Part 2 in my series on installing stainless cable deck railing on the cheap. In this video, I review the hydraulic crimper tool used for swaging the cable ends onto the cable, and show how I made a holder for the tool to make crimping a whole lot easier.

These are the crimping and cutting tools that I use:
▶ Titan 11980 Hydraulic Cable Crimper https://amzn.to/2DPUptF - Only the 8 Guage Die was used for swaging both ends to the cable. This tool comes with a large set of dies, so I will be able to use it in the future for crimping electrical connectors and swaging cables. Cable railing retailers will rent crimpers, but the rental cost is as much as buying this tool.
▶ Cable Cutters - Most of the cable sellers on Amazon are trying to sell the small cable cutters, like these: https://amzn.to/2WKvcHA However, I found those to be very difficult to cut the 1/8in 1x19 cable without pinching your fingers. I think the larger strands make it difficult to cut. Therefore, I would recommend the larger 13" to 18" cutters, like these: https://amzn.to/32PBCtb

This is the stainless cable deck railing hardware that I purchased. This was the cheapest price that I could find and appears to be the same quality as the hardware sold by other brands on Amazon.
▶ $219.77 for 1000 Ft 1/8" 1x19 Cable Rail Korean Made Wire Stainless Steel 316: https://amzn.to/3hgJFTM
▶ If you don't need 1000ft of cable, try this alternate brand of 1x19 cable that has many different lengths available: https://amzn.to/366Xr9f
▶ $96.99 for 100 Pack Stainless Steel Threaded Terminal Tension Stud End for 1/8 Cable: https://amzn.to/30xTfLk
▶ $98.99 for 100 Pack Stainless Steel Stemball Cable Dead End for 1/8 Cable: https://amzn.to/3jhUEOt
▶ $9.99 for 100 Pack 1/4 Inch Stainless Flat Washer: https://amzn.to/3g0k8hr
Total Cost for hardware was only $425.74 which is $1000's less than buying from cable railing retailers. The main savings are the cable terminals. Cable railing retailers sell their terminal sets at prices upwards of $10-$15 a pair. The ones I bought cost less than $2 a pair. That adds up quickly when you have a lot of deck corners that weren't designed for cable railing, and therefore need to terminate the cables at each corner.

Most Amazon stainless cable sellers are selling the 7x7 1/8in cable instead of the 1x19 configuration. The 1x19 is preferred for cable railing because it has larger individual strands. That makes it more rigid, stronger, and more aesthetically pleasing. It was more difficult to find, but I finally found this high-quality, made-in-Korea, stainless 1x19 1/8in cable. https://amzn.to/3hgJFTM It only cost $220 for 1000 ft, making it $0.22 per foot, which is less than half the price that cable rail retailers want to sell their cable!

Additional installation tools that I had to buy

These are additional tools that are used to drill the wood posts. Details can be seen in this video Pt.3:    • Cheapest DIY Stainless Cable Deck Rai...  
▶ Wolfcraft 4525404 Multi-Angle Drill Guide https://amzn.to/3fMw2v5
▶ IRWIN QUICK-GRIP Bar Clamp, One-Handed, Medium-Duty, 12-Inch https://amzn.to/2CSC6nq
▶ Ryobi 18V Cordless Brushless Drill https://amzn.to/39dsFef
▶ 12in long 1/4in diameter drill bit -

Check out the whole series of stainless cable railing videos in this playlist:    • $ Cheapest & Best DIY Stainless Deck ...  

#deck #cable #rail #stainless #diy

The products shown here were purchased by me with the intent to use. I did not receive any free items, and I am not being paid or compensated for this review. The video and description may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link, I may receive a commission. Money earned helps to support my channel and bring you more informative videos about engineering, crafting, and DIY.