered it to the basecoat with a few dabs of straight gauging plaster.The finish lime putty coat was applied and the bead was fully incorporated into that material. This bead was installed to provide approx. 1/8"+ clearance to the bead moulded to the bottom edge of the wood stringer.

It does provide for a neat, clean look and hopefully some idiot won't try to caulk it. When the stringer is painted the wood bead should have full definition.

By the way, Morris Williams (Stairbuilder's Guide), lived a good part of his life in Scranton, PA, (about 15 miles north of me) where he worked as a master carpenter and also provided architectural services. He was a regular contributor to "Carpenter and Builder" the trade journal of the building industry for the late 19th and early 20th century. I have most of the issues from 1880 to 1910 and his articles were extremely well written and informative.

Keep up the beautiful work Stan, it certainly serves as an inspiration and I hope you have an apprentice...or two.

[Stan Foster]

Calvert- I am not a drywall or plasterer! You WOULD NOT want me to do that for you! I have learned that what you say is spot on. Most plasterers just fill it in solid and, yes...it cracks along the wood. The best method I have seen was when some zip strip was used for the edge. I had just built the largest and most expensive stairway of my life, and they hired a plastering crew that came in to do the belly of the stairway. This zip strip had a piece of plastic that you pulled after the plaster was set. It "zipped" off and left a perfect even reveal...a very nice shadow that hid any movement.

If I ever have a curved stairway for my home, that's what I want to use.


Thanks for your educational input. That's why I live to post . I am here to learn a little just as much as I hope someone learns from my posts. Sometimes they might learn...dont do it like Stan does!!

Stan

[Shane Gillespie]

Every time I see a Stan Foster post I get excited. I just love your work. Way past my skill level as well, but I can dream. : )

Thanks for sharing and pushing me with a desire for a higher skill level.

[Lavrans]

Quirks.........

[Stan Foster]

Every time I see a Stan Foster post I get excited. I just love your work. Way past my skill level as well, but I can dream. : )

Thanks for sharing and pushing me with a desire for a higher skill level.

Shane- Thanks for the kind words. All I can say is that there are several here that post phenomenal work that is intimidating to me.

I am here in awe many times.

Its enjoyable to share a little of what I have learned.

Stan

[markhoni]

the neatest belly on a curved stairway I've seen was done with a tongue and groove boxcar siding look. each piece was tapered and custom built to take up the space with as little twisting as possible. The house had six such stairways. Two sets of curved stairs going between the different levels in the house. The entire house was built in a "hunting lodge" style. Somebody must have put a lot of work into making all those tongue and groove pieces. Glad it was them and not me.