Budget/Inexpensive Cable Railing Pieced Together From Common Parts?


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Old 07-20-17, 12:49 PM
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Budget/Inexpensive Cable Railing Pieced Together From Common Parts?

Has anyone successfully pieced together their own cable railing kit from common parts?

All of the "kits" sold by cable railing manufacturers seem to be unnecessarily expensive.

I was at Lowes the other day and noticed stainless steel braided cable sold by the foot for a very reasonable price. Just not sure what kind of common/inexpensive fasteners could be used to attached them to standard 4x4 posts.

Any experience/ideas?

This would be for a deck that is literally a foot off the ground, so not as much safety concern here.
 
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Old 07-20-17, 02:14 PM
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Where I live a railing isn't required, for a deck 1' from the ground. A permit isn't needed either.
 
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Old 07-20-17, 02:44 PM
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More than safety, I would be concerned about liability - should anything go wrong, would your insurance company cover it?
 
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Old 07-20-17, 02:48 PM
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Liability & safety go hand in hand. It was insurance companies who demanded some of the craziest building codes that exist today. That was told to me by the head engineer of a building dept.
 
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Old 07-20-17, 03:52 PM
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You could use eye bolts at the ends of your cable runs to attach to your posts. Bolt on style cable clamps are ugly but a nicopress sleeve is much cleaner looking and is quite cheap. Even the crimping tool is pretty reasonably priced.
 
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Old 07-21-17, 07:04 AM
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Thanks- good ideas here. I would just need to figure out how to adjust tension of the cable. Perhaps a turnbuckle tensioner like this:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]83279[/ATTACH]
Doesn't look too bad, aesthetically.
 
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Last edited by ArchitectureFan; 07-21-17 at 08:16 AM.
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Old 07-21-17, 08:58 AM
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Have you looked at the kits on Amazon?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AMXIDQ2?psc=1

Price seems more in line with what I feel the simple hardware *should* cost.
 
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Old 07-21-17, 09:29 AM
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I think Guy48065 is on the right path: https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Ten...SXB9D6BJSH7PRW
 
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Old 07-21-17, 01:21 PM
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Thank you guys! I didn't even think to check Amazon for some reason. Those prices are MUCH more reasonable.
 
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Old 07-21-17, 03:49 PM
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I order my cable railing components online. While not cheap components can be found online for a reasonable price. I use some really sleak, sexy fittings that wood screw into the post. Then you shove the cable inside where it is gripped. Then you turn the fitting to tension the cable and it's all in one sleek, slim stainless fitting. By the time you buy a turnbuckle, lag eye and crimp sleeve the price isn't that much more.
 
 

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