Installing and finishing a railing

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So I'm in the process of buliding a railing for the backyard . I have bulit the mounting plates for it already just simply 3" circles that will attach to the concret . I'm thinking of useing the blue tapcons or those anchors that expand when you hit it with a hammer. The railing is more for looks than use but I still want it to be strong and in place. As for the finishing goes it's going to be a glossy black I could  spray it with a paint gun or use a rattle can. And powder coating is little expense for this type of project but looks nice. Also what brand of paint will hold up better in the elements. ThanksMillermatic 211 with mvp plugs miller titanium series welding helmetstihl chain saws 8 ft welding table
Reply:I've attached a lot of things with tapcons. The only issue might be the lever arm your post gives you that might either pry out the tapcons or snap them off. They do however make concrete "bolt" that are very much like tapcons but larger that take more force. I want to say the last batch of those concrete "bolts" I bought came from Sears hardware in the bulk bolt bins.Oh  BTW they do also make Stainless steel tapcons if you want to avoid issues with rust. I ordered some from Fastenal for a job where the corrosive cinder block were eating away the standard tapcons in less than 6 months..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:I've attached a lot of things with tapcons. The only issue might be the lever arm your post gives you that might either pry out the tapcons or snap them off. They do however make concrete "bolt" that are very much like tapcons but larger that take more force. I want to say the last batch of those concrete "bolts" I bought came from Sears hardware in the bulk bolt bins.
Reply:You don't say what the railing is, but I have used thousands of tap ones in that application, and they work very well. I have used the heavier bolts as well, and they work good, but are a bit spends at over a buck each.  As far as paint, don't use a rattle can. I use a lot of oil based alkyd enamels, and also a lot of the new water based alkyd enamels ( Dunn Edwards syn-lustro) and like it a lot. You can shoot it out of anHVLP with a 1.8 or2.0 tip with very little thinning. The water based is easy to use, dries to touch fast and clean up is easy.
Reply:@ stihl91 - recommend you use an epoxy-based anchor system (e.g. ITW's RedHead A-7 concrete adhesive anchor) -or- a drop-in anchor system (e.g. Hilti, RedHead) with threaded fasteners.  Have used many:many blue TapCons with good results; however, the applications were not for personnel/safety railings.  Note: large moments can be imparted on the fasteners, simply by a person leaning against a railing.  Whatever path you choose, be sure to check out the product literature for the minimum O.C. separation between fasteners.  This distance is usually specified in fastener diameters.  Your 3in diameter bottom plate will control the interface.'App-ironworksllc' does a ton of custom railing fabrications & installations.  He'll def know the way to dial in your application.Last edited by ManoKai; 09-17-2013 at 07:29 AM."Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Reply:Thanks for the help on the railing project.  What I'm going to do is use those concrete anchers with the threads . I think there are called redheads. And use some epoxy so they stay in the concrete. And I might make the circle plate a little bigger.Millermatic 211 with mvp plugs miller titanium series welding helmetstihl chain saws 8 ft welding table
Reply:I really prefer the tapcon anchor to the redheads, they seem to be just as strong and much easier to install and (and this is sometimes very important) remove. If you do decide to use redheads use the sleeve type rather than the collar type, as they seem to be more reliable. Buy full boxes versus individually packed ones, as they are a small fraction of the cost. Don't over tighten. Don't use epoxy on them. They hold fine on their own, so long as your concrete is not crumbling. If you want to use epoxy, then just drill the hole one size bigger than the bolt, use cut off threaded rod, squirt the goo in the holes a little more than half full, install stud, let cure, add nut and snug. The grey Simpson stuff is crap, and it take overnight to cure. Order, or swin by I'd you have a store in your area, some of the hilti quick curing structural epoxy. You will be able to tighten the nuts in about a half hour