Stainless Steel Wire Rope Suppliers
- garrick56
- Dec 8, 2016
- 2 min read
There are three main different types of stainless steel wire rope and wire rope fixing that can be used for balustrading as follows: -
1 x 19
1 x 19 refers to the number of strands that make up the total diameter of the wire rope. 1 x 19 would be 19 individual strands that make up one larger strand. See image. This type of stainless wire rope is best used where no flexibility in bending is required as it doesn’t bend around corners that well. In order to fix it to the uprights of the balustrade one needs to make use a button head and swage system and terminate the wire rope at a corner and start a new run. The swages and button heads are crimped on to the wire rope using a specialised crimping tool. This is the type we commonly keep in stock as we’ve found with the others you often get a rogue strand that tarnishes.
7 – 7
Again 7 x 7 refers to the number of strands that make up the total diameter as well as the number of strands that make up each of the 7 strands. See image. This type of stainless wire rope has more flexibility and can take slight turns but still can’t turn back on itself 180 degrees. As such the swage and button heads system still needs to be used but slight corners can be taken without having to start a new run of wire rope.
7 x 19
As you can imagine 7 x 19 stainless wire rope is made up 7 Strands each of which are made up of 19 strands to get to the total diameter. This wire rope is flexible and can turn back on itself 180 degrees. As such turn buckles can be used to fix it to the uprights by bending the wire rope around the eye of the turn buckle and crimping it with the turn buckle’s crimping system. The turn buckle itself is fixed to the upright.
We stock largely the 1 x 19. I’ve found installing balustrades that it does have some flexibility in that it can take a gentle curve. Imagine it rolled up on the spool in the pic. It can bend to a degree but can’t take a 90 degree bend successfully.
We have a crimping tool designed for a 4mm wire rope to fit the swages and button heads that are designed for this 4mm wire rope. This is available for hire at a nominal charge.
Clients often choose to buy swages throughout instead of button heads on one end as this gives you more flexibility in tensioning the wire from both ends. They can be finished with a neat stainless dome nut if required.
Please contact us using the contact us form below or call me, Garrick Dunstan, on 082 496 5444 for stainless steel wire rope or other timber decking materials.
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