This custom staircase and handrail are made from Hickory, and a custom-matched stain to go with the wood flooring that was installed at the top of the stairs. The Craftsman style design was derived from some of the architecture in the house.
Here are some of the specialty tools I used on this build. (affiliate links)
•IRC Residential Code Book https://amzn.to/2jDtaW9
• Domino 500 – https://amzn.to/2ktOH5K
• Assorted Dominos – https://amzn.to/2jqm2Nj
• Incra HD 1000 https://amzn.to/2JUMKrU
• Jet Parallel Clamps https://amzn.to/2kAVtmH
• Porter cable router https://amzn.to/2ImfDjK
Building a Custom Hickory Staircase with Open-Ended Treads
Today I’m sharing the process of building a complete staircase renovation with a custom handrail system. This project transformed a dated staircase into a modern design featuring open-ended treads that complement the client’s new hickory flooring.
The Challenge
The clients wanted more than just a cosmetic update. Their existing staircase had a traditional closed-tread design that didn’t match their vision or their new hickory floors. To achieve the open-ended step design they wanted, I needed to modify the existing wall structure and completely rebuild the staircase from the stringers up.
Demolition and Reframing
I started by marking the rise and run of the new staircase directly on the drywall, then carefully cut out the shape with a reciprocating saw. The existing treads were dado’d into the skirt board, which meant a complete demo was necessary. To maintain safe working access, I demolished only half the staircase at a time.
After demo, the exposed drywall corners were vulnerable and needed support. I solved this by fabricating framing sections in the shop, then sliding them between the stringer and drywall and securing them to the existing studs.
Fabricating the Treads
While local millwork shops could provide custom-sized treads, none offered the specific customizations I needed to wrap around the existing walls. The solution was to mill everything myself.
The treads required basic thickness milling and glue-up operations. For the nosing, I used 8/4 stock and a bullnose router bit. Before routing, I clipped the corners at the table saw to reduce the load on the router and minimize tear-out, which hickory is particularly prone to when routing. Multiple featherboards at the router table kept the stock tight to both the fence and table, resulting in clean bullnoses that required minimal sanding.
After creating the bullnose profile, I cut the miters for the open-ended treads at the table saw. Most treads used standard edge banding with mitered corners, but the bottom tread required special treatment with a notch for the newel post. I attached the center nosing with dominos and glue, then pre-glued the mitered corner before tacking the return in place with brads. A test block milled to match the newel post width ensured a perfect fit while the glue was still adjustable.
Creating the Newel Posts
The newel posts needed to echo the floating panel design found in the doors throughout the rest of the house. I laminated two pieces of ripped 8/4 stock together, then ran the assembly through the planer to final thickness.
To create the floating panel illusion, I milled stock and ripped a miter down one edge. A stop block on the table saw ensured consistent lengths, and I glued the miters together to form the corner trim pieces. These were too long and narrow to clamp conventionally, so blue tape held them while the glue dried. Once set, a card scraper removed excess glue squeeze-out for tight-fitting corners.
I pre-finished the posts before installing the corners, which made finishing easier and prevented raw wood from showing if seasonal movement occurred. A quick pass with a block plane chamfered the post corners, ensuring the trim would sit flush. A headless pin nailer provided sufficient hold without requiring excessive putty work.
The posts featured three rail elements at different heights, matching the panel design in the home’s doors. I installed these as I worked my way around and up each post, using a spacer block for the middle rail to ensure consistent placement and save measuring time.
The post caps required some math and test cuts to achieve clean four-way miters meeting at a perfect point. Using a shop-made vertical sled, I clamped the workpiece and made cuts at the correct blade height and angle. Cross-grain cuts came first to prevent blowout on the long-grain cuts. After resetting the blade to 90 degrees, I cut decorative shoulders. On site, the caps were pinned and glued in place with quarter-round trim finishing the underside.
Spindles and Cross Braces
While stain and finish dried on the newel posts, I prepped stock for the 20 spindles plus extras for the small cross braces between them. Each piece was jointed, planed, and cut square.
The angled cross braces between spindles required careful setup. Since my table saw lacks a proper riving knife, I clamped a shim to rub against the blade’s back side, pushing small parts away from the blade to prevent dangerous kickback. A stop block on the miter gauge made cuts accurate and repeatable.
With the miter gauge still set at the correct angle, I cut the tops of all spindles where they would meet the handrail. Then I re-squared the gauge to cut the lower cross braces, using the red stop arm’s metal bar as a hold-down for safer, more comfortable cuts on these small parts.
Joinery Made Efficient
For the joinery, I relied on the Domino system. With 72 small cross braces to join, the tool more than justified itself in time savings alone. I screwed down a jig with angled stops to hold workpieces and a stop block to register the Domino for consistent mortise placement.
For the spindles, I reconfigured the jig to provide clamping surfaces and set stop blocks on both sides to register for upper and lower cross braces. A final jig configuration cut mortises on both sides of the bottom cross braces.
I pre-finished all the inside edges before assembly, as reaching these surfaces would be nearly impossible afterward.
Assembly and Installation
Another table-mounted jig with a stop block cut at the staircase’s rise and run angle helped align all parts quickly during assembly. I added dominos and glue, then clamped each unit in a way that allowed me to simply lift it off and start the next one.
The spindles are attached to the treads via dowels. After the assemblies dried, I routed oblong slots in the spindle bottoms using a jig clamped to my assembly table. The elongated holes provided wiggle room if any tread dowels were slightly off, while still creating solid three-point connections once the glue set.
After sanding the joints flush and applying stain and finish, everything was ready for installation.
Final Details
The last detail was cove molding for the tread and riser backs. My local millwork shop didn’t stock Hickory Cove and charged a $200 setup fee for custom runs. For just a few sticks, I milled my own.
To prevent tear-out in the splintery hickory, I used a dado blade to remove bulk material before routing the cove profile with featherboards for control. I milled the cove in wider stock than needed to prevent chatter, then ripped the cove free at the table saw. This approach produced cleaner results and was much safer than trying to route small pieces.
The handrail profile itself was complex enough that I had my local millwork shop custom-cut it, as the size and complexity justified their setup fee over my in-house labor.
A Word on Building Codes
If you’re considering a project like this, I highly recommend purchasing a code book. In over 20 years in the trades, I’ve heard countless people cite building codes incorrectly. Getting your information directly from the source will save you significant headaches down the road.
The finished staircase transformed the space, creating a modern design that perfectly complements the home’s new hickory flooring while echoing the architectural details found throughout the house.
I’m the owner of Benham Design Concepts, a mixed media art studio where I design and build custom furniture and other works of art using wood, glass, stone, and various metals.
In this blog, I talk about the art I create, my journey, and the things I learn along the way.