[LearningTrades]

As you know, my mornings are not always early and I will be away in the after noon tomorrow .

Appreciate everything and the heads up I will be hammering away at things all day Ill post updates as I complete steps.. Hope you have a good night/day

 

[Nealtw]

Appreciate everything and the heads up I will be hammering away at things all day Ill post updates as I complete steps.. Hope you have a good night/day

Just use a 2x4 as a spacer between the pickets
Just use the space jig and put one screw at the top do them all across the top and then use the level to plumb then down and add screws at the bottom and then add another screw at the top.

We always start from the middle.
We want to ends with a space on both sides that are equal and are less than 3 3/4" and we don't want to rip a picket to fill a space.
We have a choice of putting the picket in the center or putting the 2x4 spacer in the center.
Which ever allows that equal spacing on both sides.

 

[LearningTrades]

Just use a 2x4 as a spacer between the pickets
Just use the space jig and put one screw at the top do them all across the top and then use the level to plumb then down and add screws at the bottom and then add another screw at the top.
View attachment 695865

We always start from the middle.
We want to ends with a space on both sides that are equal and are less than 3 3/4" and we don't want to rip a picket to fill a space.
We have a choice of putting the picket in the center or putting the 2x4 spacer in the center.
Which ever allows that equal spacing on both sides.

View attachment 695867

Ive been trying all morning to get these measurements to match up i cant get it. Starting to drive me crazy. Its all fairly close but I mean its off enough all of my wood is warping including the 2x4 I am laying the rail pieces flat on. Im pushing and trying to line things up but its not working I ended up taking the 8th tread post of because it was slightly off level and not plumb with the stringer face only plumb one way. getting it back on now but these measurements really are driving me crazy and more darn rain today.

 

[LearningTrades]

Just use a 2x4 as a spacer between the pickets
Just use the space jig and put one screw at the top do them all across the top and then use the level to plumb then down and add screws at the bottom and then add another screw at the top.
View attachment 695865

We always start from the middle.
We want to ends with a space on both sides that are equal and are less than 3 3/4" and we don't want to rip a picket to fill a space.
We have a choice of putting the picket in the center or putting the 2x4 spacer in the center.
Which ever allows that equal spacing on both sides.

View attachment 695867

managed to fxi my problem i think ill see fter this edit: Never mind maybe i just made a bad cut idk.

 

[Nealtw]

managed to fxi my problem i think ill see fter this edit: Never mind maybe i just made a bad cut idk.

You are going to add pickets flush with the the out side of the post and you can screw the 2x4 to those.
So you might get away with a little less than perfect.

 

[LearningTrades]

You are going to add pickets flush with the the out side of the post and you can screw the 2x4 to those.
So you might get away with a little less than perfect.
View attachment 695912

Im going to measure up a new one tomorrow and see if the cut was bad. I messed around with it for hours trying to figure it out lol. I feel like its a bad cut just off enough to sit funny. One side is high the top part of the bottom rail on the 8th tread post and where it meets the bottom post its slightly low they want to meet at 26" in the middle one is 26 1/4" one is 25 3/4". also having some trouble getting the post 100% level on the face that meets the stringer the post doesnt look 100% straight though and i know the stringers had some warping also.

 

[Nealtw]

Im going to measure up a new one tomorrow and see if the cut was bad. I messed around with it for hours trying to figure it out lol. I feel like its a bad cut just off enough to sit funny. One side is high the top part of the bottom rail on the 8th tread post and where it meets the bottom post its slightly low they want to meet at 26" in the middle one is 26 1/4" one is 25 3/4". also having some trouble getting the post 100% level on the face that meets the stringer the post doesnt look 100% straight though and i know the stringers had some warping also.

If we didn't get the post in the right place that would effect the eight of the posts
If a post is closer to the nose the post would be to high.
to far away it would be short.

 

[Nealtw]

Im going to measure up a new one tomorrow and see if the cut was bad. I messed around with it for hours trying to figure it out lol. I feel like its a bad cut just off enough to sit funny. One side is high the top part of the bottom rail on the 8th tread post and where it meets the bottom post its slightly low they want to meet at 26" in the middle one is 26 1/4" one is 25 3/4". also having some trouble getting the post 100% level on the face that meets the stringer the post doesnt look 100% straight though and i know the stringers had some warping also.

For the post placement I should have had you measure from the riser cut on the stringer instead of the nose, maybe.

 

[LearningTrades]

If we didn't get the post in the right place that would effect the eight of the posts
If a post is closer to the nose the post would be to high.
to far away it would be short.

So my measurement on the post could be off some? I think the measurement for the 8th tread was the 25 3/4 measurement. I think I am having multiple smaller things combining together. First my bottom post was shifting. When its in the right spot my middle post reads 25 3/4 and the bottom post reads 26 1/4. As far as plumb flush with the stringer. I think the crown/warp and the slight warp in the new post are creating an environment that is not fully level.

