Ship's Ladder

Ned Bulken

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Lakeport NY and/or the nearest hotel
Hi gang, Pardon the run-on paragraph... I'm pondering here at work for just a moment... I'm looking for a Plan for a ship's ladder/staircase. I want to get safer/easier access to the loft area of my shop. I can get up there on a ladder, but it is tough to haul things up/down from there if I'm hanging onto a ladder. I'd LIke to build a ship's ladder, hinged at the top... so that when not needed I can lift it up out of the way. Sketch when I can get around to it... sharing the design process, and probably in a year or so the build process...
 
hi guys...

Here you go:
1.jpegbirch_24_spacesaver1.jpg

think really steep staircase... where you 'have to' alternate steps as you go up/down. I would have a railing of some sort, OR i'll build it along the wall.

Leaning toward a handrail, or simply mounting it where I can easily reach the wall (not hard to do in my shop...).

I really like the open three main boards and steps between designs... I figure those would be easiest to build, and a simple hinge arrangement at the top, where gravity would lock it down solidly as I walked up it.

I'm also seriously considering some sort of shop-grade Tansu storage cabinets/stairs.
042808lstairsla13.jpg

I'm thinking something like this, only using shop grade materials. Lots of shorts/lumber storage under there, no? Also, I want to do away with the Long lumber storage, or at least some of it, so I wouldn't mind putting that along the SE corner of the shop.

3179433_1_l.jpg
Here is a traditional Tansu chest, beautiful in its utilitarian roots. Now that is something I could aspire to build for a home, but nothing that fancy in the shop.

Here's one that just kicked the tansu up a notch in the 'might build' category:
stair-storage-2.jpg
 
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If you've got space for a fixed stair/tansu case, I'd do that because you'd get more storage that way. You could also make space under some of it for a machine on wheels or perhaps a small desk for working on plans or whatever.

The ladder with the alternating steps would be handy if you have to fold it up and get it out of the way but you might find it makes more sense to buy a folding attic ladder and git 'er dun.
 
If you've got space for a fixed stair/tansu case, I'd do that because you'd get more storage that way. You could also make space under some of it for a machine on wheels or perhaps a small desk for working on plans or whatever.

The ladder with the alternating steps would be handy if you have to fold it up and get it out of the way but you might find it makes more sense to buy a folding attic ladder and git 'er dun.

Dave,
mostly good points...with one exception...
I've been up those folding monstrosities... and as stout as I am... I always felt like they were about to fold up, whimper and die when I was on them. I'm thinking 2x8's and/or ash 5/4 with routed out slots for the treads.
 
Dave, thanks SO much for that! I'm a very visual thinker; seeing the diagram and the explanation of how to lay out the treads is a huge help! As much as I like the ladder stair on Vector (that photo is of the two cats from a blog I follow) I'm sure I will go much more 'shop chic ' than mahogany . I do like the integrated hand holds though. I think I'll build mine out of 2x10 stringers with 8" treads.
 
Glad to help, Ned. I hope it works out well for you.

I needed to do a little practice in SketchUp so I doodled out a short ladder. It's not quite finished but it's got the idea.
 
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