Super cheap DIY Cable Railing

[@donmccormick856]

That's ingenious and hugely cost effective. Only thing I would add is Stainless Steel Nut Caps to dress up the nuts.

[@reslesridge]

Dude! A fellow Michigander here. Living in NJ but will always be a Yooper at heart. Thanks for this video. I’m so going to do this!!!

[@st4849]

Beautiful job & beautiful location!

[@fredvencill7639]

Just finished my deck railing. I used your ideas & it worked great!

[@Obseye777]

Thank you!! Appreciate you took the time to share. Nice playground to see :)

[@TheSib]

Thank you for posting your great idea! I'm doing mine today, and I'll be using your idea all the way through! I love the Harvard (Harbor) Freight crimping tool idea the most! (20% off coupon today!) Thank you!!!

[@shunsinger7905]

this looks great and is probably cheap for someone who has all these tools you have. thanks for the video and sugestions

[@stonehobson2487]

You work like I do. Hand drill and clamps or vice. In the field you can build anything, just have to make adjustments to the factories incomplete procedures. That's a very nice looking deck. I like the decking pattern and the black posts with the SS cable. Very sharp.

[@shleeno13]

Thank you so much for this. We saved a fortune by following this instructional video and now can enjoy the unobstructed view from our deck and it looks amazing too

[@feonix138]

Good, idea and way to save money if you have the time. Thanks for sharing.

[@jcomm120]

You are a thrifty DIY King, bravo! I would have tested the cables, probably attached on outer ends sunk inside the post, but your system looks very good.

[@squeekhobby4571]

Great job and technique

[@stevematthias8438]

saw this, and used your knowledge and did it. My turned out great.

[@thefreedomchopper4027]

We're getting ready to do the same. Awesome video with good ideas! We'll do it pretty much the exact same way. :)

[@RichieGlez]

Genius! Thank you for sharing

[@TheSn1per]

nice job! acorn nuts to finish off ends always looks super nice. (But pricey)

[@donskyllc3321]

Great Job with the installation

[@BarryDIYCEO]

Nice job,,,thanks for sharing. Go Bucks!

[@AlizFavz]

Great work!!!

[@stevej00]

Great idea!

[@357QueenBee]

I'm watching this video 4 years after it was posted. How is it holding after this time? Great video. Wow factor at the end including the cost. Given inflation now, August 2023, I still think it would be great.

[@fredrose1464]

Still looks like the day I put it in. 👍🏻

[@deansolano1483]

Well that looks ok , you might want to put a top on your post . Like a 2x6 all the way around . Food for thought.

[@fredrose1464]

I intentionally left the top off because it would have been directly in the line of sight when we’re sitting in the dining room and it would have defeated the whole purpose of the cables. 👍🏻

[@MuzataCableRailingLEDChannel]

Great job . Love it !

[@Semiflat1]

Pure genius!

[@SpiralDesignWorks]

Looks good but keep in mind the IRC calls for 3" spacing max between cables. Any long open spans require a spacer bar to control defection. You cannot pass a 4" ball through any gaps on the guard rail. So that X pattern on the sides is a no go also on any drop over 30". I also believe you need a top board not just a cable but I might be wrong on that. beautiful place.

[@georgea0731]

I'm looking at taking down a top cap 2x6 and using a top cable, but have Not found any reference that it has to be a board or metal, just support 200 lbs. I'm lucky enough to be on a lake too and want to maximize my view.

[@leepotter8511]

There are codes that define the requirements for the top hand rail. You should check the codes

[@mrzif0013]

good job, giving me some good ideas!

[@stevekern4407]

You really need a top rail to keep the posts from pulling in over time (9-12 rows of cable, tightened will pull the posts in) Also, instead of cutting all those lags and drilling each one, go on Amazon and buy 1/8 #316ss swage fittings with lock nuts and finished acorn nuts on the end for a $1.00ea !! (those ss items you bought at big box are #305ss. won't hold up long term). Then buy a 24" swage tool for $60.00 on Amazon or Ebay and knock this project out for less money and fast. By the way I do this stuff for a living. S . K. You can buy cable cutters on Ebay or Amazon

[@Bkus73]

Steve, can you provide a link to amazon for the swage fitting you are referring to. Thanks!

