A Simplified Guide to Custom Stairbuilding and Tangent Handrailing
by George R. diCristina
Softcover
215 x 280mm
278pp
Published
by Linden Publishing, Fresno, CA USA
R.R.P.$44.90
ISBN 0-941936-63-5
Extract from back cover of book:
What the tangent system offers today's stairbuilder:
- The ability to construct distinctive, personalized. Innovative stair and handrail designs that are not subject to the limits of stock stair and handrail parts.
- Construction of rail sections from solid stock where the finest wood grain can be featured.
- Continuous incline turns can be produced for any possible condition.
- There are no forms to build.
- The ability to make continuous full round wall type rails fast.
- Solid wood handrail sections can be made in the shop to fit existing metal sub-railing on the job site.
"A
professional stairbuilder will make this book a constant companion on the workbench,
pages becoming well-worn through years of use, wood dust accumulating in the seams
of important pages."
Stairbuilder Timothy Johnson, Fine Homebuilding
magazine
About the Author: George R. diCristina began his career as an apprentice in his father's shop in 1931 in San Francisco. Except for his service in WWII he remained with his father and brother in the family business throughout his career. The work of J. di Cristina and Son became the standard by which quality workmanship was measured in Northern California. The company did both commercial and residential work throughout California and as far afield as Texas, Hawaii, Washington and Oregon. Mr. DI Cristina is considered the dean of the craft in Northern California.
Photos: Black & White
Units of Measurement: Imperial
Contents
List
of Plates
List of Photographs
Foreword
Introduction
Section I:
Straight Stairs
Section II: Curved Stairs
Section III: Tangent Handrailing
Section IV: Face Molds for Handrailing
Section V: Wooden Handrailing atop
Metal Rails
Glossary
Index
List
of Plates (drawings)
Basic Geometrical Figures Useful in Stairbuilding and
Handrailing
Three Methods of Drawing a Semi-Ellipse
Right, Obtuse, and
Acute Angles Formed by Tangents
The Tread and Riser in Elevation
Kick-Back
Riser and Tread in Elevation and Landing Details
The Stringer, Pitch Board,
and T-Gauge
The Stringer
A Mitered Face-Type Stringer
A Mitered Bracket-Type
Stringer
Housed and Wedged Buttress-Type Stringer; Recessed Stringer
Two
Cleated Type Stringers
Stairs Involving Straight Runs, Platforms, and Winder
Treads
Riser Positions at the Right Angle Corner of a Platform Stair
Handrail
Volute and Turnout for Starting Bull-Nosed Treads
Bull-Nosed Treads for Stairs
with an Open Side
Bending a Radius Riser for a Bull-Nosed Tread
Platform
Stair with Square Posts and Mitered Stringers
Two-Platform Stair with Post
Bases, Buttress-Type Stringers
Six-Winder Stair with Housed and Wedged Stringer
Plan and Elevation of 1" Thick Box-Corner Stringer
Elevation of 1" Thick
Housed and Wedged Wall Stringers
Corner Plan of Right-Angle Single-Platform
Stair
Elevations of Right-Angle Single Platform Stair
Stair Plan R of
Plate 12
Starting and Landing Risers Located by Rail Layout
Platform Riser
Located by Stretchout Along Tangents
Ten Examples of Stairs with Curved Line
Construction
Simple Climbing Turn Handrail Section
The Prismatic Solid
The Cardboard Model
Pitch and Level Tangent Combinations
Equal Baluster
Spacing in Four Quarter-Circle Plans
Baluster Face Not Necessarily In Line
with Risers
Plan 3 of Plate 28 Showing Baluster Spacing
Plans 4 and 5
of Plate 28 Showing Baluster Spacing
Plans 6 and 7 of Plate 28 Showing Baluster
Spacing
Plan 8 of Plate 28 Showing Baluster Spacing
Plan 9 of Plate 28
Showing an Elliptical Stair
Plan Plan 10 of Plate 28 Showing an Elliptical
Stair Layout
15 Riser Full-Circle Stair
Deep Risers for Self-Supporting
Circular Stairs
Stringer Details for Deep Risers
Making Curved Staircases
The Stretch-Out of Stringer of Plate 38. Kerfing and Staving
Building a
