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I love it when a plan comes together. A friend had emailed just the other day, asking if I knew of any more awesome slides built into houses besides that underground eco-dreamhouse deal Alex Michaelis built in London. And then dt reader eric suddenly emails with this photo of a mystery slide from somewhere on some website. And there you have it! FTW!
D'OH Update: Way back in 2004, Gizmodo linked to a 2002 story in Forbes about the super-fast, fiber-optic-lighting-equipped mahogany spiral staircase slide in the Indianapolis dream home of voicemail mogul Scott Jones. The slideshow also shows the giant steel-and-fiberglass treehouse playroom for his sons. Who should all be in or near college by now.
Just seems more efficient [epicwinftw via eric]
they also have a completely unattributed Michaelis-style slide, too [epicwinftw]
EVERYONE WANTS A SPIRAL STAIRCASE SLIDE UPDATE: I am impressed and dismayed by the regularity with which people comment and/or email seeking to know who can build them their spiral dream slide. Here's as much as you're gonna get at this point [March 2012]: Scott Jones' house in Carmel, Indiana underwent an "eight-figure" renovation in 1999 that was the cover story in the Oct. 2001 issue of Indianapolis Monthly Magazine. The slide is credited to an Anderson, IN-based craftsman named Rodney Miller. Who's company is listed elsewhere as Wood Innovations, but I can't find any active links to either.
What I do find is a separate, long article in the magazine about Leonard Watson of Artisan Homes [Brownsburg, IN], the custom home builder who did Jones' house. In 2001 he was touting his in-house team of master craftsmen who work autonomously on sections of the 20,000 sf+ reno and expansion projects he does for Indianapolis's elite. Whether Miller is a part of Artisan's team or network, I don't know, but it shouldn't matter for your slide. Because unless you're building a mahogany spiral slide staircase in Indianapolis, those are not the guys you're going to ask anyway. You're going to go to the local equivalent dream home builder in your suburb. Or ask the developer who built your gated community for a recommendation.
Jones' mahogany slide was apparently built using "shipbuilding techniques," and it took 15 months. Let me suggest at this point that if that's what you're looking for, any number of high-end builders you call will be ecstatic to make it work for you.
Or, you know what, contact a spiral staircase specialist. Here we go. Unique Spiral Stairs of Albion, Maine has executed a maple spiral staircase with a slide. It looks like it was installed in a conference room, which, I can only imagine. Anyway, there you go. Unique Spiral Stairs is your answer.
Conversion varnish needs a mechanical bond. Here, pros analyze a case where it's not sticking. May 17, 2005
Carl Hagstrom's detailed step-by-step photo essay (starring Carl's younger and better-looking stunt double) showing how to scribe a skirt board for a staircase stimulates a well-informed expert discussion of site and factory stair-building methods. February 15, 2015
This discussion of bending wood and curved laminations benefits by the addition of some excellent old book recommendations. February 23, 2010
A question about whether MDO could be stable if veneered on only one side, continues on into a deeper debate about the suitability of veneered material for stair treads. July 29, 2012
Here's a complex and detailed discussion of stair tread fabrication for a high-end custom curved staircase, open on both sides. November 26, 2007
Installers share tips on laying out, cutting, and fitting metal balusters to a wood staircase and banister. August 2, 2005
Here's a discussion about the structural considerations involved in making a glued-up stringer for a curved staircase. September 15, 2011
Advice on using the steel rail on a steel staircase as a form for clamping flexible rail strips for laminated glue-up. December 24, 2009
Suggestions for a very challenging stair project. July 29, 2011
Tips on applying returns to the end of stair treads. December 26, 2006
Should a stair builder use Walnut for a custom handrail, or look for a suitable alternative? September 23, 2008
Complex stair rail parts: make or buy? February 8, 2008
Basic directions for using a manufactured router template to route out stringers for fully-housed stair treads. October 19, 2006
Tips from a class on tangent handrail fabrication, presented by expert Jim Baldwin. July 28, 2012
Relief cuts on the underside of a wide stair tread can reduce the risk of cupping in service. April 4, 2011
Advice on shopping for a spiral staircase package. March 26, 2010
true frame-and-panel wainscoting with concave panels rising up a spiral staircase. Woodweb's top trimwork minds chime in on this one for a top-flight discussion of a very tricky topic. July 9, 2007
A skilled, experienced finish, cabinet and furniture man is looking at his first-ever staircase — and it's already framed. His questions set off a long discussion on stair construction techniques. November 19, 2005
Here's a convoluted and somewhat contentious, but also informative, thread that is mostly about using fiberglass and epoxy to stiffen stair stringers. July 7, 2011
Woodworkers puzzle over the twisted math involved in making a profiled handrail follow the curve of a spiral stair. January 26, 2008
Woodworkers discuss ways to turn reclaimed sawn boards into stair treads for a house. February 6, 2010
The joint where a handrail meets a profiled newel cap is a real head-scratcher. Here, experienced stair rail carpenters explain the fine points. August 12, 2007
Pros find and discuss a formula for figuring helixes (it's a real head-scratcher). April 11, 2005
Here's a long and detailed thread with photos about the production choices for crafting complex custom railing shapes. June 8, 2011
Pros puzzle through the complexities of following a spiral stairway's curve using round stair rail. March 5, 2008
A long and winding thread about winding stairs. April 29, 2010
A woodworker gets advice about replacing a beautiful and well-made outdoor curved stair. April 22, 2014
Installers discuss how to fasten replacement oak stair treads to an existing old stringer so as to minimize squeaking. September 5, 2006
Whether to calculate a twisty stair, draw it full scale and measure, or have the parts made with a CNC. December 24, 2009
Here's a great conversation where an advanced woodworker sits down with a beginner to walk him through some complicated, old-school curved carpentry and joinery. October 3, 2011
