Drawing staircase and handrail components.

A handrailer’s technical guides on how to draw and set out staircases and handrails, how to turn your design into working drawings.

Including various downloads, including 2d outlines and 3d models of spindles etc. To drop straight into your drawings.

The drawings are created in Rhinocad but the technical side of how the staircase works, e.g. The construction of the component parts will be drawn as if making the parts in the workshop, this will help those that are not involved in the manufacture of stairs to get a better understanding of how the staircase is made and assembled, this will not change whichever software you use to draw the parts.

There are quick tips in different sections, these are helpful guides on how to improve the staircase design, these guides are easy to use and remember.

Designing a great staircase is very rewarding, Having the staircase manufactured and installed is even more so, staircases are often the main focus as you enter a property, even more so when an entrance hall is used and the staircase is set within the entrance hall.

Before you start.

Are you new to drawing stairs?

We have a menu heading “Basics.” in this stage, we have added the fundamentals of understanding and drawing stairs. This is the best place to get to know the basic principles of how all the individual components work together and have an impact on each other.

Already started.

Do you want to improve how you set out stairs ?

We have “a technical guide to drawing stairs” course for architects, designers, joiners or anyone wishing to improve their knowledge on setting out staircases, this will guide you through some of the more advanced side of how a staircase works, both for geometric and neweled flights.

The course explains why the landings and the underside of the staircase are just as important as the treads, how the soffit meets ceilings, how to design the staircase to take a lovely flowing geometric handrail etc.


Drawing stairs – content.

Draw introduction.

An introduction to this section.

Find out a bit about what we have in this section and how to use it.

Monkey's tail Outline.
Drawing a Monkey’s tail.

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Starting plan.

Drawing stairs.

A handrailer’s guide.

A quick guide to the fundamental technical principles of setting out stairs.


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Monkey's tail Geometry

Component geometry.

Drawing the curtail tread, monkey’s tail and tangent handrail geometry.

centre line stringer offset dia 1

Centre line is King.

How the handrail layout dictates the stringer and riser positions.

The mitre coming form the flat 180º is good the mitreas at the bottom corner are to close.

Core rail transitions.

A look at how the core rail is set for mitred handrail.


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D

Stair drawing check list

Drawing check list.

The information required and the order for drawing the stairs.

Diminishing flier tread.

What is it? How does it work?

Why use it?


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H

Handrail Profile plate 1 H1 - H4

Handrail profiles.

Black and white plate style or coloured image pdf’s.

Handrail with natural lift across landing.

Handrail natural height at landings.

How the handrail height would naturally flow across landings.


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Imperial timber sizes

Imperial timber sizes.

Reference sheet of PAR timber sizes.


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Monkey's tail with Ram's horn set behind

Modelling stairs in Rhinocad.

I show how I model the staircase.


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Newel centre line.

Newel, Cut string alignment.

How to determine the cut string position on the newel.


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The stages of cutting an opening cap.

Opening cap, joint angle.

How to calculate the cut angles.


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Monkey's Tail over 44mm spindles tread divided by 8.

Quick on the draw – .

Pre drawn parts to drop into your drawings.

Handrail-Profile-cad

Quick on the draw – Handrail profiles.

Cad outlines of different profiles.


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Spindle outlines 1

Spindle outlines.

Pre drawn spindle outlines, drop these into your cad package.

Full flight stretch out exposed.

Stretch outs.

How the stretch out is done for different stair plans.


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T

Tangent handrail in CAD

A look at the tangent handrail system in CAD

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