Horizontal Form for Short Radius Stringers
Unfolding and Inclining Tangents
of the Three Basic Plans
The Angle of the Inclined Tangents
The Face Mold
and Ordinate Line
Unequal Tangents Affect the Ordinate Direction
The Ordinate
Direction and Ordinate
Alternate Methods of Finding Ordinate Direction and
Ordinate
The Bevels
Tangent Pitches Affecting Bevel Application
Six
Stages of Laying Out and Squaring an Incline-Turn Section
Application of the
Bevels to Rail Block Joint
Sliding the Face Mold on the Rail Block
Three
Stages of Making the Rail from a Solid Block
Reference Chart to Working Plates
Quarter-Circle Plan with Equally Pitched Tangents
Quarter-Circle Plan
with Short Lower Pitched Tangent
Quarter-Circle Plan with Short Upper Pitched
Tangent
Quarter-Circle Plan with Lower Tangent Level
Quarter-Circle Plan
with Upper Tangent Level
Obtuse Plan with Equally Pitched Tangents
Obtuse
Plan with Short Lower-Pitched Tangent
Obtuse Plan with Short Upper-Pitched
Tangent
Obtuse Plan with Lower Tangent Level
Obtuse Plan with Upper Tangent
Level
Acute Plan with Equally Spaced Tangents
Acute Plan with Short Lower-Pitched
Tangent
Acute Plan with Short Upper-Pitched Tangent
Acute Plan with Lower
Tangent Level
Acute Plan with Upper Tangent Level
The Elliptical Plan
Finding the Bevels for an Elliptical Plan
The Face Mold Can Be Drawn at
Any Accessible Area
The Full Round Handrail Section
Squaring and Shaping
the Handrail
The Joint, Rail Bolt, and Top and Bottom Curves
Curvature
of the Rail Sides through the Joint
The Rail Block, Face Mold Widths, and
Block Thickness
Optional Method of Finding the Face Mold when One Tangent
Is Level
Increased Tangent Lengths whenever Radius Is Small
Obtuse Plan
with Gooseneck
Obtuse Plan with Lower Overeasement
Turn Section at Platform
to Include Two Small-Radii
Forced Ramp Within the Rail Section
Face Mold
Cannot Be Used in Some Rake-to-Level Plans
One Rail Section for Adjoining
Stairs
Increased Block Thickness When Tangents Are Unequally Pitched
Quarter-Circle
Plan Showing How to Find the Baluster Lengths
Top and Bottom of Squared Rail
Are Level to Radius
Finding Stretch Out Ramp Templates through Baluster Lengths
Finding
the Steep Pitch of Balusters at the Rail Bottom
A Forced Ramp to Meet Different
Outside Pitches
Stretch Out of Treads and Risers Drawn from Straight Edge
Finding the Vertex Locations of Rake-to-Level Sections
Locating the Vertex
for a Starting Volute
Quarter-Circle Stair with Equal Baluster Spacing
Locating
the Joints and Vertex Positions
Short-Radius Stair with Five Rail Sections
Tangent Pitches of Plans of Plate 33
One Section Handrail for the Stair
of Plate 34
Methods "A" and "B" Layouts for Turnout of Plate 34
Rail of
Plate 35 Made Up of Three Sections
Rail of Plate 36 the Rail Made Up of Three
Sections
Plan and Pitched Tangents of Plans 5 and 5-A of Plate 36
Plan
and Pitched Tangents of Plans 6 and 7 of Plate 37
Plan and Pitched Tangents
of Plan 8 of Plate 38
Plan and Pitched Tangents of Plan 9 of Plate 39
Elliptical
Plan and Pitched Tangents of Plate 40
Combined Use of Tangent and Laminated
Handrail Sections
Twelve Non-Circular Stair Plans with Continuous Handrailings
Quarter-Circle
Plan with Equally Pitched Tangents
Quarter-Circle Plan with Short Lower Pitched
Tangent
Quarter-Circle Plan with Short Upper Pitched Tangent
Quarter-Circle
Plan Same Layout for Either Tangent
Obtuse Plan Equally Pitched Tangents
Obtuse
Plan Short Lower-Pitched Tangent
Obtuse Plan Short Upper-Pitched Tangent
Obtuse
Plan Lower Tangent Is Level, Upper Tangent Is Pitched
Obtuse Plan Upper Tangent
Is Level, Lower Tangent Is Pitched
Acute Plan Equally Pitched Tangents
Acute
Plan Short Lower-Pitched Tangent
Acute Plan Short Upper-Pitched Tangent
Acute
Plan Upper Tangent Is Pitched, Lower Tangent Is Level
Acute Plan Lower Tangent
Is Pitched, Upper Tangent Is Level
Typical Leveling Device Details
Finding
Plumb Height
Finding Plumb Height and Stretch Out Ramp
Finding Face Mold
and Bevels
Shaping the Handrail