Railing - need a little help

[Matt_in_Brooklyn]

Look at those outrigger supports, it's pretty easy to see why they don't give you much rigidity- any time you have flat bar in an assembly it's going to flex unless you have something to stop it- using angle iron or (as someone said above) a larger solid bar would be rigid- it can't really do the job it's asked to do as assembled.
Also, when you're doing braces like that, think in terms of triangles- it's the simplest geometric form that's rigid, most framework is designed with that in mind.
Looks fantastic, though, my wife would be beside herself if I built her something like that!
Andy

I definitely get it on the triangles, that's why I was thinking of a gusset on the weld tab. What i'm seeing is the flex is not in the diagonal but in the weld tab itself.

Any thoughts on pre-loading the railing? In other words, breaking the welds on the top of the outriggers, pulling the rail an inch or two out of plumb, then welding them back.

I'm also thinking of breaking the welds on the weld tabs and puliing them in closer to the wall so they exert less leverage on the weld tabs.

[davedarragh]

Matt: Do a Google search www.inspectapedia.com for NYS Stair and Handrail Codes.

You could fiddle around, doing this and that, and it still not be right. When it's built to Code Standards, there's no question as to it's strength and uniformity.

[WyoRoy]

Cut your losses on the angled uprights and go with straight upright standoffs that won't allow flex.

[JSFAB]

Do what Roy suggested, but set it off a foot or so, cut and angle the vertical tube down to the lower mounting point (against the side of the concrete). Like he said, vertical tube should be the same size as the first post, bolted at ground level. Use square tube for the offsets, doesn't matter what size, 1" would be appropriate, whatever looks good. Bring the vertical members a foot or two higher than the railing, mount lights on top, wired into your porch light. Use 12v lawn lights if you're worried about shock hazard.

This would look like it has a purpose, other than holding up the railing, and you can very discretely bring the wires up thru the vertical members.

I'd make a picture, but I can't do autocad as good as Roy

[Matt_in_Brooklyn]

Cut your losses on the angled uprights and go with straight upright standoffs that won't allow flex.

AAAAHHHA!!!!

Now I get it!!! Thanks. That makes total sense. It's that whole picture/1000 words thing. I will post up some pics after the fix!

Separately, thanks to all for the kind words.

Matt.

[JSFAB]

Matt, just went back and looked at your original pictures, since there is no posts actually bolted to the concrete, other than the first one, you would need to attach two horizontal members to your original railings, one high, one low, for proper support.

I'd also like to compliment you on some very nice work, btw. Get the engineering squared away, you will be fine.

[JSFAB]

Dammit, my scanner isn't cooperating, just looks at me with a bunch of blinking lights. Laughing at me. My thinking is, just to clarify, the new support posts go straight down to the first concrete attachment, then angle in to the vertical wall.

[Sonora Iron]

I didn't read every word of every post in this thread, so sorry if this was already mentioned. Why not weld a couple gussets in place?

If this doesn't work please excuse the poor effort, my granddaughter just switched operating systems on this computer, and I'm lost without windows!

[JSFAB]

To be honest, Sonora, the angled uprights still look too flimsy.

What would it take, to get your grand-daughter, down here to Lodi, CA, to fix my scanner????????

[Sonora Iron]

To be honest, Sonora, the angled uprights still look too flimsy.

Yeah those uprights are just a killer, too thin of material from the start.
Wonder about taking the gusset up further? Probably look like crap tho!