[@911gonzox]

Thank you. 🙏

[@IamTheKP]

Great idea. But for the amount of time that takes per bolt if you're doing a big deck this would take an eternity.

[@VARocketry]

Fred - did you try using a 1/4" SS carriage bolt ? That would replicate the barrel size used in the commercial swage bolts? Would 1/4" bolts drilled out with the required 9/64" bit have the required grip strength and tensile strength for longevity, I wonder? It's be worth a test! Thanks so much for posting this brilliant solution.

[@ameyc2]

what are the cable cutters you used nice job by the way

[@fredrose1464]

Thank you! www.harborfreight.com/10-inch-cable-cutter-40507.html

[@douglasthompson2740]

Seems stainless all thread would have been cheaper than stainless carriage bolts? Good idea though.

[@DrakeVR125Z]

Nice work, did you use right hand screws on one side and left hand screws on the other side? Thank you very much for the advice :)

[@fredrose1464]

It’s a good question but no. It’s the nut on the end that spins, not the bolt so the direction doesn’t matter.

[@DrakeVR125Z]

@@fredrose1464 Yeah, I didn't realize that. You are right, thanks for the comment and the great tutorial. I'll try it on my railing too. Thanks :)

[@GGarcia7111]

Harbor freight has a hydraulic tool specially for that. Runs about 39$. Works as good as the 350$ tool from Europe

[@Obseye777]

specially for what?

[@Glasi154]

You just forgot to mention that I will need a workshop to do all process. At the end of the day, if you don't have the expensive tools and enough space to do a workshop, the project ended up being expensive.

[@Vinterfrid]

I was just thinking the very same - if you had to invest money in buying all these electrical gadget (plus having some place to be using them) you'd end up with very high sum. However, the idea of DIY is good!

[@goinginsane37098]

Whew wow. Some people have these “common” tools. What expensive electrical gadgets are you two referring to?

[@peterbrockley]

For my deck it required twelve feet of drilled holes. Impossible with your method. Have to use a lathe and used 1 7/8 chain link pipe for the uprights. Cost 150 for forty feet of railing.

[@Ninjump]

Thank you for sharing your ideas!

[@jtltet]

Looks good but how much tension is on the cables? Would they really function as a safety barrier if someone were to fall into them? Also, on the end post, I think it might have looked nicer if you would countersink the nuts so you don't see them.

[@fredrose1464]

The tension on the cables isn't that strong. I really didn't want to mess with the view so too much tension would bow in the end posts. However, there is still plenty of tension to keep someone from falling. I've even had a few people lean on the cable and there hasn't been a concern. I weigh 250lbs and I leaned on them pretty hard just to be sure. Good call on the counter sink.

[@mcfezzee1]

Or use stainless steel accorn nuts for a clean finish instead of regular nuts.

[@sarahhancock1639]

What is the name of your effective cable cutting tool toward the end of your video?

[@fredrose1464]

They are just called cable cutters. www.harborfreight.com/10-inch-cable-cutter-40507.html

[@troydunn04]

could you recess the hole on the end with the nut so nothing is sticking out?

[@fredrose1464]

Sure. In my case the poles were in rough shape so I had to wrap them in 3/4” board so I wanted the washers to sit against that rather than the poles inside otherwise I probably would have recessed them.

[@wwaynemcg]

My concern is for a very tall post; that tightening could move the post a considerable bit. Any thought to run a 2x4 on edge, at the top, to hold the tension and prevent movement? Thx

[@fredrose1464]

wwaynemcg One of my goals with this project was to remove the top rail so the view would be better but you’re right that it’s a concern. To fix the problem I added a diagonal 2x4 at each end to brace the posts.

[@wwaynemcg]

@@fredrose1464 Thx. It looks 10 x better than wood pickets.

[@exhstbearing]

What was the cutter that was recommended?