Pros give tips on staircase construction. April 11, 2005
Is a CNC router or an old-school rotary lathe the best way to machine a profiled square cap for a newel post? February 27, 2015
Some general thoughts on materials and methods for constructing a custom curved handrail for a set of front entry steps on a historic home. February 1, 2015
Woodworkers describe in detail their techniques for fabricating curved stair risers. July 27, 2008
Wrestling with the issues of machining complex curved stair-rail parts. May 11, 2011
Techniques for protecting newly built stairs from dings and damage while work goes on in the house. February 13, 2013
Woodworkers suggest various approaches to creating a large curved stair tread. February 16, 2014
Advice on turning and terminating a handrail at the upper newel post. April 4, 2011
Advanced and tricks for routing housed stair-tread mortises into curved stringers. June 3, 2007
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A discussion of suitable adhesives for curved stair railing laminations. Long open time and minimal spring-back are the issues. December 6, 2008
Shrinking Jatoba wood stair treads are failing at the glue line. Here's a discussion of the causes, with ideas for prevention or repair. December 6, 2007
Woodworkers discuss ways to make a template for a complex stairmaking operation. September 23, 2008
A woodworker needs to apply a veneered face to an existing stair stringer. Here's the advice he receives on scribing and fitting. October 27, 2008
Advice on getting a good solid joint when connecting handrail sections. May 12, 2008
Tips and tricks for putting a profile on a spiral-stair handrail using a hand-held router. March 24, 2008
More good advice on one of the most challenging tasks in woodworking: making handrails for a spiral staircase. May 26, 2008
Some ideas for constructing exterior spiral stairs, with a wrinkle (stone treads and a stucco cladding).October 19, 2013
A shaper owner asks for advice on making handrail stock. February 8, 2008
Construction suggestions for an architect-specified open-stringer stair with plywood stringers and walnut treads. October 19, 2013
Ideas for jigs to ensure accurate placement of dowels at a butt joint in a stair rail. December 7, 2007
Unless it's old-growth heartwood, neither species is particularly durable in outdoor exposures. March 28, 2010
Advice on joining a handrail to the newel post. February 10, 2009
Advice on fastener choice for screwing treads to risers from the back side. December 28, 2014
The difference is based on standing at the bottom of the stairs and looking up. May 12, 2008
This stair-builders' thread about how to fabricate a slide that wraps around the outside of a spiral staircase morphs into a more general expert discussion about spiral staircases and handrails, with lots of nice photos. November 2, 2010
Experienced stair rail professionals weigh in on a deep and complex subject — multi-dimensional wood bending — in this long, detailed thread. February 25, 2009
An old stair stringer with incorrect riser dimensions needs fixing, on site. Here's a long discussion about how to do it. July 30, 2009
Here's a long thread loaded with good information about how to craft returns on the end of stair treads. August 12, 2014
The old machinery is cool, but it can't compete with modern CNC equipment for productivity (or safety). October 19, 2013
How do you make a good-looking and practical handrail for a stair winder that looks awkward and doesn't meet code? Here, top craftsmen take their best shot at solving the problem. February 15, 2015
Woodwork installers consider a special case where a craftsman has to complete designer stairs on site, when the rough framing is already in place. August 11, 2009
Here's a step-by-step how-to on laying out and assembling handrails for spiral stairs. August 2, 2008
A discussion of glue selection for a bent railing lamination glue-up, and other advice on the work. December 14, 2009
A first-timer seeks advice from the old hands on fabricating and installing a curved banister. October 4, 2005
Here's a quick tour (concept to finished product) of an ambitious free-standing staircase project that includes opposite curves. January 12, 2012
Woodworkers discuss techniques for applying new stair treads over the top of existing stairs. November 26, 2007
Several ways to get a perfect return. April 14, 2005
Stair geometry is tricky even on a straight run. Here, woodworkers wrap their heads around a curved staircase layout question. December 7, 2007
Tips and techniques for setting a newel post in an existing concrete slab floor. August 7, 2006
Advice on making a full-scale adjustable template for bending stair parts, or on buying a manufactured system. February 25, 2009
There's more than one way to bullnose the end of an open stair tread. November 19, 2006
All aspects of vacuum and how it is used by the woodworker. March 18, 2002
Lots of advice on the fine points of achieving solid glue joints when laminating steamed and bent wood. October 30, 2010
Standard heights and dimensions for stair parts. January 24, 2005
Calculating springback of laminated parts. October 2, 2001
A discussion of how to handle the tricky transitions brought on by stairway elevation changes. February 16, 2006
Woodworkers discuss the "rip and flip" method, relief cuts, and similar methods of reducing wood movement. November 19, 2005
Installing trim work along a curved staricase. February 28, 2004
A discussion of the fine points of glue choice, glue mixing, clamping methods, and allowing for springback. March 18, 2006
Determining the radius to aim for when creating a curve with vac-laminated plywood. September 23, 2003
Stability and strength of flexboard and similar materials. November 24, 2002
Tips, tricks, and rituals. February 26, 2005
Adhesive failure can usually be traced to one of two causes: overly moist wood or defective glue. December 6, 2000
The Furniture-Making Forum takes on an architectural question: bending and laminating wood for curved stair projects. July 25, 2005
Pre-bent railings "uncoil" after unclamping. What's the solution? May 4, 2005
Advice on holding a glued joint tight without leaving visible marks. February 1, 2015
Where chair rail meets moulding. February 28, 2004
Wise advice from a pro helps a trim carpenter detail the juncture where hallway baseboard moulding turns and goes down a staircase. November 14, 2014
Creating vacuum-pressed curved parts with the clamping form outside the vacuum bag. March 10, 2002
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