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Building a Custom Modular Staircase

Bob meets with Thomas �Doc� Dougherty, the stair builder at Simplex Industries, to discuss the progress of the staircase in the modular home project. The staircase is located in the center section of the home on the first floor. The staircases are all built at the Simplex plant specifically for each home. The stringers are routed out with a seven degree dove tail router bit and wedges are installed with the risers and treads to insure an extremely tight fit and prevent future squeaking.
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Building a Custom Modular Staircase

  computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" So did this is our front hall in this box desperado I think here and show you the stair that our -- and -- doctors working -- I got Gloria. So you -- the staircase specialist yes -- and tell us about what your building -- actually this is a although it's -- with won't try to find. Risers pine stringers there evidently they're going to be painting all that and staining the treads and staining the treads concerned I'm not. We're doing -- little glitch on the bottom word we're converting well Victoria to the bottom what happens at the top I mean this is one mod you'll and there'll be another. Box or module attached to the top of it right. Write about what happens in modular stair systems generally on a two story. Because the ceiling is separate from the floor -- yeah when the second floor box goes into place that's there that would just be lifted up to meet me. Floor cannot -- installed in the field yes that's on the ship for shipping -- ship just like that do most modular companies build their own staircases. No actually Bob probably most companies don't build their stairs they either have them made. I stair company or were they just let the builder make them job site KS what separates us a little bit from our competitors and even stick builders were building a stair system here that. Really isn't your typical average. Average stair by any means all right so doctor that you have your own dedicated staircase shop here assignment decided what sort of things do you do there."

" Well I get all my friends from radio traffic and they tell me to. Make the stair whether -- be pine -- pine stair oak treads all oak stair. All a lot of times they have it was beyond the blue on the bottom the with the curly cues that on the bottom right and we also do. And if if a stair calls were railing that's say like a cape design we also for the railing on the stairs -- they install them and yes but the fact of the plant. -- the railing is on our -- What we're doing with this particular on my bottom two treads and risers and we're we're shooting this back and I'm gonna dead end my. My stair approximately a foot and a half beyond so that's what this little stringer is yes sir. -- So this is gonna go here actually that's gonna go like this -- Like that I'm gonna dead end my two risers and my bottom tread. And then what we're gonna do is cantilever my my second tread to attach into this one here and change it into a window -- So this is gonna receive like a bench yes. Pretty complicated. So all of this is that a continuation of my second tread from the bottom. Coming over. I'm just trying to see how my joints look. Looks pretty good with the wall and the second track and then I was gonna. Just give a look see for my stringers you know that was just a bit underneath and what -- Still that's going to be so everything's gonna dead end from this particular stair coming over here just eying that up. Looks like and have a my setup here. So -- in order to make sure these don't squeak. You've got a nice little box she wedges and things there right yes that's that's what we do up all we we -- our stairs to accept the L wedges so we -- So we've away -- what you said through don't squeak and which makes her realize there. So there's little glue used. And then some grabs. We'll be shot in just like these."

" And that is the purpose of the wedge. -- We're you know bits that hold on the place. Dovetail are -- bits yeah. Actually it's a dovetail with a seven degree angle on -- So when the wedge is working. Pushing against that angle from nothing should ever."

" They gonna miter cuts inside that job done right this site."

" White miter cuts on my stringers my."

" Basically my stringers are. Or cut with a power --"

" All right. I'm acting as a human clamp here but. -- and allowed to do is dry fit my tread here. Nothing's gonna be. Driven home until -- See all of our parts put together first. For the life is -- that looks pretty good yeah. And next we're gonna try our bottom riser. And Dave's got it over here -- had to cut this side. At bottom right. Okay that's the last riser. And now we start to see the geometry. Final oak tread will come around and turn around just like this one. And it's gonna be a work of art. Thanks -- thank you."

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