SCOTIA FOR A DOUBLE CURTAIL STEP - ANY SUGGESTIONS

[Maximus]

I thought I would run this by you to see what suggestions you have for a solution.

I have picked up this job halfway through its completion and consequently inherited the problem of running a scotia to the underside of the overhanging bullnose tread/going on the first two double sided curtail steps of an oak staircase. The first tread has a constantly changing radius where it begins off of the straight and comes around on itself to meet up to the brackets on the string, but it's somewhere around 550mm, the second tread up is much tighter, around 300mm.

The first solution I would have come up with is to steam bend it, but I have no experience of this nor the equipment to do it.

This leaves me short on ideas. Any suggestions anyone...

The best bit is I don't have that long to finish this off, just over a week. I guess that'll teach me to say "yes" and worry about it later #-o

 

[Jacob]

The other bendy way is saw kerfs in the back, but tends to be trial and error.
Machining from the solid wood?

 

[jasonB]

I think I would go from making it up from solid like Jacob suggests, cooper a few bits together and then take a template of the curve, transfer to your glueup and then cut, cleanup and run a moulding.

Jason

 

[Maximus]

Thanks for the quick reply Jacob.

I should have mentioned; we have tried cutting kerfs to the back of the scotia section but unfortunately the profile to it doesn't allow us a very deep kerf cut before we have cut through the face of it, it also began to split on the tighter radius.

The other option of templating it and running it out of wider/thicker stock might be the only other solution, a bit labour intensive but it should yeild a good end result.

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Maximus]

Thanks jasonB.

Looks like its going to be the best way forward.

I'll let you know how I get on.

 

[xy mosian]

I did one some time ago, only one step. I found a carving gouge that was a very close match. Briefly, work the outside of the moulding first, this makes handling easier. Then cut the inside, which does not need finishing, with a jigsaw. The correct blade in a jigsaw can give a suprisingly good finish, especially as it won't be seen. Make sure that any joints are true. The piece I did was supplied in two parts and fixed in position to show as one.

xy

 

[Chrispy]

Just for interest I remember seeing at an exibition a company selling "bendy" wood, this it seems was wood that they steamed and then compressed in its length then let to cool and dry out this they sold. for the user to machine to the size required and even mould etc. then when needed could be bent quite easly by hand to fit. :idea: