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The attachment shows one of 33 porch posts. The “railing” is 1/2″ tempered glass set into a groove in a concrete post. That’s backer rod sticking out, and it will be trimmed and caulked. The post is 4″ round concrete poured around 2″ channel steel welded to the main porch beam. It projects 2 1/2″ above the top edge of the glass.
I’m looking for ideas on finishing the top of the posts. I’ve been given a couple of ideas, and have a couple of my own, but none have played out completely in my mind. Obviously it needs some kind of cap so that water doesn’t get into the groove from above and freeze. Plus, the raw concrete top edge is not really dressed up enough.
I appreciate any ideas y’all might have. I’ll be sitting on the porch having a Moosehead (and keeping one cold for you) while I await your inspirations…
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Jim K,
Your attachment is a broken link. Please try again.
*Jim,I'm awed. Great photo - what a panorama.How about getting a tin-banger to make you caps out of copper or something? Couldn't tell from picture if your post was round or square, but either way you could have a cap w/ a shallow peak that would shed water, and look good too. Don't quite got it figured yet as to how to keep the water from shedding down into the channel though ... but a good sheet metal guy will figure it out.Geo.
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Ralph, any ideas? George got the picture, so the link must work at least some of the time, but it didn't work for you. I'll try it again at the end of this post, but I'd be doing the same thing.
George, thanks! And this is the view on a hazy day--normally have what they call a "long range view" here in the Southern Appalachians. The posts are round. Never thought of a copper cap--great idea! Best of all, I've used copper for f/p and other flashing, so there'd be consistency. Not to worry about water w/ your idea, the cap would extend beyond the caulk.
This sounds like something I could possibly "roll my own," so to speak. Make it an art project for my wife and bang a logo or design into the copper. Any copper experts out there?
Still interested in and appreciative of other ideas, too!
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Seems to be a browser problem, Netscape Navigator was unable to display the picture but MSIE did just fine. It is a problem to be addressed by the web hosting geeks.
Ralph, try MS Internet Explorer, it really is a spectacular view; I, as a flatland bogdweller, am jealous.
*Hi Jim...Nice view....My hang glider is packed....there are standard copper caps stocked at the lumberyards too if you want to see how others do it or purchase them...I have friends that are blacksmiths that do things like this too....have fun making them...Is the glass sanwich glass?...we did this once with plex and with a top rail slotted to aid in support...near the stream,aj
*Years ago my father made a mold ( two halves ) for my neighbor to cast concrete balls for fence post caps. I was small at the time and do not recall any details, just that it was done. I'll ask him soon if he remembers the details.I owned a building in RIchmond that had a facade to make the A roof gable facing the main street look like a two story building. The facade was wrapped with tin ( galvanized steel? ) as was the molding that mimicked the A roof line on the facade. At the bottom of the A ( the imitation soffit area ) on each side there were balls about 10" in diameter that were made from sheet metal. Maybe they were a stock hardware item at the turn of the century....Frank
*Rats, my computer came preloaded and I don't have the disk to install the Microsoft Explorer. I guess I just have to use my imagination for that view.Post caps - The copper top sounds like an excellent way to go and they are readily available. You could also go with stainless if your design will support the look of that material. A good shop could do a bangup job for you.How about lighting? I had a link but can't find it - maybe someone knows from the following description - Low voltage lighting (but it could be 110V)is embedded in rails, trim or post. Lexan or plexiglass bar or rod stock terminates at the light source and transmits an accent of light. You could use a lexan cap, topped with copper, with lighting embedded in the cap to give off a soft glow.
*Ralph,
View Image © 1999-2000"The first step towards vice is to shroud innocent actions in mystery, and whoever likes to conceal something sooner or later has reason to conceal it." Aristotle
*Thanks, JoeWorks like a champ. I'm a little higher on the rungs of the computer literacy ladder now.
*Ralph,
View Image © 1999-2000"The first step towards vice is to shroud innocent actions in mystery, and whoever likes to conceal something sooner or later has reason to conceal it." Aristotle
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Joe, quick question. You mentioned that this was really a .bmp file. But I use only Macintosh--I was told Wintel can give you cooties--which doesn't know .bmp from a hole in the ground, as far as I can tell. I created this as a jpeg in Photoshop. Would IE have turned this into a bmp? Inquiring minds want to know.
Ralph, my FedEx driver also suggested lights at the top of the posts! My wife perked up at your idea. Gonna search the web for more details on the things you suggested. Stainless steel would be interesting alternative to copper, too, as would Frank's concrete balls--no let me change that--the precast concrete balls Frank suggested.
AJ, just 1/2" tempered. Glass co contacted engineer, who said even 3/8 would provide sufficient strength. Not capping glass to not interrupt view. Have thought many times of hang gliding. Talking about that w/ plumber one day and he says, "Hey man, this'd be a great place to drop acid." He seemed to like the PVC glue a _bit_ too much.
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The attachment shows one of 33 porch posts. The "railing" is 1/2" tempered glass set into a groove in a concrete post. That's backer rod sticking out, and it will be trimmed and caulked. The post is 4" round concrete poured around 2" channel steel welded to the main porch beam. It projects 2 1/2" above the top edge of the glass.
I'm looking for ideas on finishing the top of the posts. I've been given a couple of ideas, and have a couple of my own, but none have played out completely in my mind. Obviously it needs some kind of cap so that water doesn't get into the groove from above and freeze. Plus, the raw concrete top edge is not really dressed up enough.
I appreciate any ideas y'all might have. I'll be sitting on the porch having a Moosehead (and keeping one cold for you) while I await your inspirations...
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Jim K,
View Image
© 1999-2000
"The first step towards vice is to shroud innocent actions in mystery, and whoever likes to conceal something sooner or later has reason to conceal it."
Aristotle