Hi All,
I'm a bit stumped in coming up with ideas on how to solve this problem. Basically, the rails for my stairs are predrilled at the bottom. I suppose to allow a bolted-in installation in some heavier duty installs (they are commercial grade rails). Well, unfortunately, one of the rail cups was cemented in place, in just the right position, that one of the little grounding clips/tabs always falls right into one of these holes and then flips outward, into the cavity of the rail. The grounding clips in each cup are like a butterfly - there's an upper and lower tab, both connected at a mid point with a screw/rivet.
Anyway, this hole in the rail presents a problem in that when I try to remove the rail in the fall, the clip that falls into the whole holds the rail down. It's the bottom facing clip of course, so it grabs the lip of the hole and prevents me from pulling the rail out easily. I have to basically force the rail out, bending the clip 180 degrees. If I do this any more, I'm sure that ground clip is just going to break out. Maybe I don't need it, as that rail cup would have one more clip, and the other end of the rail has both clips intact, but I'd like to preserve it if I can. As I think about it, if I fill the hole with something non conductive, that clip probably wouldn't be grounding anyway...
I was thinking of something I might be able to insert into the rail end or something I could fill the hole with that might hold up to the movement and pressure.
I'm not sure how easy it is to visualize the problem...hopefully someone has an idea.
Thanks.
I'm a bit stumped in coming up with ideas on how to solve this problem. Basically, the rails for my stairs are predrilled at the bottom. I suppose to allow a bolted-in installation in some heavier duty installs (they are commercial grade rails). Well, unfortunately, one of the rail cups was cemented in place, in just the right position, that one of the little grounding clips/tabs always falls right into one of these holes and then flips outward, into the cavity of the rail. The grounding clips in each cup are like a butterfly - there's an upper and lower tab, both connected at a mid point with a screw/rivet.
Anyway, this hole in the rail presents a problem in that when I try to remove the rail in the fall, the clip that falls into the whole holds the rail down. It's the bottom facing clip of course, so it grabs the lip of the hole and prevents me from pulling the rail out easily. I have to basically force the rail out, bending the clip 180 degrees. If I do this any more, I'm sure that ground clip is just going to break out. Maybe I don't need it, as that rail cup would have one more clip, and the other end of the rail has both clips intact, but I'd like to preserve it if I can. As I think about it, if I fill the hole with something non conductive, that clip probably wouldn't be grounding anyway...
I was thinking of something I might be able to insert into the rail end or something I could fill the hole with that might hold up to the movement and pressure.
I'm not sure how easy it is to visualize the problem...hopefully someone has an idea.
Thanks.