# Forum Home Renovation Stairs, Steps and Ramps  New external stairs build

## matthewg

Hello everyone, 
I am building a set of external galvanised steel & hardwood stairs. I want to mount a 90x90mm bottom newel post similar to that in the photo and I have questions about the fixings for it. 
 I'm guessing there are 2x 14g type 17 screws going horizontally and covered with plugs. What about the bottom? 2 coach screws from underneath?  What sort of screw embedment would I need to hold the post securely? 
Also, I bought some rough sawn 250x50 spotted gum treads and they are covered with some sort of oil. I was thinking of painting them since oiling them seems like a high maintenance option. I presume I need to clean the oil off before painting or will an oil-based primer bind ok? I tried sanding a small area and it seems to come off relatively easily but leaves patches due to the saw marks. Should I first use some sodium percarbonate as mentioned in the deck cleaning thread and then sand? 
Cheers,
Matt

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## Marc

The post in the photo is most likely screwed from below. Not a good way to do it, screws in end grain and all that.
I prefer to secure the post in two points on the stringer as far apart as possible with bolts, to give it best bracing. That post cops a lot of abuse from people going up and down and pulling at the handrail at that point.  
To achieve that you will need to cut two threads to accommodate the post. One cut in the back, and the other cut in at the front of the thread.  
Even better, if you place the post a bit further up and make the swell step longer and may be wider if you like, ending round instead of square.

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## matthewg

Do you mean cut the treads like this?    
I went around the neighbourhood looking at stairs. Some notched the post     
And another sitting on the tread with what appears to be a single coach screw    
I'm not really sure which is best

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## Marc

Unless you want to make the fancy big round first (swell) step, then notch both first and second thread so that the post can be bolted sideways to the bottom of the stringer and also screwed sideways to the first and second threads edge, without ever notching the post. The further apart the fasteners, the better the bracing.
Cutting a notch in the post and fixing it with a couple of nails may be a common approach, but it's not very good  :Smilie:

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## matthewg

I think I know what you mean now, like this   
That seems a very sound way of fixing the post but I don't think I can do that now as the bottom post needs to sit out a little from the stringer on the overhanging tread to line up with the post at the top.

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## Marc

That's not a problem, just pack it to line up with the other post.

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