Staircase Assembly Jig

[colinlp]

Hi all

 

I'm relatively new to modelling but I'm currently building a scratch build Apollo launch tower at 144 scale. I have 38 flights of stairs to make, each with a rise of 21.16mm and 14 treads per flight. I suspect 14 treads will be unrealistic and too crowded so I might opt for less. Each tread will be 6mm x 0.2mm x 2mm. What I need is some sort of jig to help me assemble them all accurately and all the same.

 

That is where I'm lost and could do with some help, could someone give me an idea of how such a jig might be built and what materials that have no chance of getting welded to the parts

 

Many thanks

[wkennerley]

No idea on a jig, but what about having the stairs drawn up and 3D printed? 

[Rob de Bie]

Or maybe custom photo-etched? There are companies providing that service:

 

https://www.graingeandhodder.co.uk/

 

https://www.photofab.co.uk/

 

http://www.photo-etch.co.uk

 

https://www.ppdltd.com/

 

https://www.saemann-aetztechnik.de/

 

https://sites.google.com/site/tinyland/

 

I'm pretty sure there are many more, especially in Eastern Europe.

 

Maybe, and this can be good or bad, it opens the door to lots of other custom photo-etched parts for your project.

Rob

[colinlp]

Thanks both. I don't think I could afford either, my pension isn't up to much sadly but that's no concern. I really want to build them myself, just so I can say I did no matter how they turn out. I'm still not in a position to build them yet, maybe another couple of months, I'm waiting for my cataract surgery to be over with. I have been thinking along the lines of using a PTFE strip to make a locating base, with some balsa uprights to hold a slotted PTFE tread locating strip so I can assemble before welding with plastic weld glue before turning it over to weld the other stringer on in a similar jig. Do you think that would work? My concern is capillary action taking up the glue and seizing it in the jig