Winter Challenge 2024 - Flat Iron Corner Building - Tom Langford.

[nycjeff]

Hello Tom, great job on the stairway stringers. I can't believe that you cut them yourself. I wouldn't have the patience. Exposed stairways add so much to a structure. Can't wait to see the finished product.

[EricQuebec]

Nice job as usual.
Personally, I used always X-Acto N17 blade for this job. It work well and broke less stringer than N11 blade (in my opinion).
The second way to avoid any brokage, is to glue (with scholar stick glue) a template on the wood, and once all the stringer cut off, remove the template with a little bit of water (tested nd approved by myself  )

Eric

[ACL1504]

Tom,
You are absolutely a determined individual to possess dexterity in the cutting of your stringers.
I too, have cut my own and patience is required. I hate it when I get hasty and slice a piece off where it shouldn't be.
Great modeling and an excellent How-to. Thanks for sharing your skills.

Rich

Rich,

Thanks for the comment and for stopping by. This is the last scratch build on the stringers for me. As I mentioned, I've done it several times but will use commercial stringers in the future to save me time.

Tom 

[ACL1504]

Hi Tom.

Maybe check out here

https://www.builders-in-scale.com/bis/parts-laserwood.html

for your next order.  They do stringers at several different gradients along with treads (and in several different scales).

I, too, have done my own stringers in a pinch, but did not enjoy it or find it very good value for money.  I found it hard to get things accurate enough to meet my quality control and found I had to be very selective with choosing my 2x12's with very straight grain, to avoid too many breakages.  The different gradients is also a welcome addition, as 45 degrees is rather steep for most stairs.  Another option (if persisting on making your own) is to make the stringers from plastic and paint them to match your stained timber.  I've had good results doing this with a grey primer followed up with adding soft pastel chalks mixed into a slurry with isopropyl alcohol using elephant, cool grey and (storm?) blue.  These are fixed with a pastel/ pencil fixative - not dullcote - which dissolves most of the chalk.  I do the same sometimes on timber, but apply with a fibre glass pencil.

Cheers, Mark.

Mark, Cheers,

I agree, they are difficult to get/make so they look accurate.  I did consider using styrene for stringers, but went with the wood for nothing else than better weathering.

I've ordered some NESL stringers for future builds.

Tom

[ACL1504]

Hello Tom, great job on the stairway stringers. I can't believe that you cut them yourself. I wouldn't have the patience. Exposed stairways add so much to a structure. Can't wait to see the finished product.

Jeff,

Thanks for the compliment. I've done so many it isn't a big deal for me anymore. I will use "store bought" ones in the future. 

I think these will look really good on the back of the building.

Tom

[ACL1504]

Nice job as usual.
Personally, I used always X-Acto N17 blade for this job. It work well and broke less stringer than N11 blade (in my opinion).
The second way to avoid any brokage, is to glue (with scholar stick glue) a template on the wood, and once all the stringer cut off, remove the template with a little bit of water (tested nd approved by myself )

Eric

Eric,

I've also used the #17 blade but prefer to use the #11, personal preference I guess.

I've never thought of the paper template on the wood using the glue stick. I think it would work very well.

Tom