alternate tread stair question

On Oct 1, 5:47 pm, david blumberg <[email protected]> wrote:
> hi,
>
> Alternate tread stairs are for steep applications, such as to a loft. I
> was asked to build a set for someone. The tread width is 24", the depth
> for the wide half is 10", reducing to 4" for the narrow half. Thickness
> spec'd at 1 1/16". Housed in the stringers (1 1/2" thick). Material to
> be ash, maple, or birch...
>
> My question is: Due to the depth of the tread, I would need to glue up
> narrower boards to make up the 10". As the front of the tread is only
> supported on one side, I am concerned that someone stepping on the tread
> could snap it off at the glue joint. I have heard "the glue is stronger
> than the wood", but it still is a concern to me.
>
> Any opinions or experience with this?
>
> A picture of a similar stair can be seen athttp://www.tradestairs.com/acatalog/birch_24_spacesaver.html
>
> mine will have no risers...
>
> thanks,
>
> david

Double or triple your tread thickness.

You could always incorporate a third stringer, similar to a ships
ladder, or even a wood shelf support in the center using the same type
of wood.

If you must glue a few pieces together to make your treads the biscuit
idea would work the best I picked up biscuit joiner at Lowes for about
$100.00 versus the dewalt for $190.00 is not a bad deal if you only
use it a couple of times a year.

Dave FL

On 1 Oct, 17:47, david blumberg <[email protected]> wrote:
> hi,
>
> Alternate tread stairs are for steep applications, such as to a loft. I
> was asked to build a set for someone. The tread width is 24", the depth
> for the wide half is 10", reducing to 4" for the narrow half. Thickness
> spec'd at 1 1/16". Housed in the stringers (1 1/2" thick). Material to
> be ash, maple, or birch...
>
> My question is: Due to the depth of the tread, I would need to glue up
> narrower boards to make up the 10". As the front of the tread is only
> supported on one side, I am concerned that someone stepping on the tread
> could snap it off at the glue joint. I have heard "the glue is stronger
> than the wood", but it still is a concern to me.
>
> Any opinions or experience with this?
>
> A picture of a similar stair can be seen athttp://www.tradestairs.com/acatalog/birch_24_spacesaver.html
>
> mine will have no risers...
>
> thanks,
>
> david

Tom Silva used the Miller Doweling System to repair a broken tread
that exhibited the very symptom you are concerned about. Perhaps you
could use these to prevent, as opposed to repair, breakage along the
grain.

On Oct 1, 5:47 pm, david blumberg <[email protected]> wrote:
> hi,
>
> Alternate tread stairs are for steep applications, such as to a loft. I
> was asked to build a set for someone. The tread width is 24", the depth
> for the wide half is 10", reducing to 4" for the narrow half. Thickness
> spec'd at 1 1/16". Housed in the stringers (1 1/2" thick). Material to
> be ash, maple, or birch...
>
> My question is: Due to the depth of the tread, I would need to glue up
> narrower boards to make up the 10". As the front of the tread is only
> supported on one side, I am concerned that someone stepping on the tread
> could snap it off at the glue joint. I have heard "the glue is stronger
> than the wood", but it still is a concern to me.
>
> Any opinions or experience with this?

http://www.stairplan.com/spacesaver.htm
The glue probably won't fail, the wood will fail somewhere. Seasonal
changes will exacerbate the situation with solid wood treads. Either
use a center stringer, use plywood, laminate solid wood to make your
own plywood, or use through-bolts to reinforce the freeboard end.

R

david blumberg wrote:

> Alternate tread stairs are for steep applications, such as to a loft. I
> was asked to build a set for someone. The tread width is 24", the depth
> for the wide half is 10", reducing to 4" for the narrow half. Thickness
> spec'd at 1 1/16". Housed in the stringers (1 1/2" thick). Material to
> be ash, maple, or birch...

I wouldn't worry about the glue...I'd worry about the wood itself
snapping along the grain. This is probably why the one you linked to
used plywood.

I've seen a version of this where they had a third stringer down the
middle of the stair, and each stair was only 12" wide but staggered (ie.
no "narrow half").

Chris

Thanks for all the replies...I remember seeing the show with the dowel
repair...I did not notice that the treads in the link I posted are
plywood. I can get 1" maple plywood here, so I will see if the
interested party would consider that...

david

david blumberg wrote:
> hi,
>
> Alternate tread stairs are for steep applications, such as to a loft. I
> was asked to build a set for someone. The tread width is 24", the depth
> for the wide half is 10", reducing to 4" for the narrow half. Thickness
> spec'd at 1 1/16". Housed in the stringers (1 1/2" thick). Material to
> be ash, maple, or birch...
>
> My question is: Due to the depth of the tread, I would need to glue up
> narrower boards to make up the 10". As the front of the tread is only
> supported on one side, I am concerned that someone stepping on the tread
> could snap it off at the glue joint.

That could be why the manufacturer, in the example you cited, uses 24 mm
Birch plywood for the treads.

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA
[email protected]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
says...
> I have heard "the glue is stronger
> than the wood", but it still is a concern to me.
>
> Any opinions or experience with this?
>

In a situation like a stair tread that's unsupported one side, I'd worry about
shear forces on the glue joint, not so much the strength of the glue per se.
Since you're housing the outside end, twisting forces should be mostly taken
care off.
Insert a bisquit or a spline into the equation and you'll be much better off,
i.m.o. but then risers _would_ make it structurally much stronger again.

Also safer: We have a riser-less steep stair (used to be a ladder for a high
bed) going up to the loft in the barn where my wife has her wool studio and
she's twice nearly put her leg through the gap when carrying bulky things that
obscure her vision.

-Peter

--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
says...
> Thanks for all the replies...I remember seeing the show with the dowel
> repair...I did not notice that the treads in the link I posted are
> plywood. I can get 1" maple plywood here, so I will see if the
> interested party would consider that...
>
> david
>

You can also make your own 'ply' by using 2@3/4" boards on top of each other
with the joint staggered horizontally:
________________
|___________+___|
|___+___________|

then cut your treads out of that --- that should be quite strong. Laborious
though.

-P.

--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com