This applies to almost all gates and railings. In a perfect world. it is ideal to have a centre bar to work from. This makes it easier to produce an attractive pattern. But this is not always possible, it will depend on the size of the gate or railing. If you are using the cheaper fixed space 100mm method, getting a centre bar is not always possible.
With a centre bar.
As a first example i am going to use a railing designed to fit a 1700mm gap. With the ladder having 400mm space between the horizontal bars. Further down i will show examples of what to do without a centre bar.
When a centre is present, most designs are based on a mirror image of the left and the right, with the centre bar being where the mirror line is. or point of symmetry
Plain railing with no top decoration, based on the 100mm gap between bars system. With an upright bar count of 15. being an odd number of bars we know there is a centre to work from. Everything usually works outwards from the centre bar.
The most obvious start would to be to place something on the middle bar. A single basket might be enough for your design needs. After all it could be highlighted in gold to make it stand out from the black railing. It is subtle and cheap do, adding some detail to an otherwise plain railing.
Not enough detail for your taste. you can then count out from the centre and place a second detail. As this panel has 15 bars, Place the basket on the fourth bar to the right of centre and the to left of centre. All very symmetrical but that’s what usually makes it look pleasing.
Still only 3 parts used here but the “outer” baskets have been moved towards the end of the railing.But it does change the look of the railing.
So placement is important, as it changes the look of any design.
But as you add more parts, The ability to position them becomes more limited. This the only option that works. Every third bar, on a railing this size you don’t have the option to try every fourth bar as the last basket would be “off” the railing.
Of course you could have 7 parts, by making it every other bar
Assuming you have the height, you can “mess” with the vertical position. This adds an extra dimension to the possibilities of design. Although this design is not mirror imaged from the centre bar. It still has a nice look to it. You can be as subtle or bold as you like when you “mess” with the vertical position. it really is your choice.
Again this assumes you have the height. But you can stack more than one part on a bar. On taller railings like a patio railing you might get away with stack 4 or 5 parts on a bar.
Up to this point, only Baskets have been used. Alternating parts, here baskets and rings changes the design.
Nothing new here, with the exception that instead of the basket being the centre bar. The circle is now the centre. An alternative universe version of the same railing
There is perhaps no reason why if you had two railings, the same size next to each other. That you can not have them as alternate. One with circle as centre bar and one with cage as centre bar. if it finished with a circle and the next started with a basket, its probably not a crime
Assuming three panels in a row, again you could “mix n match” choosing one as the centre panel, and use the alternative universe versions as the left and right of centre version. It really is personal choice.
Despite the scrolls being in exactly the same position as the cages. The spacings are wrong. It works for the cage but not the scrolls.
A scroll spans three bars. meaning if positioned the same as the basket you on have one plain bar not three. The correct position for the outer scrolls would be to move them out one bar from the centre than their current position.
But its also useful to point out as drawn, scrolls can be “flipped” up or down. The correct way up for them is the one you prefer.
Again there is always the option for those that can’t decide top or bottom, to have both. As you can see here in a short railing. It sooner eats the space up. But these railings are only drawn as 400mm between horizontal bars. Taller railings like Juliet balconies or patio railings give a much larger space to play with.
Just to point out even though you are using the centre as your “mirror” point, it does mean you have to have a bar with detail in the centre. A plain bar is fine.
Without a centre bar.
With no centre bar things are a little different. you can no longer work from a centre bar outwards.
1800mm long, results in no centre bar. But that isn’t a problem, nice designs can still be made.
You are still in effect working from the middle outwards, but you have a centre gap rather than a centre bar. So keep things looking symmetrical it is ideal to work from that point.
Because the bar count works nicely, it is possible here to have detail, then 4 plain bars followed by detail. but this would always depend on the number of bar in railing.
This pattern again works because of the bar numbers. on a smaller railing say 1600mm this wouldn’t really work, as the end two bars would be missing. Adjusting the baskets 1 space closer to the scrolls would allow the whole pattern to fit.
As simple pattern like this is not so dependant on bar count.
Of course when you use gap fillers like a circle, you have a centre gap
Centre fillers and scrolls
Infil
This is squares but it could easy be circles. At the top it becomes possible to use parts to fill a gap between bars. The restriction being is that you can’t go to the end. it has to be as drawn.
Attempting to cut part of a circle or detail in, will foul with the wall fixings
It is possible to use the top decoration of squares as infill and create a pattern in the vertical uprights. Bear in mind that top detail takes 100mm out of your available space. Of course now to make your cages look centred within the bar they are now welded in off centre.
There is no reason why the top detail is not contained within an extra horizontal bar. This was the tradition way of doing it. The above version was a cost saving way of getting a similar result, without the need to use extra material and weld in an extra bar.
Perhaps pointing out the obvious here. There is no reason why you can not use an alternating pattern, as an infill between gaps. Or that infill could be at the bottom rather than the top.
Conclusion
When i referred to millions of possibilities, in the bar design section. what that was based on is there are about 100+ possible bar designs in the longer bars. Lets assume a centre bar is present for ease of calculation. you have 100 choices of centre bar. when you add a third bar you have 100 choices on that third bar. which would give you 10,000 possible combination (. Add a fifth bar would make that 1 million possible combination. Adding in a seventh bar would make that 100 million combination.
Now i had forgotten about filling the top or bottom gaps with a space filling parts, or even using space fillers as part of the design. But there has to be a good few number of choices there. At least 10 for the top and the same for the bottom. you also have the choice of top design, railing heads, a few choices there, Scrolls as top decoration. So we must easily be into 10 billion possible combinations on a railing that is 800mm tall.
Of course that just mathematical permutations. The Vast majority of them, wouldn’t be my choice design.