[@Staalkabelstunter]

A normal wire cutter keeps your cable round.

[@irainkoolaid]

no guardrail? is this permitted by your town or nah?

[@thefreedomchopper4027]

My town does not require it as long as it will sustain a 200lb push.

[@treymatlock3775]

Curious..sorry for not being very smart but... does the cable tighten up when you tighten up the nut?

[@fredrose1464]

Trey Matlock sure does. It’s a super simple design.

[@treymatlock3775]

@@fredrose1464 unfortunately mine just spun and didn't tighten.

[@fredrose1464]

You need to hold the bolt with a pair of players so it doesn’t spin while you tighten it.

[@nesurgrep]

Hey Fred - I have to hand it to you - a well produced video with attention to detail and great detail! The total was nice , I’m curious how much time to drill out each bolt?

[@fredrose1464]

With the hand drill it took about 5 minutes per bolt. When I switched to the drill press each bolt only took about 2 minutes.

[@nesurgrep]

Fred Rose Good deal - regarding the spaces between each cable - was that simple a string line level or another method of perfectly balanced straight holes through each post.

[@fredrose1464]

Eric Landry I made a jig with a 2”x6” board so I could just hold it up to each post and start the holes.

[@pookiekochatchawan1942]

This looks great. Question- How do you pre-drill all the holes and make sure they go thru the post straight? Anyone knows please let me know. Thank you!!

[@fredrose1464]

I measured out a jig to line up the holes. Here’s a good tip for drilling a straight hole. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6nTg5uqhcqdgNU

[@Diycanada560]

just wondering if this is safe as a pool fence ? are the cables tight enough so kids can not get through ?

[@fredrose1464]

Nick Rod my cable’s definitely are. You can separate them enough to push a softball through but that’s it. You could always add more cables and put them closer together if you wanted to play it safe.

[@Diycanada560]

@@fredrose1464 cables should then be vertical to prevent child from climbing I guess

[@fredrose1464]

If they want over that bad there’s nothing you’re going to do to stop them.😉

[@luckystrike656]

I have to to mine in the next few days. I have metal post....

[@DouglasJonesGaming]

Very nice

[@Druidor]

Nice Idea, but would scare me having a wire barrier like that that far above ground with kids.

[@wallacewimmer5191]

👍👍

[@jamesl2188]

Hi where can I buy these cable railing stuff online?

[@fredrose1464]

You should be able to find everything on Amazon. Here are the bolts for example. www.amazon.com/Carriage-Square-Stainless-Partial-Quantity/dp/B01FGBW5YQ/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=stainless+steel+3%2F8+x+8+bolts&qid=1568810918&s=gateway&sr=8-8

[@fredrose1464]

PinehurstBands I actually bought mine at Menards. The length depends on how thick your posts are. Mine were 5” thick so I needed to go to an 8” bolt. www.menards.com/main/hardware/fasteners-connectors/bolts/carriage-bolts/grip-fast-reg-3-8-16-x-8-stainless-steel-grade-18-8-carriage-bolts-4-count/2320021/p-1444421542012.htm

[@leepotter8511]

Not sure what your building codes are but that top cable is not a legal hand rail in most places.

[@lauratohome]

You don’t wear eye protection why not? you know better.

[@bobbray9666]

Your crimps most likely wouldn't stop an adult from falling through the cables. You should at least have crimped them three times, turning direction by 1/4 on each crimp. Otherwise you create an oblong hole from a round one, which has little holding power. Also, I'd use a drill press to accurately drill out the threaded rod with a clamping jig. You won't break drill bits like by drilling by hand, which is not perfectly parallel to the rod and also makes the hole bigger as you wobble with a hand drill. You better hope you don't have someone fall through the cables. The money you saved could bankrupt you. At least do it right before you sell. I installed about 3000 ft of cable rail at my home and doing it right lets me sleep at night.

[@stuffluster]

No way this is to code and that looks like a pretty big drop. I think you should redo this.

[@georgea0731]

So what code are you referring to? 36 inch residential, no more than 4" sphere spacing, and support 200 lbs. what am I missing?