Building a new house: from foundation to finishing, and all the woodworking

[mreza Salav]

With the entry door installed I got into the next project:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...n-progress-%29

e100.jpg

Railing for the stairs and beyond:

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I'll post more pics soon (hopefully)...

[mreza Salav]

I have finished the glue-up of all the railing pieces. Doing the 16' long ones was a big of a challenge to say the least. Here is how one of them came out:
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To smooth and plane these 3D pieces I am using 3 routers with flush trim bits at different heights:
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I'm also making 4 small wall sections at the ends of the runs to veneer. here is one of them being made and veneered on from both sides (I have the photo from one side only):

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I have also made this jig to shape the profiles. It grabs the piece between two high tension springs (that can be adjusted with a knob) and the router bit bearing. It works extremely well!

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[mreza Salav]

The rest of the photo of the veneering:

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And here is how one of the long pieces ready for shaping (after smoothing):

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Here is the shaping in action on one of the long sections. I use 3 different size bearings and do the cut in 3 passes:

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[mreza Salav]

This is the cross section of one of the 2D pieces:

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And here I'm using the 2nd bit for the profile (top round over with the crown). Again I'm doing it in multiple passes:

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I have to make the shoes and then drill the spindle holes and start putting things together...

[Bruce Page]

Mreza, where did you learn all this? What is your day job?

You do amazing work!

[mreza Salav]

Thanks Bruce. I haven't had a teacher other than the Internet and forums like this. Most of these things I'm doing are my first times but I plan ahead a lot (lots of thinking and reading) to make sure I know what I'm about to dive into.
As for my day job, I'm a university teacher/researcher (AKA professor).

[James Zhu]

Thanks Bruce. I haven't had a teacher other than the Internet and forums like this. Most of these things I'm doing are my first times but I plan ahead a lot (lots of thinking and reading) to make sure I know what I'm about to dive into.
As for my day job, I'm a university teacher/researcher (AKA professor).

WOW, the result is simply amazing for the first time for such challenging task! University professors are smart, but lots of them lack hands on skill, but you are certainly exceptional. I have no doubt you are qualified master woodworking teacher.

[James Zhu]

Well we have 3+1 car garage. I have added a wall between the 2-bay and the rest. The two bay will be the garage (for cars) and the other section which is the single (wide) bay plus an extra space at the back will be for the shop. The following shows the measurements and rough placement of machines. Not big enough but I think will be good.

Attachment 296023

If I had a workshop like this, I would keep the sawstop and add a sliding table saw (Felder or MiniMax), and use a Felder Dust Collector (RL125 or RL60).

[Scott Stafford]

Keep up all the positive writing!

We started a new home last year and I'm now hoping it doesn't kill me before it's finished. Just entered year two and hope to be moved in Summer 2016.

Keep the updates coming!

Scott in Montana

[mreza Salav]

Keep it up Scott. I had a serious accident back in May. Among all the things I have done in the house the simplest one caused it. While walking on a 2' high deck fell down with face on a deck joist and lost two teeth (plus a fractured jaw). It could have been a lot worse but I was lucky (or so the Dr's in ER told me).
It has taken us a lot longer than I hoped for (just entered year two last month) but I hope we enjoy the end result.

[Jim Becker]

Really outstanding, Mreza!

[Scott Stafford]

Noted!

Never let my guard down.

Scott in Montana

[mreza Salav]

still busy with the railing but it is coming to an end soon (or so I hope).
Here are some photos which should be self explanatory. All that is left is:

- install spindles on the main floor to second floor stairs,
- put some trims around the stairs and make panel looking trims on the outside of the stringers
- remove all the railings and sand everything,
- Stain them partially (particularly the shoes and the bottom of the railings as it is easier to do it without the spindles)
and then put them back and lacquer.

I have not put the knuckles on the spindles yet.
Cutting the strange miter/bevel angles at the end of the long 3D railing and adding small parts to the end to join them to the posts was challenging to do solo on a miter saw (I tried a manual miter saw box and it was disappointing). I don't want to admit how many times I cut those angles (little by little, try and error) and went up and down the stairs with that long rail to see how it fits.
You can see in the photos I made two temporary holders/stands from 2x4 on the middle of the stairs to hold the railing while I was measuring the angles at the top and bottom against the posts. Let's just say that it took me a good portion of a day just to cut that long railing and add a piece at the end to joint the post at the top. The one from main floor to the basement was even worse (a 14' long piece that is no made up of joining 5 pieces).

Having said that drilling the holes at the bottom of the 3D rail and mortising it has probably been one of the most difficults part of this project.

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Drilling the spindle holes on the stairs at the basement (BTW that's one part that I made a wall and veneered myself):

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Sharp eyes might notice that the posts at the bottom of the stairs are different from what I initially had made. I changed the 2-level skirt on them to one long one. Then they are cut to the shape of the first step as it sits partially on that.
I also made two smaller posts for the basement landing as the big ones I had made were too massive for that area.
I will post the finial photos of everything when stained.

[mreza Salav]

I had not noticed my thread had moved from the main woodworking forum to here. It is mostly about all the woodworking I'm doing in the new house
(from doors, to trim work, railing, next cabinets, etc). As it is ongoing woodworking I felt posting it in the main woodworking forum was right, and then perhaps posting the final result here
but I guess not.

[Jim Becker]

mreza, I moved it here awhile ago where we feature both finished projects and WIP threads. It will also be more visible here as it doesn't "move" as fast as GW&PT does on a daily basis. And for this work of art, keeping it all together is a beautiful thing!

Jim
SMC Moderator