[TheForge] spirialstairs

[theforge@mailman.qth.net]

I've never made a spiral stair rail, but I have made a few pieces of reverse 
spiral flighting to go around other flighting to make mixing augers. I did it 
by computing the length of material needed for one revolution using 
A(squared) +B (squared) = C(squared). In terms for the stairs, A= 
circumference of the centerline if the handrail for 1 revolution, B= the rise 
for 1 revolution and C= the length if handrail for 1 revolution. Take C 
length of handrail and bend it the hardway into a circle. This circle will 
have a larger radius that the desired finished radius of the rail of course. 
Now here is is the neat part. Stand the circle up vertically and pull the two 
ends of the material in opposite directions being careful to redirect your 
pull frequently so that the pull is perpendicular to the plane that the 
circle of material was originally standing in. Also be careful the material 
is not unduly influence by pulling it "against" the floor. When the two ends 
have been pulled apart sufficiently to equal the rise of one revolution the 
radius will be what you need for the rail. When making auger flighting I 
hooked one end of the material to a tractor and the other end to a forklift 
using a come-along to do the pulling. Also of course we did several 
revelations at once simply by rolling the material in a continuous piece so 
that several circles were together. It might not work for a spiral rail but I 
think it would and it worked well when I made that flighting.   

Dan Cruzan
From the real NJ


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