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I have added an anodized aluminum guardrail to the edge of my raised patio on one side. The other sides are surrounded by wood guardrails. The wood posts are roughly 3" x 3" pine, and the aluminum posts are approximately 2" x 2".

The metal guardrail section is not as strongly anchored as the wood sections, so I want to secure the end aluminum posts to the wood posts to ensure they do not fail. However, they are positioned roughly 6-12" away from each other at odd angles (i.e., not perpendicular). How can I best attach these posts to one another in a rigid way?

My first thought was to buy quarter-inch anodized aluminium strips and and bend them to the appropriate angles, but I don't know if I can easily do that - plus it requires drilling holes through the aluminum strip to anchor it into the metal posts and wood posts. Finally, I'd want them to also be a black finish (like the metal guardrail) so it would match. I haven't been able to find vendors that easily supply this material, so I'm wondering if my approach is misguided.

Is there any easier way to accomplish this?

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  • I'd be concerned about the fact that "The metal guardrail section is not as strongly anchored as the wood sections" - I'm not sure that attaching the metal railing to the wooden one will do that much to secure the metal railing. Pics (overview and detail) of the attachment points of the metal railings, wood railings, and the section to be joined, and a sketch of what you're planning on doing will help a lot.
    – FreeMan
    Commented May 22, 2020 at 16:55
  • Anodized colors are hard to match , home anodizing is not hard at all and can be done with Diluted battery acid and a battery charger. Once the anodized layer is created then a soak in hot colored dye provides the color. There are fixers that can be used after the dye don’t know if you really need fixer for this application. Some people use the Rit clothing dye. I would suggest making your part bending or whatever prior to anodizing. Anodized coating are harder than the aluminum and crack when bent if anodized first. You may want to target a neutral color between the 2 colors matching is tough
    – Ed Beal
    Commented May 22, 2020 at 17:34

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Use wood. I would cut 1x4 or 2x4 pieces and miter them to match the angle(s). Then prime and paint black. This is a simple, strong, durable method and you could rip them to whatever width is aesthetically pleasing to you.

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