Handrail for our church mezzanine

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Working on a 52 ft handrail for our new church building.  Our shop is really busy but I got my boss to donate the material and told him I would build it.  Counter sunk the holes in the plates for hilti flat head anchors.  I got all of the plates and verticals welded up.  I have to do the top rail and a few splices tomorrow or first of the week.   Were building a half wall up about 12" below the rail and putting in glass panels between the wall and the rail.I have a couple of plates on the ends that I need to heat and flatten back out but for the most part everything stayed straight.  This is just the verticals that I worked on today. Attached Images
Reply:a few more pics Attached Images
Reply:Looks like a lot of work.UA Local 598
Reply:That does look like a highly labor intensive handrail design.  Nice work though.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:These will be spread out about to around 6'-6 centers with a top rail.  It wasn't that bad.  I spent about hour after work countersinking the holes and about 3-1/2 hours last night welding the verticals.  I figure all and all I will have 10-12 hours by the time I do the top welds, dress the welds and sand and prime this. (probably going to get some volunteers to help with that.I saved the church about $1600 that they can spend on something else so it's all good.  That's more than I could have given out of my pocket.
Reply:Looking good John. City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Cleaned up all of the tack welds tonight, beveled the top rails on the ends and made three splice joint doublers.  I got the two main top rails welded up, full penetration welds, ground down and smoothed out.I'll get some pictures up in the next couple of days.  Ready to square everything up and weld on the top rails.  I need to get it sanded so we can prime it Friday night and deliver it Saturday morning to the church to install.Probably about 3 hours of fab left.  Sore from working 12 hour days for a couple of weeks and doing this after work. Pics coming soon.
Reply:Finished up the handrails last night.  I forgot to get a picture when it was all put together but here are a couple of shots of it stacked and one of the finished welds around the top rail.  I spent more time grinding than welding.  All and all I have 11 hours in it.  Need to sand and prime it but I'll have some help with that.Loaded it up first thing this morning and took it over to the church.  I'll get a couple of shots when we install it. Attached Images
Reply:Installing tomorrow.  I ground the bottom of the plates and hit them with some epoxy primer tonight.  We'll get some folks to sand it out and prime the rail out after it's up.Going to be fun getting it from the floor up top.More pic's tomorrow....John - Chesapeake, VA Attached Images
Reply:Installed the handrail today at the church.  Took about 6 guys to get it up to the second level. (Three top/three btm)Got to finish sanding and priming it and then build a half wall and install the glass.  That's about it for the welding pictures.  It was a fun project. Not hard (besides keeping everything straight) but rewarding.  I've got about 18 hours start to finish including the installation.Thanks again for looking.  This is stress relief for me.  I am usually laying out metal for the other guys to build.John - Chesapeake, VA Attached Images
Reply:Finally finished up all of the detail work and got the mounts and glass installed.  Turned out nice.  They are opening the building next week.John - Chesapeake VA Attached Images
Reply:John - that must be really satisfying - to be able use your welding/fabrication skills as a major contribution to a new church.  Thanks for posting this.Rick V 1 Airco Heliwelder 3A/DDR3 CTC 70/90 amp Stick/Tig Inverters in Parallel1 Lincoln MIG PAK 151 Oxy-Acet
Reply:Not that it will as it looks bomb-proof, but I guess your REALLY hooped if it fails given it's in your church!!200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:Really nice project.  You can take alot of pride in this.  And it will outlast you and I!(Retired) Professional firefighter, amateur everything else I try to do...Oh yeah:  Go Big Red!   (You know: one of the 12 members of the Big 10 cuz we left the 10 members of the Big 12...)
Reply:No pickets? (Gasp!)
Reply:Originally Posted by DieselWarriorNo pickets? (Gasp!)
Reply:Originally Posted by DieselWarriorNo pickets? (Gasp!)
Reply:Originally Posted by TEKthey're all out front, in the street---
Reply:That very first picture in this post - How do you cut the steel to be round like that ?
Reply:Originally Posted by eyspyThat very first picture in this post - How do you cut the steel to be round like that ?
Reply:Hole saw notcher.  Works great for handrails and rollcages.
Reply:I was going to be a smart arse and say "circular saw" but saw he's down under and didn't know if he'd get the joke. 200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:.....Do they call them, hand held electirc saw with round blade, "circular saws" down under? Maybe something different. I love hearing the different names people have in different countries for stuff.200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.