How to build stairs in the theater
Sponsored by the Amateur Theater Division
Download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader from adobe.com. The company makes a nice profit by giving it away, because everybody who reads PDF files wants to make PDF files, and to get the file-making software you must pay and pay.
. . . Now that you have Adobe installed, you can open my illustrated guide to building stairs for stage service. The focus is specifically on an amateur theater setting, so the booklet should be useful to carpenters at a range of skill levels working on shoestring budgets.
A brief rundown of the contents: design of stairs; quick and dirty stairs; unit-tread stairs; plywood-stringer stairs; trestle-stringer stairs; lumber-stringer stairs; handrails; escape units; ship's ladders; turning stairways; winding stairways; ramps. Like a well-constructed stair unit, the booklet has parts supporting one another, so I have resisted the urge to break it into pieces; the download is a trifle more than 200 kilobytes.
Other papers in this series:
- How to build a flat
- How to build a platform
- Theater safety bulletin (suitable for posting backstage or in your shop)
Please note: I created this guide as a way of sharing experience. You must not take my statements as an official specification or standard. What I say about strength and safety is based on observations, not on codes, regulations or standards. Designs and construction techniques described here, if suitable for use in theater sets, will not necessarily comply with building codes. If you have not made observations of your own that enable you to evaluate the statements in this guide, you should consult other sources of information before going any further. You will understand that I cannot guarantee your results and that I cannot accept liability for any damage that results from your work, whether you follow my suggestions to the letter or not. Follow the manufacturer's instructions when using any power tool, and observe all safety precautions found in those instructions.
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How to build stairways