Staircase Spindles setting out question?

[Phil Pascoe]

Space between spindles must not exceed 100mm, this is to stop little kiddiwinks getting their heads through and strangling themselves.

Perhaps this is why the spacers supplied by Richard Burbidge keep the spindles 100mm apart. then cut and fiddle the last one in at the top of the flight. Simples!
Rodders

A 100mm ball must not pass between them - with some turned spindles they would have to be closer spaced than 100mm at the top and bottom.

 

[Jacob]

Jacob - Thanks for explaining the whole divider thing as up until now I have only used them for scribing.

I set out 2 handrails today that had no groove so therefore had to be mortised out to accept the spindles - what a doddle, as you said quick and accurate.

My ancient old Peugeot dividers have now been moved up to being part of my "glovebox tool set" - quite an honour !

Cheers, Merlin

Glad it worked for you!
I would never have set about finding out if I hadn't asked myself why are they called "dividers".
I think they must have been used a lot in engineering and other areas involving scale divisions.
e.g how would you get an accurate measurement of 1/4" from a yardstick?
Easy peasy -
1 divide it into 3 feet,
2 divide that into 12" (perhaps in steps of 4 x 3" and then divided by 3)
3 divide an inch into halves, quarters etc
all with dividers (big ones and little ones)

Or how to divide by a large prime number? Add divisions to make it a rounded multi-factored number and divide as per yard stick example above, such that the divisions (after several adjustments) fall on the mark for the prime.

 

[blackrodd]

Space between spindles must not exceed 100mm, this is to stop little kiddiwinks getting their heads through and strangling themselves.

Perhaps this is why the spacers supplied by Richard Burbidge keep the spindles 100mm apart. then cut and fiddle the last one in at the top of the flight. Simples!
Rodders

A 100mm ball must not pass between them - with some turned spindles they would have to be closer spaced than 100mm at the top and bottom.

I've just checked my previous posts, I didn't say top and bottom spacing at 100mm apart. In which case you would be correct.
What i did say was the richard Burbidge supplied spacers keep the spindles 100mm apart, as necessary.
Regards Rodders

 

[bugbear]

I would never have set about finding out if I hadn't asked myself why are they called "dividers".

I though you learnt it when people told you about the Joyce/Alan Peters method for setting out dovetails, on this very forum, as recently as 2012.

“there are none so righteous as the recently converted"

BugBear

 

[Jacob]

I would never have set about finding out if I hadn't asked myself why are they called "dividers".

I though you learnt it when people told you about the Joyce/Alan Peters method for setting out dovetails, on this very forum, as recently as 2012.

“there are none so righteous as the recently converted"

BugBear

Yes it was quite recent. Do you have a link to that thread? - I know you follow my every move!
What has righteousness got to do with it?

PS found it post669427.html?hilit=dividers#p669427
An interesting thread I thought.
I don't see any reason for your slightly snide comments BB, but that's very often all we get to expect from you, unfortunately.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Perhaps this is why the spacers supplied by Richard Burbidge keep the spindles 100mm apart. then cut and fiddle the last one in at the top of the flight. Simples!
Rodders[/quote]
A 100mm ball must not pass between them - with some turned spindles they would have to be closer spaced than 100mm at the top and bottom.[/quote]

I've just checked my previous posts, I didn't say top and bottom spacing at 100mm apart. In which case you would be correct.
What i did say was the richard Burbidge supplied spacers keep the spindles 100mm apart, as necessary.
Regards Rodders[/quote]
Sorry, I wasn't picking holes in your post, just pointing out that spacing the top and bottom 99mm doesn't mean you haven't a 101mm or more gap.

 

[blackrodd]

Perhaps this is why the spacers supplied by Richard Burbidge keep the spindles 100mm apart. then cut and fiddle the last one in at the top of the flight. Simples!
Rodders

A 100mm ball must not pass between them - with some turned spindles they would have to be closer spaced than 100mm at the top and bottom.[/quote]

I've just checked my previous posts, I didn't say top and bottom spacing at 100mm apart. In which case you would be correct.
What i did say was the richard Burbidge supplied spacers keep the spindles 100mm apart, as necessary.
Regards Rodders[/quote]
Sorry, I wasn't picking holes in your post, just pointing out that spacing the top and bottom 99mm doesn't mean you haven't a 101mm or more gap.[/quote]

Please accept my apologies,
As this was you're second post regarding the 100mm ball not passing through I felt it (above) was aimed at me,
personally.
Well, I would think that the ready cut spacers were less than 100mm long as you point out.
But taking into consideration, they are fixed at the stair and handrail angle, about 40 degrees, in relation to the spindles at 90 degrees, I'm not clever enough to work out what this length is likely to be!
Any way this is the acceptable to our local Authority as I have done a few, and several lately and all passed.
So the widest gap on the turnings must be 100mm .
On Monday I'm going to measure a Richard Burbidge spacer set, 'cos its got me wondering now!
Thanks and regards Rodders