CKE Upgraded 72 Pack Stainless Steel Right&Left Handed Thread Swage Lag Screws for 1/8 inch Cable Railing Kit, Decking Railing Hardware, DIY Baluster Kit

We replaced all the railings on a very large deck with this lag screw system and 1/8 inch wire. It took 2 of us about a day to do a raised wrap around deck (about 24 x 40 foot with a staircase and landing) and we needed to do 8 strands of wire on each run (about 600 feet of wire used) to meet the code requirement of 4 inches between each wire. The directions were clear. We rented a crimper (about $15/day) - best decision ever and also bought a hydraulic one online (about $100) . We made 3 crimps on each lag screw to ensure they held. We anchored the wires at each deck corner upright using the lag screws and drilled through uprights in the middle of each run (get a long drill bit LARGER than the 1/8 inch wire). Figuring out how to angle the wires on the stairs was the hardest part (we cut a piece of wood and used as a guide for drilling at about 30 degrees). We bent a few lag screws crimping until we got the hang of it and also got better at screwing these in as we went along. We are very happy with the results! This completely changed the look of the deck and modernized it a lot at a very reasonable cost.

We researched so many options for our deck’s cable railing before ordering these and we are SO glad we did. It was easy to install and also easy to hide the threads. So much nicer looking than turnbuckles, and much more bang for your buck than a feeney cable kit. Overall we are very happy with this product!

Installation tip: when cutting your cable length, I found that cutting the cable 1.25” shorter than the post to post measurement and the threads will just barely sink and disappear into the post providing the perfect tension.I was also able to crimp the cable using a ratcheting style terminal crimper and a bench vise. Two 12” pipes over each handle for leverage works also.Definitely predrill with provided drill bit and pre-thread with correct L/R hardware.Everything was packaged and labeled perfectly.

I ended up getting 4 different brands of these swage screws by the time I finished my deck project. As far as I could tell from appearance and performance they were all identical. So shop for the best price....The swages worked fine. I used a hydraulic crimper w/ a 4mm die and it held the cable without a problem. It is possible to crimp with these partially screwed in but be careful as the leverage from the crimper could cause them to bend. Crimp first and screw in if it is practical for your application.

This system was easy to install. I had one run that was 50 feet long with 6"X6" posts every 6 feet. Cables stayed tight. I used the recommended CKE crimp tool that worked great. I screwed lags in first leaving about 1" of thread expose, crimped one end, measured out the cable leaving about 1/2" of slack, then crimped the other end. Worked out perfectly leaving about 1/4" of the thread exposed for future adjustments. Tip: I used a toothpick to wedge cable in lag to hold during crimping. The hardest part was keeping the through holes straight, drilling through the 6"X6" post.

I installed the rail on two sides of my screened porch. I was happy with the product but there is a learning curve to this installation. I ordered just enough lags and when I screwed up one it took a little work to reverse my mistake. I would order a few extra in the future. This is for sure a two person job. It takes one to operate the swaging tool while the other holds the cable into tha lag. I bought the Mazurka swaging tool and the Knipex cable cutter. Was happy with the quality of all, but not sure if it would hold up for commercial use. It was a nice clean look when I finished.

Crimping is not easy. Too much and they bend, too little and the cable slips out. Wrench supplied is way too flimsy; the wrench "jaws" bend easily making the wrench useless.

Packaged well and came super quickly. I love the look of the cable railing and I don’t see why you’d want to do it any other way.