Modern Practical Stairbuilding and Handrailing

By George Ellis

Book Overview

George Ellis was one of the premier English writers on carpentry and joinery. This, the author's last book, was originally issued in two volumes; the present edition is a reprint of the 1932 one-volume edition.
The trade of wooden stairbuilding has enjoyed a rebirth during the last ten years. Unfortunately, most trade schools do not teach this complex craft, and there has been little published in the field for many years. This leaves the craftsman at a loss, both for available information and training.
George Ellis has written a very lucid book on the subject. He covers much the same ground as Alexander Mowat in A Treatise on Stairbuilding and Handrailing (page 92), but Ellis is much less technical and more shop oriented. He includes detailed information on taking dimensions and setting out stairs (geometric, spiral, and elliptical), newels, balusters, brackets; constructing soffit linings, single and geometric handrailings, and wreathed handrail to spiral stairs; and he explains the cylinder method of making wreaths.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0941936155
• ISBN13: 9780941936156
• Release Date: April 1999
• Publisher: Linden Publishing
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.2" x 9.9"

Customer Reviews

No Kidding

Of course "Modern is only relative", and I don't know what else anyone should expect from a circa 1932 reprinted book. As if that shouldn't be enough, the editors include a new warning about safety and code compliance. If you want to build modern, I suppose you could buy one of those 'do it yourself' sunset books at the checkstand at home depot. If you would like to see how things were done in the days when cheap, shoddy and uninspired WASN'T the order of the day, this (for stairs anyway) may be your book.