Staircase (Phase One)

The design of the staircase is coming along nicely.  It’s important to get this one right because it is a focal point when you first walk into the loft.  For a number of reasons (extensive indoor welding being one of them), I have decided to fabricate the piece in three distinct phases.  This first phase will be the design, fabrication, and installation of the supports for each stair.  Each tread will be a reclaimed 5” x 12” beam protruding from the wall supported by a steel upright welded to the beam already in place.

Initial sketches of the staircase design.

My initial prototype for the upright.

Straying from the original sketch, I decided to build a more elaborate prototype for the support using MDF and placed it on the beam to ensure I got the angle correct.  Once this detail was hammered out, I then started to fabricate 17 of these out of ½” steel.

The 1/2" steel version beside my final prototype.

Once complete, I then welded each of the uprights to the beam.  This will be as far as I go this round.  Most of the messy stuff is done and I feel comfortable laying down the floor.

Final fitting before I fabricate the remaining 16 supports.

Lot's of welding...

View from the side.

Once the floor is down, I will work on an architectural to go underneath the stairs to give it more depth (phase 2), and then there is the task of creating and installing the steps themselves (phase 3).  Stay tuned...