Brent Hull rejected my work... 

The stars and hearts get a big no from me, but not my house...

Beautiful stairs, but those might be the most painfully ugly balusters I’ve ever seen. They look like something a little kid would ask for. To each their own, but I can’t imagine thinking they look fitting of the rest of the house, let alone “nice.”

When you’re dealing with Brent Hull you’re playing in the big leagues. You better bring your A game!

Nicely done. I did a job very similar to this about 2 years ago out of white oak as well. Something to look out for- the stain never effects the wood and the putty the same... You can always somewhat see the putty. So I personally deliver these projects with no putty and recommend that they fully stain and coat the job first, then use a "post-finishing" oil based putty to get the color perfect according to the final color. Especially with white oak, which has so much variance... They are likely going to have to get 3 or 4 different shades of their finishing putty to make it look right. Of course, the best choice is simply to find ways not to put holes into the stair treads like creative clamping and gluing.

I helped build the three sided dovetail there. Nice to see we've worked on the same site. Cheers!

I’ve been subscribed to your channel for ages, having Brent Hull here as well has been awesome. Thank you!

Another option would be to close up the gaps a bit with the thicker poplar, but when you go to cut the shapes, account for the spacing and template the cutout accounting for the gap. Won't quit be half a shape on each Ballister, probably close to 3/8 of the shape on each side and the difference is made up in the spacing. It would give the shapes a better...... shape. Center a full template of tue stars and hearts on the already spaced ballisters. I love treading and trimming stairs. It's the most rewarding finish work iv done to date

Haven't seen the channel in a bit. Always amazed at much you've progressed over the years. It's awesome to your growth.

Never easy to know where you’re going when the client has bad taste… Our job is much easier when the design makes sense. Regardless, keep up the good work !

On your jack miters where you put your biscuits, traditionally you also do a return miter into the riser instead of a straight cut, it helps run the grain around and looks tight. You do great work . 👍

I made those treads many times in the field. I always used returns on the nosing instead of rounding them over and most of the ones I did we used mitered brackets on the skirt matched up with the riser. Interesting pickets and I think after the rail and newel is one it would look good in that house.

It's cool to see the revisions on a project

How come the architect isn't designing and specifying the stairs?

I did not like the stars and heart design when I first saw it in the last video but now seeing it in the rustic barn setting it makes alot more sense. great work as always!

Richard use MDF for mock-ups whenever you can instead of expensive hardwood. You can provide finish samples of various wood/stain/paint etc the client can see - they’re reusable job after job

Tread’s look pretty good, I might suggest rough sawn for the balusters? I have built lots of staircase’s including, free standing spiral staircase’s. I hope you guys get the job. I worked for Artistic Stairs for a while and the tread’s are similar to the way we made them

Love the drone shots bro u guys are getting professional with it...

Looks great 👍🏼 , you did everything right , that job is yours!!!!

I hope they are paying you for the mock up process.

It’s cool to see you take that in. To listen, examine, struggle through it. Hull is a master. What a gift it is to have your ass handed to you by a master. That’s what craftsmanship is. What art is: Giving a big, long beautiful shit and failing. Once the learning stops you’re dead. And that’s the way it should be.

Yeah, no. Those balusters 🥴 You and Brent need to gang up on the owner(s) and explain to them, a nice civil baluster intervention. Keep us posted Richard. Hope they give you all you can handle on this job. It needs your expertise 👍

Even added drone footage b-role. flippin mint.

I digging that drone footage when you pulled in. I mean it really made the ol dodge look pretty BA

I was waiting for a reveal at the end that this was a joke, or maybe that they were going in a kids playhouse or something. There must have been a miscommunication with that baluster concept. No way that is what the customer envisioned.

I like the emphasis you put on them being NEW treads😎

I like the stairs.. but their desire of the stars and hearts kills it for me. No ty

Glued on cross grain end will be a problem if humidity changes as either tread will crack or end will break off. Need to allow for movement

Definitely wider balusters for better continuity of the shapes and perhaps a small 1/8"-1/4" chamfer on all the baluster edges (except where the shapes are cut out) to add a little more polish to the look.

I was surprised when you turned the stairs in as a sample on the last video. The hearts and stars look a little DIY crafty. Not to your usual standards. If this was a requested design I would have declined.

It's funny to see a trim guy do stair work! All your techniques are not how the pros build stairs! Reminds me of when you tried to do hardwood floors! It ain't easy

I have never seen the spring style clamps you used on the mitered pieces you put on the treads. They seemed to be very handy!

I wish I could afford to hire Brent Hull! Encyclopedic knowledge historic architecture, and a cool dude

You're gonna have issues with those mitered returns being glued up cross-grain to the tread. As those wide treads expand and contract the corner will open/lift.

Lindo trabajo .... Cómo siempre Master!!! N

I like the hearts and stars especially if that element is picked up in the house somewhere else. Closing up the spacing on them will make them look good 👍 👌

you can buy treads and returns at local hardwood flooring supply house.

Loved the way you used your DroidCam.

You don't have trouble with the tread return glued across the grain of the tread?

I shoot my tread returns on as well but I do a small pilot hole to guide the nail. All it takes is some tough grain to send your nail through the top of your new tread.

Good Luck! You got this!

Brent: Reject! Go back to the drawing board. 😂

Ah man you boys must be loving life... driving round in a 4x4 with a drone and working on real nice projects 👍

I think maybe metal railing would look the least bulky. That glue and sawdust you filled those gaps with, do you have a trick to make it take stain like normal wood? I have never been very happy with the results when I have done it.

