Stair Project Weeks 2 & 3

The new goal to finish the stair project is April 22nd. Hold me to it!

Here's the latest progress.

The last three spindles were trimmed and installed. All except this last one were screwed in through the bottom. I decided to use my Kreg pocket hole jig to screw this one in through the side. Using their self-tapping screws, no pilot holes are needed. I didn't have enough clearance for the drill, so I found that you can even use a regular screwdriver to drive the screws.

The last spindles are in, and now it's time to work on the custom cabinetry.
First a base is created out of 2x4's.
Using the Kreg jig, I screw these 2x4's into the floorbeams for extra strength since they'll be supporting the pull out pantry.
Plywood finishes off the base for the pantry.
I'm getting a lot of use out of the Kreg jig, but the first shelf I built with it was definitely a learning process. I'm not going to wing-it as much with the next cabinet. I give myself a B- on this shelf - not bad for a first try. Wood putty and white paint will cover up all the oopses.
Wood veneer is used to cover the exposed face of the plywood. All you need to install the veneer is an iron, some foil to protect the iron, and rolling pin. The heat from the iron melts the glue and the rolling pin is used to ensure a good bond to the wood.
The veneer is real wood, and will give a nice finish to the edge after it's painted. Without it, the layers of plywood would probably show through the paint.
The next cabinet will go under the stair stringers and will house four drawers. Here's the setup for drilling the pocket holes.
I drew the drawer cabinet in CAD, and the process went much smoother this time. Here are all of the pieces cut with their pocket holes drilled.
The trick is the clamp the heck out of the pieces that you are screwing to prevent movement. The joints are glued for extra strength.
The drawer cabinet is finished. There will be two large drawers and two smaller drawers. Next I need to create the face frame for this cabinet, and also the drawers themselves.
Here's the current status with the shelf installed.