Stair Tread Jig

[DIYer]

As I’ve stated in other posts, I have limited tools. Because of this I have had to come up with some creative ways of getting the job done.

The Job: I installed my own hardwood flooring when we remodeled our house. I used rosewood from Thailand I believe. Anyway, the stair treads are also solid rosewood and I needed to cut them to fit between the stair stringers. The problem is, my house was not built too well and the walls on both sides of the stairs are not square in any direction. How does one make the treads fit nice and tight?

The Solution: I built an adjustable template jig. It is just made from scraps I had on hand. There is a center board that has a fence bolted to it (peg board with white oak strip). There are two side boards that have a piece of maple screwed to the bottom. These maple strips act as guides for the jig to consistently position itself relative to the saw. You lay the three boards on the sub-tread and bank them against the riser. You slide the two side boards out against the stringers and clamp all three together. You have now captured the exact shape of the final tread.

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/hddummy/Stair%20Tread%20Jig/Jig.jpg

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/hddummy/Stair%20Tread%20Jig/JigGaugingShape.jpg

I then built my own radial arm saw….so to speak. It is just my circular saw on a carriage. The whole thing runs in some guide tracks I nailed down to my workbench. On the business side of that, there are two strips of maple nailed down to the bench that mate with the strip on the side boards of the jig. The precisely position the jig relative to the saw for every cut. Clamp the tread to the fence board on the center part of the jig and you are ready to cut both sides.

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/hddummy/Stair%20Tread%20Jig/SlidingSaw.jpg

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/hddummy/Stair%20Tread%20Jig/JigGuide.jpg

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/hddummy/Stair%20Tread%20Jig/JiginGuide.jpg

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/hddummy/Stair%20Tread%20Jig/EntireRig.jpg

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/hddummy/Stair%20Tread%20Jig/EntireRig2.jpg


The Result: Looks good to me!!!!

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/hddummy/Stair%20Tread%20Jig/LeftFit.jpg

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/hddummy/Stair%20Tread%20Jig/RightFit.jpg

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/hddummy/Stair%20Tread%20Jig/FinishedProduct.jpg

[Dagster]

Sweet! Always more than one way to skin a cat!

[Don]

Hey, DIYer. Very creative way to make a template and have it automatically work for you to boot. I think most of us started with a lot of brain power and few tools, you had to figure out how to make what you have work. I think that's where the satisfaction of the work can be the sweetest, not only do you end up with a great job, you, or a few, know what it took to get there.

Thanks for posting that method.

dawjr

[Terry Mac]

Rock on! Nice job, those stairs turned out great! Creative jig idea D.

[thekl0wn]

That, my friend, is a very nice solution! :D

Those stairs look great!