Stair-building and the steel square

STAIR-BUILDING AND THE STEEL SQUARE

Reading edition

A MANUAL OF PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION IN THE ART OF STAIR-BUILDING AND HAND-RAILING, AND THE MANIFOLD USES OF THE STEEL SQUARE

PART I—STAIR-BUILDING

By FRED T. HODGSON

AUTHOR OF “MODERN CARPENTRY,” “ARCHITECTURAL DRAWING, SELF-TAUGHT,” ETC. MEMBER OF ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF ARCHITECTS

AND

MORRIS WILLIAMS

WRITER AND EXPERT ON CARPENTRY AND BUILDING

PART II—THE STEEL SQUARE

By MORRIS WILLIAMS

ILLUSTRATED

CHICAGO AMERICAN TECHNICAL SOCIETY 1917

AMERICAN TECHNICAL SOCIETY

INTRODUCTION

On entering a building, almost the first thing that meets the eye is the staircase and unconsciously it is made to serve as an indicator of the quality of the architecture. If the design is poor or the construction faulty, this flaw immediately gives the visitor a bad impression of the whole building. Furthermore, stair-building is a rather difficult subject and the principles involved are very little understood, which is evidenced by the fact that the layouts as furnished by architects in their plans are often improperly done.

Probably more mistakes occur in connection with the stairway of a building than with any other construction feature. It is with the idea, therefore, of giving a complete though simple presentation of the construction methods as applied to standard design of staircases, that this book has been prepared.

The article discusses straight and winding stairs, stairs with well hole, layouts for curved turns, the proper proportions of rise and width of tread, the design of hand railings and many other problems, the solution of which will be found very useful.

Coupled with this article is a most instructive section on the Steel Square, containing many applications of this useful instrument to roof and other types of construction.

Illustration from Stair-building and the steel square: A manual of practical instruction in the art of stair-building and hand-railing, and the manifold uses of the steel square

GREYROCKS, ROCKPORT, MASS. Frank Chouteau Brown, Architect, Boston, Mass.

CONTENTS

PART I

STAIR-BUILDING

Page

Stair construction 1

Definitions 2

Setting out stairs 8

Pitch-board 10

Well-hole 18

Laying out close-string stair 22

Open-newel stairs 32

Stairs with curved turns 34

Geometrical stairways and hand-railings 43

Wreaths 43

Tangent system 44

Bevels to square wreaths 60

How to put curves on face-mould 68

Arrangement of risers 74

PART II

STEEL SQUARE

Introductory 1

Specifications for steel square 1

Miter and length of side of polygon 4

Steel square in roof framing 7

General problems 8

Heel cut of common rafter 13

Hips 13

Heel cut of hips and valleys 16

INDEX 1

HALL AND PARTIALLY ENCLOSED STAIRCASE IN LONG HALL, GREYROCKS, ROCKPORT, MASS.

Frank Chouteau Brown, Architect, Boston, Mass.