Frequently Asked Questions
Cable has become an excellent railing material because of Johnson Architectural Hardware. When the natural beauty surrounding a home or building is too precious to block with an ordinary railing, Johnson's cable railing makes the most sense. Johnson Architectural Hardware cable railings creates an unblocked view and satisfies code. Cable will take any path you make for it but there are some rules to follow in order to satisfy code for railings. The following is a guideline to commonly asked questions:
Q: What is a Turnbuckle? A:
A turnbuckle is a metal coupling device consisting of right and left hand threaded members screwed into an internally threaded body which when rotated expands or contracts.
Q: What is a Machine Swage Fitting? A:
A machine swage fitting is attached to the cable by a swage machine which cold forms the fitting directly to the cable. A swage fitting should not be confused with Hand Crimp fittings or other hand tool applied fittings. A specialized swaging machine is the only way to attach swage fittings to cable. Swage fittings can not be Hand Crimped, welded, glued, hammered or attached to a cable by any other means other than a swage machine.
Q: What is a Hand Crimp Fitting? A:
Hand Crimp fittings were first designed and manufactured by C. Sherman Johnson Co., Inc. in 1969. Hand Crimp fittings are attached to the cable with a Johnson-made Hand Crimp Tool model #53-210 or #53-215. Hand Crimp fittings should not be confused with Nicopress fittings. Nicopress fittings have sleeves that are made from soft copper alloy and compress very easily. All Johnson Hand Crimp fittings are made from stainless steel and can not be swaged, welded, glued, pressed in a vise or with vise grips or attached to the cable by any means other than the Johnson tool #53-210, #53-21.
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Johnson Architectural * Tel 800.874.7455 * Fax 860.873.8589 * www.csjohnson.com
Q: What is a Mechanical Fitting? A:
A mechanical fitting is attached to the cable by the fitting compressing the cable with a cone inside the fitting and or the cable. Mechanical fittings are assembled to the cable with simple hand tools. Mechanical fittings are larger in diameter than Swage and Hand Crimp fittings and can be reused with a new cone but carry a hefty price tag.
Q: What type of cable do I use? A:
Generally 1x19 cable should be used for all railing applications. 1x19 cable is stiff and low stretch, perfect for railings with runs up to 50 feet. 7x7 cable is more flexible with more stretch and can be used for railings with very short runs. 7x19 is very flexible and should never be used for cable rails.
1 x 19
7x7
7 x 19
Q: What size cable do I use? A:
3/16" cable is the most popluar size and good for most railing applications. In high traffic applications such as airports, stadiums or amusement parks, 1/4" cable is highly recommended. For residential applications where view and unobtrusiveness are paramount, 1/8" cable works well.
Q: Do I need a turnbuckle in my cable assembly? A:
Yes. Cable works great for railing but only if you have the ability to tighten it with a turnbuckle or with a through-bolted threaded terminal. Even if you had some way of pre-tensioning the cable and attaching it without a turnbuckle or threaded terminal, the cable would eventually stretch through people leaning against it, children climbing, the building settling, etc... You want the ability to go back six months later and tighten up the cable.
Q: Does Johnson make cable assemblies? A:
No. Johnson manufactures the fittings but does not make complete cable assemblies. Our 50 year history enables Johnson to provide you with a cable fabricator near you from across the country. Please call us for the information you need.
Johnson Architectural * Tel 800.874.7455 * Fax 860.873.8589 * www.csjohnson.com
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