How to Buy
Download a PDF version of our price/quote sheets.
CA1030
Ball End Terminal and Threaded Stud, great for angle applications especially on steel for going a stair and terminating at the end of a level horizontal run using the Threaded Stud to tighten the cable.
CA1040
Deck Terminal and Threaded Stud, used for face mounting to posts next to a wall, angle applications, or with shared posts.
CA1050
Toggle Jaw and Threaded Stud, used mostly with steel applications or when using eye bolt.
CA1070
A Toggle Jaw Turnbuckle with a Toggle Jaw end fitting on the opposite end. Used with steel applications or when using eye bolts on both ends.
Terminal Tuner
The Terminal Tuner is used with conventional threaded studs as an alternative to the traditional nut and cap nut. The Terminal Tuner provides a pleasing, low profile look and is a great addition for highly visible termination points.
CA1015/1025/1045
The picture to the left shows the terminal tuner used in a few of the most common applications. The body of the fitting is concealed inside of the end post, leaving only the low profile head visible.
Beveled Washers
Used at the bottom of stairs to provide a tensioning surface on slope.
Turnbuckle
Bare Turnbuckle with swage to swage connections on each end for use within a cable run.
Stainless Spreader
The Spreader, when alternated between wooden posts, opens up the view while helping to maintain cable spacing and supporting the top rail.
Tools
We both rent and sell tools for cable installation. These include Cable Cutters, Cable Crimpers, Crimp Gauges, and Cable Tension Gauges
Deck Layout
Download our deck layout spec sheet in PDF format.
How Do We Sell Our Cable Systems
We sell both cable as a package for any railing system or full railing systems with cable infill.
Our railing systems come in both aluminum and stainless steel and include everything needed for installation. Our aluminum system uses a special baked on wet coating similar to automotive paint and come in four standard colors (black, brown/bronze, tan, and white). Clear anodized and custom colors are also available. Our stainless systems use sturdy, thick walled posts. They have a buffed finish that takes on a neutral look since it doesn't reflect light and blends in to the background. Both systems can be set up with either a wood or metal top rail.
We are happy to work with homeowners doing their own projects; contractor’s interested in expanding into cable, or architects looking for design ideas. In larger projects we’ll often work with all three along with local metal fabricators bidding on the projects.
Engineering Details:
1. A normal run of cable may get into the 60 or 70 foot range and since we find that 1-1/2" of adjustment is good for only about 50 feet. you will have to design another adjustment into the assembly which could either be another "Threaded Stud" or a "Turnbuckle". This all varies quite a bit with the railing design. A straight run is easy to figure. As you get more complicated with an arc (radius), angles, etc. the need to cover yourself with adequate adjustment is important.
2. Access to the back side of the posts nearest the house dictates the style of fitting. You need almost 3” of clearance to tighten and cut off the threaded studs. If using a "Stanchion Terminal" (CA1020) then you have to feed the cable starting between the house and post.
3. If the post is next to the house, preventing access behind it, a "Face Mounted" fitting, such as a CA1040, will need to be used. The CA1040 is called a "Deck Terminal". It attaches with two screws into wood or threaded 1/4-20 stainless bolts in a hollow aluminum or steel post.
4. Cable layout along with planning the post configuration and spacing is very important. With two post corners or special 45 degree aluminum posts, turning corners is fairly easy. Our special nylon grommets for the aluminum posts allow the cable to slide freely in the posts and around corners. We use stainless hollow pins in wooden posts on the angled cable sides to allow the same thing and to keep the cable from cutting into the wood over time. Recent testing has shown that you can use 2" pipe or 2" square tubing for a corner and run the cable through it at a 90 degree angle for your corners if proper tensioning is planned.
5. Vertical spacing of cables should be at or near 3".
6. Free horizontal runs of cable should be kept to 4 feet if you want the cable tension kept low. You could have posts at 8 feet and add a cable spreader (shown above) to keep the cable close together at mid span.
7. Tension will be above 140 lbs. if you want the cable to feel good. As the span gets wider you will have to up the tension accordingly. We have tested both cedar and fir wooden posts and find that of course fir is better, but at 200 lbs. assuming 10 cables you can already see a noticeable bend in the end posts. Anything above 250 lbs. will probably cause some permanent bending over time. For this reason we prefer the post spacing not to exceed 4 feet unless 4x6 or 6x6 end posts are used.
Cable Assembly Details:
A. Each threaded fitting has approximately 1-1/2” of available adjustment. The typical Threaded Stud then has 1-1/2” and the Turnbuckle with two, 2 threaded members has twice that or approximately 3”. All of this depends on how well the cable is cut which dictates the finished length of the cable assembly. The overall length of any particular run along with number of turns, etc. will dictate type of fittings.
B. We primarily use 1/8" and 3/16" cable for decks and walkways. Larger cable and different styles of fittings are also available. .
C. The second thru sixth assemblies shown have only one threaded adjustment and should be limited to an application of 50 feet or less. These first five assemblies will handle the majority of cable applications you may have. For longer lengths you should use add a turnbuckle somewhere in the run.
D. Cable comes in several different woven configurations. Most of the cable used in this sort of application is 1x19 or 7x7. Each has its own best use that depends on how you run the cables and what you are trying to do. We can help here.
E. Stainless cable for these applications is available in basically two different alloys, 304 and 316. The 316 is the most corrosion resistant and the one we stock, but 304 is available if needed.
F. With only one or two exceptions, all fittings are sailboat marine grade lifeline fittings or better. Others will be available such as the common "NicoPress" sleeves, stops and thimbles for making simple ends and for those with in eye.
G. With a small investment in tools, you can have all that you would need to install the assemblies shown on this site. See the tool page.
H. We can provide finished length factory swaged assemblies. We have found that having one fitting factory installed and then cutting the cable and installing one fitting on the other end of each cable in the field has its advantages. Installing one fitting in the field allows us to run the raw end through smaller holes in the mid posts and to cut the cable to the lengths we need for any particular run. It also avoids any measuring errors as often happens when doing finished cables which can scrap an entire set of cables.
One job in California, we used the CA1040 left fitting on both ends with a Turnbuckle in the middle because the owner couldn't get to the backside of his two end posts. They were too close to the house. We installed a field crimped stud in the "Turnbuckle" so he could thread the long portion of the cable with a raw cut end around to the "Turnbuckle", mark and cut the cable and crimp on the stud. This allowed him to face mount both ends with the swivel fittings as shown on one end in CA1040 using two 1/4" stainless lag screws and then tighten the cable with the turnbuckle which has two each, threaded studs giving over 3" of total adjustment which was an overkill for his application, but needed based on the layout and worked fine.
We are happy to assist with the design. To assist you we need a small detailed drawing in plan view that shows the deck layout, levels, and stairs. Stairs should include the sloped length and whether they go up or down. If you have existing columns as in an upper deck or roof support they need to be called out and noted that you want the cable running through them or stopping and starting at the post or column.