 

[LearningTrades]

For the post placement I should have had you measure from the riser cut on the stringer instead of the nose, maybe.

I dont think that its as off as the nose though. Maybe though. Let me check.. My noses are slightly less then 1 1/4" Its not taking that much to get things to sit right together. I also think the 2x4 I was using to place the rail on while I measured had a pretty good warp to it. Im going to pick up a really straight un treated piece that might not bend so much. Last and Im not sure if least My actual 2x4 I have for the rail has a decent warp in it. I am going to list out everything together.

 

[LearningTrades]

For the post placement I should have had you measure from the riser cut on the stringer instead of the nose, maybe.

1. Post not plumb with stringer. Warping in both post and stringer?
2. Bottom post shifting affecting measurements. Adding more screws.
3. possibly an imperfect cut on the rail angles.
4. post not in the right spot? nose = just under 1 1/4" current difference is 25 3/4" on the 8th tread and 26 1/4" on the lower. Not taking into account the top rail yet.
5. 2x4 used to lay rail 2x4 on to measure was warped and the rail itself also is warped.

 

[Nealtw]

So my measurement on the post could be off some? I think the measurement for the 8th tread was the 25 3/4 measurement. I think I am having multiple smaller things combining together. First my bottom post was shifting. When its in the right spot my middle post reads 25 3/4 and the bottom post reads 26 1/4. As far as plumb flush with the stringer. I think the crown/warp and the slight warp in the new post are creating an environment that is not fully level.

At some point Pick an average number and cut the pickets and just go with it.
If it is just one problem you can find and fix, great but if you start chasing 3 or 4 things you can go nuts doing this stuff.

 

[LearningTrades]

At some point Pick an average number and cut the pickets and just go with it.
If it is just one problem you can find and fix, great but if you start chasing 3 or 4 things you can go nuts doing this stuff.

Explains why I was going nuts yesterday haha. I know it will look nice in the end even with some mistakes and I can be proud of the work I did. Every time I walk up and down I feel good lol. None of these things are off very much. Just tiny little things that are adding into slightly larger but still tiny discrepancies. I can make minor adjustments and or recut/measure just to be sure. The warp in the actual rail is pretty substantial actually i think that might be part of it. I need to grab the pickets today anyway so ill grab that extra 2x4 while I am doing that.

 

[Nealtw]

Explains why I was going nuts yesterday haha. I know it will look nice in the end even with some mistakes and I can be proud of the work I did. Every time I walk up and down I feel good lol. None of these things are off very much. Just tiny little things that are adding into slightly larger but still tiny discrepancies. I can make minor adjustments and or recut/measure just to be sure. The warp in the actual rail is pretty substantial actually i think that might be part of it. I need to grab the pickets today anyway so ill grab that extra 2x4 while I am doing that.

Do you have an F clamp like this?

So you can have a jig for cutting pickets.

 

[LearningTrades]

Do you have an F clamp like this?
View attachment 695945
So you can have a jig for cutting pickets.

I think I can grab one from tractor supply

 

[LearningTrades]

I think we will need about 48 pickets total
26" or what ever you settle one will be the long to short of all the picket for the stairs and we will need 26 of them
cut on the long to short with the 7" jig.
You can set up a jig so you can cut a few at a time.
View attachment 695821

I have this calculated out at 104 feet does that sound right haha. Im not sure what lengths the 2x2 comes in at this place.

 

[Nealtw]

I have this calculated out at 104 feet does that sound right haha. Im not sure what lengths the 2x2 comes in at this place.

Usually they have 2x2 pickets around 40 inches and are better quality than buying lengths.
Account for waste. Only get three from 8 ft or 4 from 10 ft.

 

[LearningTrades]

Usually they have 2x2 pickets around 40 inches and are better quality than buying lengths.
Account for waste. Only get three from 8 ft or 4 from 10 ft.

Id prefer the quality to be honest and probably easier to work with. I Will ask what they have. Do you think the shorter length will be better?

 

[Nealtw]

Id prefer the quality to be honest and probably easier to work with. I Will ask what they have. Do you think the shorter length will be better?

Yes, the mills do that. they cut up the worst junk and get the best pieces out of it.
When you buy length you will have lots of waste but you can also adjust and cut out junk but it just more of a pain to deal with.
For your replacement 2x4, if the posts and angles are a bit off.
Install the good one first, wiggle the posts a little to get good fits, then just hole the 2x4 up the last one and draw the lines. at what ever angle it is.

 

[LearningTrades]

Yes, the mills do that. they cut up the worst junk and get the best pieces out of it.
When you buy length you will have lots of waste but you can also adjust and cut out junk but it just more of a pain to deal with.
For your replacement 2x4, if the posts and angles are a bit off.
Install the good one first, wiggle the posts a little to get good fits, then just hole the 2x4 up the last one and draw the lines. at what ever angle it is.
View attachment 695949

The fits are pretty good just off within that half 8th the fit is good at level though. Thank you going to grab everything now.