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I have always admired miniaturists who build wonderful staircases in roomboxes and their dollhouses. I remember Paul Moore had (from memory) created the Winterthur Staircase and it was shown on the inside cover of the back of a Miniature Collector Magazine. In my recent quest of stairbuilding and I had a nice conversation with Peter Kendall at Guild School and he recommended a book, A Treatise on Stairbuilding & Handrailing by W&A Mowat. (Excellent Book.) I also purchased, Constructing Staircases, Balustrades & Landings by William P. Spence and Taunton's Building Stairs from the Editors of Fine Homebuilding. It is interesting that the cover of the book, Constructing Staircases, Balustrades & Landings has a Houseworks curved staircase on the cover. When I looked at the book initially, I was wondering if we were going to discuss miniature staircases. I think I have all my questions answered, now to just apply the knowledge. In Taunton's book, the chapter of Making a Curved Handrail fascinates me. There is store bought bending rail to enable the curved handrail for real life applications, and at the end of the chapter, when I asked about the compound routering for the curved handrail, (see Bill Robertson's Forum on the staircase in Twin Manors) the curved part of the handrail that sets above the Newell post at the bottom of the stairs is called a volute. It is going to be fun to try and make one of these someday. Tamra/Indiana

I was looking for something else when I came across these models of stairs made in the 19th century in France, enjoy! http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/more-furniture-collectibles/models-miniatures/miniature-stairs/id-f_1040654/ http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/more-furniture-collectibles/models-miniatures/miniature-stair/id-f_1040652/