What are those clip/clamps you use I did not see them in your amazon list or a link? If anyone know pls help. Thanks

You need a van big time. It will change your life

Maybe make some cedar inserts for the shapes the stars gonna look weird no matter what unless you put an insert *or any contrasting wood

Have you tried hot glue with Gorilla glue sticks. Seems to be working really well for me and a lot less nailing.

Maybe put a small piece to bridge the gap at the stars and Hearts! The design fits in with the Barn look for sure! Don't feel bad I've seen many mock up's get shot down even by the designer came up with the idea! Idea's on paper do not always translate the same in reality!

Where do you get those clips to hold the corners?

Mr. Lone Star Restoration, Brent Hull. He knows his stuff.

I'm surprised they didn't ask for a full mock-up with banister, posts and wider pickets.

Randon ? whats the model of the 18 gauge mailer you have? Any problems ?

A balustrade with stars. You are building a stairway to heaven. It could be heaven or it could be Hull.

The ballisters wouldn’t pass where I am. Inspectors want 3.5” or less all the way through. Don’t care what a customer wants.

All this inch talk messes with my head 😅

Perhaps suggest some handwrought black iron, with hearts and stars in an aged brass metal?

Is Risinger Homes showing off this home also? Just watched a video from his channel that looked the same.

I wouldn't have submitted that tbh. Or at least given them an alternative with the bigger boards or designs accounted for the spacing. 🤷🏻‍♂️

When you write driving put to the Ranch I had a flashback to 2 Guns movie when they abducted the Cartel Boss & drove off road with him in the bed or the truck!!😂👍👍 Hoping all is well Bud, Dirty Jersey out!!

Reason why the heart works and the star doesn't... The "absent" space in the heart shape can still be completed to form the outline of a heart and preserve proportion. The star on the other hand doesn't, since a star is 5 diamonds EQUAL in shape and rotated in 75 degree intervals. The separation/negative causes the 1, 3 , 4 diamonds to be equal but bigger than 2, 5 and distorts the underlying diamond shapes. Why not put the shapes within the pickets? Easier to router with a template and router bit with bearing. Finish off round corners with a chisel.

I'm surprised they built that silo practically in front of one of the dormers.

Your boy Brent is way off on the end grain . By adding the end cap your creating a week joint and over time it will open and you’ll always see the seem . Your glueing 12” of end grain to long grain . The tread will expand and the joint will fail . Seen it many times . Breadboard ends on a table is a good example . The tenon is only glued on the center and elongated dowels are added to hold it together when the glue ultimately fails . That’s why you typically see a chamfer at the joint to conceal the joint if it opens . If it’s specked by an architect do it and get paid . But as a woodworker he should know better.

Can you get the hearts and stars CNC cut?

Put biscuits, use the fancy clamp.. then.. nail using what seems to be huge 16g nails 🙄 there is no need for that big nail, a 23g nailer with 1.5" or a simple piece of tape is sufficient.. it's just to "hold in place" by the time the glue does its job.. and you even have already 2 biscuits..

The ballistrates are a joke right?

Nice work !!

Surely those cut outs in the balusters clearly seen in the video around the 6:10 mark, reduce the effective width of the baluster and would be non-compliant?

Great video!

WOW I cant believe you didn't pre prep the larger alternative wider balusters. Don't ever expect your clients imagination to know what it could look like. Always show them. You already made Brent look bad once. Your going to risk another rejection when you know it doesn't look 100% When doing sample, don't hold back go above and beyond and show finished alternatives.

We’ll done. Professional customer service

The whole heart and star thing is just not a suitable design for this kind of barn but the sort of thing you would expect to see in a child's bedroom. Either way, if the customer pays then the customer gets to decide, so fair enough.

Awesome work as usual. But those hearts and stars… seriously? 😄

Don't think Brent Hull has a single thing on Richard M. Manion Architecture....Classical at it's finest

I really really want a sliding table saw like that

Hearts and stars really!!! Is this for a playhouse

One day i wanna be as good as this guy true trim guy

Return the overhang also at the back of the trends just like the top for a more finished look

Man, those balusters look like something out of 5-Minute Crafts.

I like the stair build but that baluster design sucks. I would rather like to see a nice Texas themed wrought iron balustrade.

Good Lord no no no with the stars and hearts. I thought you were joking.

Balusters should never be attached with pocket hole screws, stair tread’s should be mortise out to except the balusters not that difficult to accomplish

i think i saw matt risinger on this site.

They sell those treads at Home Depot.

This is the Trim Carpentry equivalent of when Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker met Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker. 😅

I like your videos sirr i like this ♥️👍👍🇮🇩🇲🇾

That carpenters pencil stressed me out a lil… nothing like finish work with a 1/8” line 😂 I know you know but you know…

The oak doesn't look right with the rustic look. I think. Pitch Pine or some nice Douglas Fir for me.

gotta have the drawing lol

Click bait. Good job.

Does this guy sell Dewaukee shirts? I need one for my boss for Christmas

Nothing wrong with the first effort but it really comes down to taste.

What about the true 1 inch?

Gluing edge grain to end grain is a no no

I'm not sure about face nailing the tread return.

👍👍👍

Does he get paid for doing the mock-up?

You as a “carpenter” should know basic stair tread configuration. Carpenters have been doing stair treads in that style for over 100 years lol

A silo but no farm land....sure that makes sense !

Time for an CNC machine?

As a younger contractor trying to please the more experienced generation, I love the thumbnail