Stone stairs and railing

[dshall]

Nice job Richard,
Thanks for that lesson on handrails. Now if you could clue me in on how you managed to stack the curved stairs on top of each other. Is that one continous set of curved stairs or did you put in an intermediate landing?
-scott

[Richard]

Scott
The width of the handrail is not a problem and you can even add a pattern if required
and no it is not a stringer

There stair was copied and pasted in place and then joined together to make the full spiral stair

[ChiefCanada.com]

Allen Brown and Richard, very cool stuff! I have seen those settings in the stair dbx but never bothered to play with them. Thanks for pointing this out.
Allen, I think you should make up a post called "creative stairs" (when you get time.) and include various scenarios.

[Allen Brown]

Allen,
Just verifying but I am assuming we cannot change the width of your stone wall (which is the strinter) on the side of the stairs. Is it preset to about 2"?
-scott

Scott,

If you look closely at the picture in post #56, the closest portion is very thick, and the farthest portion is only 2" thick? You are correct, as far as I can tell, you cannot make the skirt board any thicker. What I did to make the closer part thicker on post #56 is place a solid stone wall right up against the stairs section, and pull down one side in cross section view.

It would take a little bit of work to get the same effect on a curved stair, but I'm confident it could be done.

[dshall]

Allen,

Did you take note of Richard's concrete stairs 3 posts up. Another very clever way to get the stone/concrete thick wall.

[Richard]

How about this
Using the same method I can turn the same stair into a ramp
Again the whole thing is done with a stair, No walls or symbols

[Allen Brown]

Allen,

Did you take note of Richard's concrete stairs 3 posts up. Another very clever way to get the stone/concrete thick wall.

I did, a handrail 8" thick, and 36" tall.

Richard, in that last picture, is it actually a smooth ramp, or is it just a low quality picture that we can't see the risers?

[dshall]

it actually a smooth ramp, or is it just a low quality picture that we can't see the risers?

I wonder if it can be done with a 36" wide set of stairs with the handrail width set at 19" wide x 6" hi (this is the ramp) handrail set at 1" high. Treads set at 1" risers set at 1" (they disappear).

I am on a mac at home so I cannot try it now.

[Richard]

The last picture is the handrail set at 100mm (4in) high and half the width of the stair to make the ramp, the treads are still there just under the handrail

[ChiefCanada.com]

Once in awhile there comes a thread that you can't seem to leave alone. I guess this is one of them. With the tips from Allen and Richard I can now build a smooth curved ramp with a railing or 2. (no symbols)

[dshall]

I suppose if you make a set of stairs...

the handrail set at 100mm (4in) high and half the width of the stair to make the ramp, the treads are still there just under the handrail

... set the steps at a 1" riser and a 12" tread (ADA Req for slope)...

With the tips from Allen and Richard I can now build a smooth curved ramp with a railing or 2. (no symbols)

[Allen Brown]

OK Rob,

How'd you accomplish this one? Richard's ramp was made with a short wide handrail, but yours has a regular handrail and balusters? Did you do as Scott suggests above?

[dshall]

Yea Rob,
How did you do that?

[Allen Brown]

Nope, just tried it. 1" rise and 12" tread gives you just that.

[ChiefCanada.com]

I made the ramp per Richards idea. (expanded handrail). Then made a copy,changed back to regular railings, made it 2" wide, and expanded (it stays concentric) to the edge of the slab. Here is a variation using 2 copies. (baluster width = 0) Just added posts (cylinders) from library. Now what else can we do?? How about a stream running down the middle? Thanks again to Richard and Allen for their inspiring ideas.