Demystifying Curved Stairways
Decoding the Loretto mystery of the Miracle Staircase. Mastering the carved-newel stringer, from classical stereotomy to the Loretto Staircase.
Decode the Loretto Chapel’s “Miracle Staircase” in this 7-day hands-on woodworking course. Learn traditional stair stereotomy, 3D stringer carving, and hooked joinery with Patrick Moore.
Taught by Patrick Moore
- Skill level
- Intermediate
- Prerequisites
- Some power tool, hand tool, and drafting experience encouraged. Please reach out if you have any questions regarding prerequisites.
- Materials
- Included
- Where
- 1600 W Stassney Lane, Austin
- Tuition
- $1,300
About the class
Demystifying Curved Stairways
We will be building scale models in this, not a full sized staircase. Please see photos for a better idea of what you will be taking home. If you have any questions about the project please reach out before registering.
For over a century, visitors to the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico, have marveled at its famous 1878 "Miraculous Staircase", a 20-foot spiral that completes two full 360-degree turns with no central column, no wall support, and invisible structural joinery. While legend calls it a mystery, master carpenters and stair builders know it as a triumph of wood stereotomy (stéréotomie du bois) and structural stringer design. The secret to making a staircase float without vertical posts lies in the strength and precision of the inner and outer curved stringers acting as interconnected helical arches.
In this hands-on workshop, you will demystify post-less stair design by building the most demanding element of a geometrical staircase: the carved-newel stringer foot (limon à noyaux débillardés). You will learn how a horizontal plan-view spiral (volute de limon) transitions through a rising 3D easement (crosse de limon) and sweeps upward into an inclined helical carriage (limon débillardé) over a rounded starting step (marche de départ).
Instead of modern steam-bent laminations, you will execute this classic transition using traditional solid wood pitch blocks. You will master the stereotomy required to plot the 3D twist, carve the compound easement (débillardement), and lock the assemblies together using traditional bolted hooked joints (coupes à crochet boulonnées), the same class of concealed, high tensile joinery that gives free standing helical stairs their astounding strength.
What to bring
You can bring these tools or you can borrow the school's limited supply. If you have any questions about required tools please reach out beforehand.
- Notepad and pencil or pen for taking notes
- Set of sharpened bench chisels
- Mallet
- Fine Tooth Saw
- Eraser and eraser guide
- 3' or 100cm clear plastic metric rulerRecommended: Blundell Harling
- Large drafting triangleRecommended: 16" or 18" by Pacific Arc
- Exacto or marking knife
- Small metal squareRecommended: Veritas Precision Square
- Extra large drafting compass with leadRecommended: Lee Valley 16" Compass with Pencil Holder
- Combination square
- 0.3mm mechanical pencil with extra 2H lead
- Block Plane
- Extra long coarse raspRecommended: Shinto Saw Rasp with Fixed Handle
- Safety glasses and hearing protection
- Fine tip (0.3mm) colored markersRecommended: set of 10 Staedtler Triplus Fineliner
Optional
- Bench brush
- Magnifocuser
What the class covers
- Stereotomy in Stair Layout: Laying out the horizontal spiral of the volute de limon in plan view, projecting the rising easement curve of the crosse de limon, and generating development templates for the transition blocks.
- Pitch Block Preparation: Selecting, grain-aligning, and laminating solid wood blocks to form the raw compound block required for 3D shaping.
- Bolted Hooked Joinery (Coupes à Crochet Boulonnées): Laying out, cutting, and fitting traditional hooked scarf joints equipped with internal tension bolts to draw curved stringer segments tightly together under load.
- 3D Sculpting and Carving (Débillardement): Executing the compound 3D twist using gouges, rasps, spokeshaves, and shaping tools to hollow out and carve a smooth, continuous sweep from the horizontal floor line to the rising flight pitch.
- Assembly and Step Integration: Fitting the finished crosse de limon and scroll neatly over the curtail starting step (marche de départ) and setting up the rising balustrade lines.
Book a seat
Your seat at the bench.
A few short steps: pick your date, tell us about you, sign the waiver, pay. One booking covers every session.
Booking for a partner or friend too? Add seats as you book. Each student signs the waiver from a link we email.
Save your seat
If plans change
Our refund policy, at a glance.
What you get back depends on how far ahead of class you cancel. Send your cancellation in writing. Phone calls, texts and comments don't count.
of your payment refunded, less the 5% cancellation fee.
of your payment refunded, less the 5% cancellation fee.
Missing all or part of a class counts as a cancellation.
Why we hold to itClass income pays staff and instructors, buys lumber and keeps the lights on. We run on a tight margin, and this policy protects the school.
If the school cancelsIf we cancel a class, every student gets a full refund.
The whole policyRead it in full on our Refund Policy page.