Outdoor Hand Rails - Stainless or Aluminum?

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Around my town there are tons of those round handrails that look like brushed stainless.  They are seamless or have had the weld seams ground and brushed.I see them at most all shopping centers and along our sidewalks.I am interested in learning to make these railings.Who actually makes and installs those rails for the contractor?  Are they purchased in the lengths needed and simply anchored to the concrete or are they custom made?
Reply:I did a few railing jobs, it's  never an easy job, craziest thing I have found was half of meter of fake ceiling instead of concrete with tiles on top.... ON A BALCONY !Walls are not always straight , steps are not always the same height and new owners don't have so much money left when they remember they need some rails .Not to mention there must be a few companies around specialized in railings, you have to beat their prices and do a better job and that's almost impossible in the beginning .--------------------------------------------------------------www.becmotors.nlyup, I quit welding.. joined welder anonymous
Reply:And around here you have to be certified to weld and install any kind of railingsMiller 252Miller Bobcat 225Lincoln MigPak 1801959 Hyster forkliftHarris OA torch
Reply:In the past (way far back...) I made loads of these. What I can tell you from my experience is that if its not polished (brush finished instead) it is probably aluminum and if its polished it is probably stainless. I worked with stock materials, made the bends, nipped the joints, and welded them. Then someone else would put the finish on it. If it was aluminum and brushed, things like green scotch pads were used. If it was anodized you had to be careful about what filler you used to help match when it was finished. If it was polished, it would be sanded and polished. Then they would be installed. People and other companies came to us or jobs were bid on. Rail is a pain, because there is a load of "standard" type factors, and then not so standard like sagging steps or wall types that are more difficult to anchor too, or floor types that are harder to core drill & expensive to make an oopsie and crack..... Plus you need to be able to make good welds else when grandma steadies herself walking down the steps, the thing could break and grandma will hopefully land in some soft bushes. It's certainly doable, plan plan plan then plan some more. There is all the code stuff too, height, spacing, etc.
Reply:I have built 10 story buildings that were half as big of a pain in the *** as some railing gigs.Vantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.
Reply:AMEN to this!!! One particularly memorable job was 1200'of aluminum 3 bar railing around a sewage treatment plant and tanks. They insisted they could install it after I built it. They came back and complained that the posts varied in length so I went to look. A simple measure with a tape measure showed it was the slab that was off and they needed to shim the posts to get it level. That was just the start of the problems with that job. Just glad there was good money in it.
Reply:Originally Posted by WeldRiteAnd around here you have to be certified to weld and install any kind of railings
Reply:Originally Posted by welderAMEN to this!!! One particularly memorable job was 1200'of aluminum 3 bar railing around a sewage treatment plant and tanks. They insisted they could install it after I built it. They came back and complained that the posts varied in length so I went to look. A simple measure with a tape measure showed it was the slab that was off and they needed to shim the posts to get it level. That was just the start of the problems with that job. Just glad there was good money in it.
Reply:Computer hiccupLast edited by WeldRite; 08-27-2013 at 07:55 PM.Miller 252Miller Bobcat 225Lincoln MigPak 1801959 Hyster forkliftHarris OA torch
Reply:And againLast edited by WeldRite; 08-27-2013 at 07:55 PM.Miller 252Miller Bobcat 225Lincoln MigPak 1801959 Hyster forkliftHarris OA torch
Reply:I know the builders require it and it's mainly to hold someone accountable if something happens.When I asked about being able to quote a job, the hurdles just weren't worth it.Miller 252Miller Bobcat 225Lincoln MigPak 1801959 Hyster forkliftHarris OA torch