Space saving steps

[Frank S]

Give me your left, right, left.
Anyone who has ever been in the military has heard those words, almost everyone who has ever watched any of the war movies depicting training has heard those words.
Well, here is a real-world use for those words.
I call it my space saving steps to get to the elevated area of my machine shop van. Just step up with your left foot then step up with your right then your left again and you are there, the same works for descending step down with your left then right then left again, simple it is ingrained muscle memory something you never have to even think about

[NortonDommi]

Our Army it is "By the Left....Quiiiiiiiick March! Left, Right, Left, Right, Left.........Left, Right, Left........

[DIYer]

Thanks Frank S! We've added your Space Saving Steps to our Miscellaneous category,
as well as to your builder page: Frank S's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Space Saving Steps by Frank S

tags: fabrication

[Frank S]

By stacking the 6 concrete blocks in this manor I effectively created an alternating tread stair. rising 24" in 16" of linier space I have 16x16" treads with an 8" tread rise.
Which shares a lot of similarities with metal stairs we used to use in the oil field called the "Lapereyre stair" very comfortable to ascend or descend once you get used to them. Way safer than going up a Ships ladder or stair.

[Toolmaker51]

Nope. Ship ladders beat all.
Simply because when superiors aren't watching most bridge crew hold the handrails and slide. Can descend 9 or 10 decks in way less than a minute, I reckon about 40 seconds. The next ladder is about 7' away; most of it you're still holding the lower end loop and make a turn like a roping pony.
Unless you are too tall, and bean yourself on the hatchway.

I recall only one Lapereyre stair, at TESLA in Reno. Going up was fine, a lot like walking, despite a very fast rise angle. That made descending not so hot, instead of toes in the stepwell,you barely had heels going the other way.

[Frank S]

Nope. Ship ladders beat all.
Simply because when superiors aren't watching most bridge crew hold the handrails and slide. Can descend 9 or 10 decks in way less than a minute, I reckon about 40 seconds. The next ladder is about 7' away; most of it you're still holding the lower end loop and make a turn like a roping pony.
Unless you are too tall, and bean yourself on the hatchway.

I recall only one Lapereyre stair, at TESLA in Reno. Going up was fine, a lot like walking, despite a very fast rise angle. That made descending not so hot, instead of toes in the stepwell,you barely had heels going the other way.

That was because you needed to learn to step straight down just lean your elbows against the railings and you could carry objects down them as easily as walking on a level floor carrying them up the stairs is a little different as you need to lean into the climb. It is always tricky carrying anything up or down any stair though. you can go down a Lapereyre just like sliding down a ships ladder, another reason why with some drilling companies they gained popularity if the gas alarm went off grab the rails hook your feet and drop start running as soon as your feet hit the ground, they also took up a lot less space around the mud tanks than conventional stairs, not much more than a slanted ladder

[Toolmaker51]

I remain unconvinced as to descending Lapereyres.
Stepping straight down is fine, but practically hidden tread as a target was labor intensive. Used them anyway, probably 200 yards shorter route than other stairway.