corndogggy
10-13-2005, 10:12 AM
Say you had a 4x4 post where to the left of it you've got more posts that are cut at the same height for boundary rails, while on the right side there is a shorter one on a step for a handrail. At the minimum the handrail needs to match the handrail for a wheelchair ramp, which has two 3/4" inside diameter copper tubes in the middle at 12" and 24" then wood on top at 36". It would be nice if the boundary rail matched as well but it's not absolutely necessary.
What I'm running in to is that if I do match the boundary rails, some straight copper pipe has to be installed into the post in question plus the ones to the left of it for the boundary. Doing this will require me to remove the post on the right to allow access to the post in question. That's not a huge deal, but after that is done, I have to reinstall the outside post, then take copper pipe and install it into the outside post and the one in question, probably at about a 15 degree angle. This angled pipe has to meet up with the straight pipe, and since I have already drilled a hole for the straight pipe, I will have to take that hole and somehow tilt it at an angle, and both pipes can only poke into the post half way, like 1.75".
The problem with tilting it at an angle is that I will have to basically drill a new hole on top of the original hole but at an angle, and compounding this problem is that all I have this big for wood is spade bits. If you've ever drilled a big hole with a spade bit with a hand drill that overlaps another big hole, you'll know that it could potentially turn out into kind of a mess, the center of the spade bit wants fresh wood to act sort of a pilot guide or whatever you want to call it, it keeps the bit centered. Take that away, and your drill bit could start flopping everywhere and tear up some wood. I cannot tear this post up, too many things are bolted to it and it's set in concrete, unlike the outside post which is just sitting on top of concrete but braced.
So you can see my situation, I don't know if there is any alternatives other than:
1. risk it
2. buy a new 1" bit that's shaped normally, not a spade, and hopefully this will not dance around
3. forget the copper and just put wood on the boundary rails then put copper on the tilted handrail, then I wouldn't have to take out the outside post.
Also, since I'm here, is there anything that can be sprayed on copper to keep it shiny and not weathered/oxidized?
What I'm running in to is that if I do match the boundary rails, some straight copper pipe has to be installed into the post in question plus the ones to the left of it for the boundary. Doing this will require me to remove the post on the right to allow access to the post in question. That's not a huge deal, but after that is done, I have to reinstall the outside post, then take copper pipe and install it into the outside post and the one in question, probably at about a 15 degree angle. This angled pipe has to meet up with the straight pipe, and since I have already drilled a hole for the straight pipe, I will have to take that hole and somehow tilt it at an angle, and both pipes can only poke into the post half way, like 1.75".
The problem with tilting it at an angle is that I will have to basically drill a new hole on top of the original hole but at an angle, and compounding this problem is that all I have this big for wood is spade bits. If you've ever drilled a big hole with a spade bit with a hand drill that overlaps another big hole, you'll know that it could potentially turn out into kind of a mess, the center of the spade bit wants fresh wood to act sort of a pilot guide or whatever you want to call it, it keeps the bit centered. Take that away, and your drill bit could start flopping everywhere and tear up some wood. I cannot tear this post up, too many things are bolted to it and it's set in concrete, unlike the outside post which is just sitting on top of concrete but braced.
So you can see my situation, I don't know if there is any alternatives other than:
1. risk it
2. buy a new 1" bit that's shaped normally, not a spade, and hopefully this will not dance around
3. forget the copper and just put wood on the boundary rails then put copper on the tilted handrail, then I wouldn't have to take out the outside post.
Also, since I'm here, is there anything that can be sprayed on copper to keep it shiny and not weathered/oxidized?