Choosing tube inserts and end caps – Part 1

With such a wide range of tube inserts and end caps available through BPF Online, you could be forgiven for not knowing where to start when it comes to choosing a tube insert or end cap for your tubular poles and furniture. In part 1 of our Guide to Choosing Tube Inserts and End Caps, we demystify the different types of tube inserts and end caps available. Once you know what type of tube insert or end cap that you need, all that is left is to work out the size, but we’ll help you with that in the next blog, which will be Part 2 of our Guide to Choosing Tube Inserts and End Caps.

Types of tube inserts and end caps

Ferrule external caps

External fitting ferrule caps sit across the outside of a table or chair leg or tube. A ferrule, like a rim, sits inside the end cap and helps the cap to grip the application. They prevent dust and dirt from entering the tube, which can cause degradation of your furniture and equipment. External ferrules also help prevent scratching and can help provide strength and protect the furniture from becoming damaged through knocks and bumps in use.

Standard tube inserts

Standard tube inserts sit within a tube and, as such, can have better staying-power than an external cap, so are more suited to chairs and tables. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, including round tube inserts, square tube inserts, rectangular tube inserts and oval tube inserts.

Threaded tube inserts

Threaded tube inserts allow for a foot or leg to be threaded into the pole. This can provide a secure way to fit tilting adjustable feet, adjustable legs, castors and glides, extending the product’s versatility.

Tube connectors

Tube connectors are manufactured specifically to join two tubular frames together securely. Often used in building exhibition stands and boards, these create a robust enough connection to build a metal frame.

Saddle feet

Saddle feet aren’t technically a tube insert, but they do clip to the outside of a tubular frame to prevent marking or scratching floors. There is often a small peg which slots into a hole in the frame of the chair to secure it.

Glides

Glides can be added using a tube insert. These are feet that are fitted to the end of desk, chair or furniture legs to provide grip and prevent damage to floors and hard surfaces through dragging furniture. Furniture glides make it easier to tuck chairs in or to move a table. They also reduce noise as, by gliding, you avoid furniture being scraped across the floor. Our tilt glides are perfect for furniture sitting on uneven surfaces.

Table leg height adjusters

Table leg height adjusters sit within a frame and provide a foot that can be extended to increase the height of the furniture unit. The perfect solution to achieve the perfect desk height for tall desk workers.

Stacking buffers

Stacking buffers are like little buttons you attach to the outside of a chair or table frame by slotting it into a hole in the furniture legs. They make it possible to stack furniture easily and safely without the risk of damage to the chair or table. Most chair users won’t realise stacking buffers are even present, but these useful little devices can extend the life of chairs that are regularly stacked away.

Scaffold caps and base plate

Scaffold caps and base plates tend to be external tube fittings that site with a ferrule across the outside end of the tube. These help to extend the integrity of scaffold poles by preventing water and dirt, which can cause premature rusting and degradation from being trapped within the poles.

Tube connectors and expanders

Our range of tube connectors and expanders can enable you to build a frame from tubes. Typical applications for these include Flipboard frames, exhibition frames and display boards, and sometimes even desk dividers or garden applications such as fruit nets and cold frames. Our tube expanders can also enable two tubes to connect end-to-end for a longer tube, or with our telescopic tube connectors you can connect two tubes of different lengths for telescopic applications.

For more information on how to measure up for any of these internal or external tub fittings, visit our blog [link] or for advice on finding the right internal or external tube fitting, you can reach us on 0844 7766800 or chat with our friendly advisors online. We’ll help you find the right tube fitting for your application.