Bruce Bull, Black Hill, VIC

Stairway to…
Dimensions:210 h x 210 w x 340mm d

Concept:
Being a joiner, I wanted to create a box that incorporated aspects of my daily work. My initial thoughts about a staircase box included newel posts, balusters and handrails. After some thought and initial drawings, I settled for a ‘closed string’ design.
Materials:
I am not sure of the type of timber used, as it came from an old local 1930s house where some drawers and cupboards were replaced with a modern version to suit the owners. The stringers and treads of the ‘staircase’ may be either baltic or kauri pine, along with the drawer sides and back. The drawer fronts may be redwood, but again, I am unsure. The ply for the drawer bottoms are from the original drawers removed from the house. The brass knobs were from www.boxmakersbrassware.com.au.
Method of Construction:
The stringers and the bottom and back of the box were joined using through dovetails. The stringers also had stopped dadoes cut into them so that the treads could be fitted into them. These were glued and screwed into the dadoes, and then the holes plugged with matching timber. Once the dadoes were cut, the angle on the stringers was marked and cut off.
The drawers were blind dovetailed at the front with the back being rebated and fitted into grooves on the sides. The sides and front also had grooves cut along the bottom to allow the drawer bottom to be slid in.
Glue and Finish:
I used Titebond III as my glue of choice. When all of the pieces were sanded down to 320 grit, they were finished with Ubeaut Traditional Wax.
Apart from dimensioning the timber with machines, the rest of the project was done using hand tools.

Photos: Bruce Bull