Can't get the two halves of my curtain rod to go together!

NibblyPig

So I bought a bog standard curtain rod and it comes with a plastic ring that I assume goes around the smaller rod to create friction when it goes into the bigger rod, however after 15 minutes of swearing I can't get the blasted thing to go in. It's simply too tight.


I wonder if anyone has any tips, am I doing it wrong or is there a better way?

bob_a_builder

Bit of washing up liquid on the moving parts ?

Murmansk

If you slide the slimmer tube into the bigger tube does it fit very snugly or is there a gap and a fair bit of play? If it fits snugly the plastic thing might be intended to go inside the bigger tube and be pushed along as you insert the slimmer tube. Plastic fittings I've seen like that usually don't have a gap in but are a ring and have a collar on them so they fit in the larger tube, don't slide all the way down it and provide a tight fit for the slimmer tube.

NibblyPig

There's enough of a gap to make it rattle, it feels like it's fractionally too big, maybe I can sand it or heat it up or something

No dice with putting the smaller rod in the freezer then washing up liquid, the thing is just SLIGHTLY too tight.

NibblyPig

Cheap and cheerful I suppose, I just wrapped the instructions (an a5 piece of paper) around and slotted them together, seemed to work! In future I will just try to buy a long one and use a pipe cutter!

anteguardian

Murmansk said:

If you slide the slimmer tube into the bigger tube does it fit very snugly or is there a gap and a fair bit of play? If it fits snugly the plastic thing might be intended to go inside the bigger tube and be pushed along as you insert the slimmer tube. Plastic fittings I've seen like that usually don't have a gap in but are a ring and have a collar on them so they fit in the larger tube, don't slide all the way down it and provide a tight fit for the slimmer tube.

Murmansk is correct as to the use of the plastic bit - and as he says these are usually a full circle of plastic so they stay at the open end of the big pole and then the slimmer pole should slot nicely in so there is a uniform space between the big pole and slimmer pole where they meet (it also stops the big pole and slim pole from damaging one another and causing bends/scratches). 

Jeepers_Creepers

Hi NP.

Any chance of a sideways pic of that collar?

silvercar

Are you sure the plastic thing isn’t for fitting the finial onto the thinner tube at the opposite end of the rail?