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Spiral staircase

DavidR8

DavidR8

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Hey folks, I have an itch to build a spiral staircase to the roof of my garage.
I can see how to build the stair steps but I’m flummoxed by how to bend the handrail as it’s a compound bend.
Wonder if anyone has a brilliant idea on how this might be done.
 
Not sure really metal is appealing because of the durability.
 
David_R8 said:
Not sure really metal is appealing because of the durability.
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The reason I ask is because if it is light enough I believe you could do it with no special equipment. My brother inlaw made a spiral staircase many years ago with very limited equipment. I think the handrail is only 1/2" rod. It functions more as a guard than a "hand" rail because it's small diameter. The picture isn't great but you might be able to see what I mean. IMG_20150907_110313.jpgIMG_20151129_094956.jpgIMG_20151129_100200.jpg
 
That’s pretty much exactly what I want to build!
Did he use a roller to bend the 1/2” rod?
 
David_R8 said:
That’s pretty much exactly what I want to build!
Did he use a roller to bend the 1/2” rod?
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I'm sure he did not have roller. He would have had a welder, a hammer and anvil and maybe a torch.
It's in my mother-in-law house 500 miles away and I've been meaning to modify it for years. It is in serious need of more uprights to fill in the gaps. My mother in law is 89 years old and goes up the stairs mostly like a mountain goat but I fear a slip one day and they would be terrible stairs to fall on.
 
DPittman said:
I'm sure he did not have roller. He would have had a welder, a hammer and anvil and maybe a torch.
It's in my mother-in-law house 500 miles away and I've been meaning to modify it for years. It is in serious need of more uprights to fill in the gaps. My mother in law is 89 years old and goes up the stairs mostly like a mountain goat but I fear a slip one day and they would be terrible stairs to fall on.
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Seems like a good idea. Would be a simple, though tedious job to add more uprights with the railing already in place. Just a matter of cutting a bunch of rod.
 
David_R8 said:
Seems like a good idea. Would be a simple, though tedious job to add more uprights with the railing already in place. Just a matter of cutting a bunch of rod.
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Yes the biggest hindrance is that it is 500 miles away from my welder and shop. It needs uprights in railing and the gaps underneath the threads closed up. I could hall the thing out and work on it then but I'm afraid of welding on so much iron that I'd need a crane to move it back it!
 
Hey @David_R8 - once you get the stair treads in place you can use them to bend the rod around just like building a curved staircase out of wood. Essentially your rod will follow the staircase treads. You should be able to secure the end of the rod and then have clamps or tabs on the treads to fashion the rod around.
Once bent you can weld on your spindles and attach the rod to the top of the spindles. I did this at my house for our railings. Was a PITA by myself but it turned out ok. Here is a group doing it out of wood but same idea

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Thanks @Brent H, great minds think alike! I was just thinking about something pretty similar.
Little bit of oxy-fuel motivation probably wouldn't hurt either.
 
To do it all in one spiral piece of metal would take some doing I think but a segmented rail either metal or wood should be easily done...metal= torch and a fireproof platform to drill holding-form-pin holes into. the pins at regular intervals to prevent "spring back until it cools. Wood= a tank for hot water big enough to soak the wood segments in one at a time and a platform to form-bend segments when they are hot. Forming platform needs pins same a s metal but doesn't have to be fireproof.
Wagon wheel fellows were made in this way and they are a lot tighter bend than you will want.
 
David

Check on the BC building code about tight spiral staircases. There has to be normal stairs as a primary exit.

As a Paramedic, I can say I've never seen a good situation arise from an accident involving a tight spiral staircase in my years.

Cheers,

Wayne
 
Crankit said:
David

Check on the BC building code about tight spiral staircases. There has to be normal stairs as a primary exit.

As a Paramedic, I can say I've never seen a good situation arise from an accident involving a tight spiral staircase in my years.

Cheers,

Wayne
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I can only imagine carrying someone down (or up) a spiral stair case would be nearly impossible.
 
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