HANDRAIL MOULDINGS, FITTINGS AND CASTINGS Download our entire Traditional Railing Components section in PDF format (1.5MB download, requires Adobe Acrobat) or visit our Downloads page for more catalog viewing options. HANDRAIL MOULDINGS A wide selection of handrail mouldings are available from stock in aluminum, bronze, nickel-silver, stainless steel and steel. Matching fittings are available for many handrail profiles. POSTS AND ORNAMENTAL BALUSTER BARS Ornamental baluster bars are available in 36" and 42" lengths. Posts are produced from solid stock. Baluster bars may be combined to meet 4" space requirements. POST CAPS, COLLARS, FINIALS A variety of post caps, collars, and finials are available in aluminum, bronze, nickel-silver, stainless steel, and steel to meet a variety of design applications. Private Residence Fabricator: Weber Metal Crafts, Philadelphia, PA This section illustrates the numerous handrail mouldings, fittings, and ornamental railing components carried in stock in aluminum, bronze, nickel-silver, steel, and stainless steel. Most can be used with the various railing systems described in Catalog 18. Aluminum extrusions are of alloy 6063 which is preferred for its bright color, corrosion resistance, and ease of fabrication. It is suitable for anodizing, including most of the hard coat color finishes. Bronze extrusions are of alloy C38500, architectural bronze, preferred for its rich gold color and workability. Nickel-Silver extrusions are of alloy C79800. Sometimes referred to as white bronze, nickel-silver is a copper/nickel alloy. It is similar in color to stainless steel, with golden highlights. Stainless Steel components are of type 304, 18-8, chrome nickel alloy which has high resistance to corrosion. Steel handrails are hot-rolled carbon steel, C1010. Cast aluminum fittings are produced from Almag 35, suitable for clear anodizing. Bronze castings are of alloy C86500 for a good color match with extruded bronze. Nickel-silver fittings are cast to match extrusions. All non-ferrous fittings are satin finished; bronze and nickel-silver fittings are protected with a clear lacquer. Fittings for use with steel handrail are cast from malleable iron which is weldable and bendable. It is important to be aware that due to the difference in tolerances between extruded handrail and cast fittings, butt joints usually require special attention to assure proper match. All items are carried in stock in substantial quantities and are normally available for immediate shipment. Materials are produced and handled with great care. Items are thoroughly protected for shipment by wrapping and/or crating so as to assure a product well-suited for architectural finishing. For structural engineering data, see pages 123-130 of Catalog 18. For handrail brackets, see pages 86-95. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): The Americans with Disabilities Act adopted by Congress in 1992 required handrails to be 1-1/4" minimum and 1-1/2" maximum. However, the ADAAG Manual—July 1998, published by US Architecture and Transportation Barriers Compliance Accessibility Guidelines, has now clarified the intent of the dimensional requirements to be 1-1/4" minimum to a nominal 2" maximum. It is important to note that Section 4.26.2 Size and Spacing of Grab Bars and Handrails of the ADAAG Manual states in part, "Standard IPS pipe designated by 1-1/4" to 1-1/2" is acceptable." ADAAG also allows handrails which provide an equivalent gripping surface. ANSI117.1-98 defines this alternative: equivalent gripping surfaces are permitted provided they have a perimeter dimension of 4" (100mm) minimum and 6-1/4" (160mm) maximum and provided their largest cross-section dimension is 2-1/4" (57mm) maximum. Back to top © Copyright 2000-2009 Julius Blum & Co., All Rights Reserved.