Voluted Newel post

[jcgore1]

Any ideas on how to make a voluted newel post with balisters and also put 3 balisters on a tread?

[Allen Brown]

Man, don't you have any easy requests???

I don't believe you can adjust the spacing on the balusters. One way would be to set the stairs as having no balusters, then place them from the library one at a time, but that would be painfully time consuming.

On the volute? Not a chance. Chief's stair tools have not evolved to that point yet. You might be able to model one with sketchup, or find one in the google sketchup warehouse, but it would not easily be a true part of the stairway assembly.

Stairs are a much requested area of improvement.

[dgavin]

JC,

put 3 balusters from the millwork library in an empty plan.
space them accordingly in a straight line. Take a 3D view and
export them as a 3D item. (3ds, dwg etc) THen use the create
symbol tool and save them as a millwork item. Then select them
as the baluster via the library option in the stair dbx.
I think you will have to rotate them so they line up correctly when
selected via the library in the stair dbx.
Also set spacing on balusters for the width of your spindle group.

Thanks to Allen Coburn for showing me this.

[Allen Brown]

Kay Norby made a free symbol of a volute which you can find on her site: http://www.3dplanview.com/Free_3D_Sy...Renderings.htm

But I haven't tried it yet.

[sherpa_jones]

I created nice volutes once with 3d molding polines, but the process was painfully involved. I would suggest you try it only once you have everything EXACTLY as you want it.

[Allen Brown]

OK, Check this one out. It's not perfect, but not far off?

I have attached the plan, so if you have X2, you can open it, and save the parts to your library.

The bottom step is a landing, and the balusters beneath the volute are manually placed. I had to use a few different views to get the volute placed properly. It would look a little better If I extended the handrail farther before it met the volute. You can do this with a molding polyline.

[Allen Brown]

I edited a sketchup model to have an angled rise on it. It looks much better. Not perfect where it matches up to the rail, but much better. I have attached the plan, with the sketchup model saved as a symbol. I have also zipped and attached the SU model if anyone wants to play with that. With the free SU version, you can use the push-pull tool to change the length of the extension that is going up towards the railing. Just save it as a V6 file, and it will drag & drop into a Chief Plan.

[sherpa_jones]

Here is a quick voluted rail made with a continuous molding poline. The volute arcs are a little crude, but you get the idea. All it needs is some refining and newels/balasters.

[Allen Brown]

Hi Rod,

That's not a bad method for quick & easy. WHat you can't get with that method, is the "bulbous" end on the volute, like shown here:

I don't have the connection perfected yet though.

[sherpa_jones]

Hi Rod,

That's not a bad method for quick & easy. WHat you can't get with that method, is the "bulbous" end on the volute, like shown here:

I don't have the connection perfected yet though.

You might get that bulbous end if you created one more arc at the end of the 3d molding poline and wrapped it tight at the inside of the volute.

[Allen Brown]

No matter how tight I make the turn on the end, I keep getting a big curve with it:

[Chad Cardin]

You guys are doing such a great job on this! WOW! I have been wanting better stair tools forever! Just the main parts like the volutes and other molding details make a huge difference in customers reactions to what they are seeing. Most all stairs now have a lot of details like this in the homes, so chief needs to do an overhaul on stair tools!

[sherpa_jones]

No matter how tight I make the turn on the end, I keep getting a big curve with it:

Yeah, I got the same result.

[planman1]

Note to Chief,

How about a manufacturer's catolog of stair parts in place of another catolog of cabinets.

I will add that after looking into the contents of the Crystal Cab. catolog it includes some real usefull moldings, some great cabinst box's,Loads of doors and drawer fronts.

Have a great week,Ken

[Chad Cardin]

I second that Ken!