All really good comments and true depending on ones location.
I practice on the Western side of Washington State and we have both wind and seismic loading that are both very real concerns. What I have experienced over the years is that the IRC is a minimalistic approach to building and I have...
Don't forget to take into account the thermal expansion and contraction for seasonal temperature variations. Your cables will go slack in the Summer heat and tighten back up in the Winter. If you tension the cables in the summer for your 4" sphere, you could have damage occur in the winter...
Yes, cable railing can be such a can of worms. Years ago I went down this path and came across information found online. I thought I had more information but this is all I could find from a project we did over 15 years ago. Hope it can help...
