Amateur carpenters who have laid out the cuts in a stair stringer (the zig-zag structural support for the steps) know the queasy feeling that bubbles up at the prospect of this job. There’s the simple ...

Using a miter saw, cut the stringers (A and B), header (C), and blocker boards (D and E) to length from the treated 2x4s. Using a track saw or circular saw, cut the 1:12 ramp slope on the outside (A) ...