Fred. T. Hodgson

PART I STAIR-BUILDING

PART II THE STEEL SQUARE

INDEX

The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.

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STAIR-BUILDING AND THE
STEEL SQUARE

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A MANUAL OF PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION IN THE ART OF
STAIR-BUILDING AND HAND-RAILING, AND THE
MANIFOLD USES OF THE STEEL SQUARE

PART I—STAIR-BUILDING

By FRED T. HODGSON

AUTHOR OF “MODERN CARPENTRY,”
“ARCHITECTURAL DRAWING, SELF-TAUGHT,” ETC.
MEMBER OF ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF ARCHITECTS

AND

MORRIS WILLIAMS

WRITER AND EXPERT ON CARPENTRY AND BUILDING

PART II—THE STEEL SQUARE

By MORRIS WILLIAMS

ILLUSTRATED

CHICAGO
AMERICAN TECHNICAL SOCIETY
1917

COPYRIGHT, 1910, 1916, BY

AMERICAN TECHNICAL SOCIETY

COPYRIGHTED IN GREAT BRITAIN
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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INTRODUCTION

On entering a building, almost the first thing that meets the eye is the staircase and unconsciously it is made to serve as an indicator of the quality of the architecture. If the design is poor or the construction faulty, this flaw immediately gives the visitor a bad impression of the whole building. Furthermore, stair-building is a rather difficult subject and the principles involved are very little understood, which is evidenced by the fact that the layouts as furnished by architects in their plans are often improperly done.

Probably more mistakes occur in connection with the stairway of a building than with any other construction feature. It is with the idea, therefore, of giving a complete though simple presentation of the construction methods as applied to standard design of staircases, that this book has been prepared.

The article discusses straight and winding stairs, stairs with well hole, layouts for curved turns, the proper proportions of rise and width of tread, the design of hand railings and many other problems, the solution of which will be found very useful.

Coupled with this article is a most instructive section on the Steel Square, containing many applications of this useful instrument to roof and other types of construction.

GREYROCKS, ROCKPORT, MASS.
Frank Chouteau Brown, Architect, Boston, Mass.