Field fit handrails

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These are some rails that I had to work on last week.  I had to fit the handrail wraps and tie the rails together that someone else set and tacked.Normally I wont accept work that I didn't start myself.  The detailing job left alot to be desired and the guys that set them didn't do it the way I would have. But this job being in Twin Falls I accepted it.(I like going places I have never been). Major pain, but doable. Basically, stuff didn't line up and had big gaps,but I fixed it.Five stories= ten sets of stringers= ten wraps and ten tie-ins.Click on pics to enlarge. Sorry, but until I learn resizing this is what you get.and for your viewing pleasure, the falls.
Reply:Wow, what complex hand rails. There seem to be two levels and also an additional rail stood off on the bent brackets. Are they like that for a reason?I bet you had fun with them."One of the things we have to be thankful for is that we don't get as much government as we pay for." (Charles Kettering)Mitch 180 (NZ)Lincoln SAM-400-220 + ?-400 Fordson Major + 2 x Tractapac Humber 80 + Procut 40 PlasmaMiller Spectrum 375
Reply:how long did that take? how did you have to weld the things to the stairs? do you weld it to an I beam?I just joined a company that makes stairs and handrails, but they havn't any work for a few weeks.
Reply:Originally Posted by TractapacWow, what complex hand rails.
Reply:OK, thanks for the explanation.So, ignoring the handrail and only looking at the rail set up. At the top is the guardrail, below that there is another pipe, the size of the handrail by the look of it, below that there's six smaller section elements and finally at the bottom a matching pipe to the one below the guardrail.I assume that the guardrail is to stop people falling over the rails and the handrail is stood off and supported from below to make it a sort of continuous handrail for people to steady themselves. Am I with the picture?"One of the things we have to be thankful for is that we don't get as much government as we pay for." (Charles Kettering)Mitch 180 (NZ)Lincoln SAM-400-220 + ?-400 Fordson Major + 2 x Tractapac Humber 80 + Procut 40 PlasmaMiller Spectrum 375
Reply:Basically, yes Tractapac
Reply:paint shop pro 7open image - click 'Image' on top toll bar - click Resize - then resize - click OK - Saveand your done
Reply:So where are the final results?  I would suspect the ordered those rail, then had somebody just attach them rather than get fined by OSHA.
Reply:Tapwelder Camera ran out of battery before I could take pics of pieces tacked up properly.They ordered the rails, we built them in the shop, shipped them out then they had someone else hang them. When they weren't hung properly, the connections did not line up. So, they called us in to fix it. I did not weld them out, just fit and tack.I will be bringing spare batteries from now on.Last edited by Mark...; 07-30-2008 at 10:27 PM.
Reply:Did you build that from blueprints?  How did you get the offset 45 degree miters   (first photo stub connnecting the handrails).  Is the intermediate round rod extending through the square material, if yes then how did you get the hole?  Did you jig them, I would presume yes unless the pitch changed?  What did you use to notch the pipe?
Reply:What did you end up doing, cutting the whole thing back off and reinstalling it back where it should have gone to begin with? That's the only way I can see some of those offsets getting fixed. I hate it when I have to redo something that someone else screwed up.
Reply:Tapwelder, I will try and remember to get some pics of some of the machines and techniques we use at the shop tomorrow to help you understand it better.DSW, yeah, we had to reset a few of them. Others we just cut the pipe and extended it or re-mitered it, cheat this a little, cheat that a little while still trying to keep every thing  to meet code.Most "regular" Ironworkers in steel erection are notorious for not being very crafty at railing,  although it is within their scope of work. That is why this company stays so busy doing nothing but railing and stairs.
Reply:Tapwelder, yes these were built to prints, although we did not make time to build jigs. There were two stairwells like this in this building, and with two crews of 2-3 men each on them. This machine comes in handy for mitered copes, if thats what you want to know
Reply:Thanks Mark.  I was actually interested in the way you made the two 45 degree angles in the handrail.  The two  45's are offset.  What tool did you use to measure the offset.  The joints I am speaking of are just miters at the end of the hand rail inthe first picture.  The stub that measure about 1 foot across.I fabbed a tool for getting mine done.  I want to see how the big boys do it.Pipe rail is always a new experience/learning for me.  I can't just lay them out and build like square stuff.  Thanks again and nice set up.
Reply:The mitered joints in the handrail are just done in the bandsaw with the blade set at 45 degrees, then roll the pipe to the other degree you want before tightening the vise. I usually have a magnet on top center that I can put a degree finder up to.Thats how I do them anyway, other guys in the shop may do it differently, I think I saw one of the guys cutting them with a cut off wheel on a 4 1/2 angle grinder, and I think one of the guys even spliced the pipe together in the middle so he could roll it to the angle.  Could you post a pic of your tool?Last edited by Mark...; 08-01-2008 at 07:04 PM.