[TheForge] Re: Spiral stairs? (Was: horn)

[Mike Spencer]

> ...cut radiuses in the ends of 1/4 x 4 x 8 tubing.  This I stacked
> and tack welded as I went and used 1/4 x 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 angle iron
> from the tubes top to the bottom of the next riser and welded them
> to both.

Gee, Ralph, I like that idea.  But I'm not going to find a supply of
square tube like that in any nearby scrap heaps.  New, even 1/8"
(which should be enough) would cost a pile.  Y'know, you could do that
without the central pole, just stack the tubes and weld them.

> You could do like the kits if your looking for utility only and do a
> tread to a pipe that slides down over the main shaft and stack and
> weld em.

Utility is the word.  Peggy is tired of climbing a ladder to get to
her loom and I surely can't blame her.

So I think I'm going with that.  I picked up some 3-1/2" thick wall
pipe [1] today and some 1/8" sheet.  I found some pieces of slightly
larger pipe yesterday.  I'll cut the 1/8" into rectangles and get it
bent into support brackets for plank treads at a local fab shop that
has a big break.  With this method, I can get each tread true in a jig
on the bench.  And with downhand welding, my lack of skill with
vertical welding won't be a worry.

Looks like about 8-1/4" rise, 12 treads per turn, 1-1/4 turns to reach
130.5" height.  Square hole framed up in the existing upper floor,
landing fabbed from 1-1/4" HSS and bolted in to anchor the top of the
pipe. One attachment to the wall, space for additional peripheral
vertical support if it's not rock solid as planned.

Thanks for the suggestions.

- Mike

[1] I dunno what this stuff was originally.  One piece flares out to a
    larger size -- maybe 3-1/2' to 4-1/2" ? -- for about a foot at one
    end and has a big plastic plug in it with a slot, as if it were to
    be turned with Paul Bunyan's screw driver.  Some kind of drill
    stock?  Perhaps higher carbon than ordinary m/s but not real high.

-- 
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
                                                           /V\ 
mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^

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