Key Clamp Tube
Galvanised key clamp tube in five sizes, cut to length free. Next-day delivery on stock orders. Quote within one hour.
Not Sure What You Need?
Send a sketch, a photo or your measurements. We draw it up free and quote within one hour.
Galvanised Key Clamp Tube: Sizes, Lengths and Free Cutting
Key clamp tube is galvanised steel tube in the five sizes our key clamp fittings are made for, 26.9mm to 60.3mm outside diameter. We stock it in five standard lengths, from 1.6m to 6.4m, and cut it to your lengths free before despatch.
It is the tube for handrail, guardrail, racking, shop fitting and frames built with key clamps. Stock orders go out for next-day delivery and we quote within one hour, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.
Tube Sizes
Each tube size matches one key clamp size. Order the tube and the fittings against the same number and they fit together: an A2-7 short tee fits size 7 (42.4mm) tube.
| Key clamp size | Tube outside diameter | Nominal bore | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size 5 | 26.9mm | 20mm (3/4") | Light frames, displays, garden structures |
| Size 6 | 33.7mm | 25mm (1") | Shop fitting, garment rails, shelving |
| Size 7 | 42.4mm | 32mm (1 1/4") | Handrail, guardrail, DDA handrail |
| Size 8 | 48.3mm | 40mm (1 1/2") | Handrail and guardrail uprights, barriers |
| Size 9 | 60.3mm | 50mm (2") | Heavier posts and frames |
The fittings are designed for steel tube to BS EN 10255 with a minimum wall thickness of 3.2mm.
Standard Lengths
Tube is listed in five standard lengths, each in all five sizes.
| Length | Sizes | Listing |
|---|---|---|
| 1.6m | 5 to 9 | Key clamp tube 1.6m |
| 2.13m | 5 to 9 | Key clamp tube 2.13m |
| 2.4m | 5 to 9 | Key clamp tube 2.4m |
| 3.2m | 5 to 9 | Key clamp tube 3.2m |
| 6.4m | 5 to 9 | Key clamp tube 6.4m |
Size 9 is also listed on its own as 60.3mm OD plain end galvanised tube in 3.2m lengths. If none of the standard lengths suits the job, give us the finished lengths and we cut them for you.
Not Sure What You Need?
Send a sketch, a photo or your measurements. We draw it up free and quote within one hour.
Free Cutting to Length
Send a cutting list with your order and we cut the tube in our warehouse before it leaves. You get lengths ready to fit, no cutting on site and less waste, at no charge.
- What to send. The size, the finished length of each piece and how many of each. A sketch with measurements works too: our free design service will turn it into a fittings list and a cutting list.
- Lead time. Stock orders are delivered next day across the UK. Orders that include tube cut to length can take two to three days, depending on your location and what you need.
- What it saves. A kayak club racked its boats with 500 clamps and 300 metres of tube, all cut to size free, and built it themselves with a single Allen key. A sports customer's cricket nets came cut, which cut their labour and fitting time.
How to Choose the Right Tube
- Size comes first. The tube is the main structural component of a key clamp structure, so choose the size before you choose fittings. Every key clamp fitting in a size fits every tube of that size.
- Check the fittings you need exist in that size. The G gradient and C slope fittings for stairs and ramps come in sizes 7 and 8 only. The A9 internal connector comes in sizes 6 to 8.
- Check the wall thickness. Internal fittings such as the A9 internal connector sit inside the tube, so they need tube with a maximum wall thickness of 3.2mm. The C65G metal end cap only suits 3.2mm wall tube.
- Check the load. For guardrail, load capacity depends mainly on the diameter, wall thickness and spacing of the uprights. Rails need only be 3.2mm wall and the same diameter as the upright. Maximum upright centres for 1100mm guardrail, by tube size and design load, are on our key clamps and tube page.
- Pick the lengths. Use a standard length where it fits the run, and give us cut lengths for the rest.
Which Tube for Which Job
- Handrail and guardrail. 42.4mm (size 7) and 48.3mm (size 8) are the sizes used in our key clamp handrail kits.
- Accessible handrail. The DDA handrail range is made for 42.4mm (size 7) tube. Our guide explains why DDA handrails are 42.4mm.
- Racking and frames. The tube size must be adequate for the loads expected. Ask us for load figures for horizontal tubes and vertical struts, and have the finished design checked by whoever signs it off.
- Shop fitting. Most shop fit work is in 33.7mm (size 6). See shop fit clamps and shop fit clamps and tube.
- Box section frames. For flat-faced furniture and displays, use square tube with our square fittings instead of round tube.
Finish and Standards
- Galvanised as standard. Fisher Alvin tube in 3.2m and 6.4m lengths conforms to BS EN ISO 1461.
- Powder coating. If you want a colour finish, ask for powder coating when you request the quote and we will build it into the price. One long-standing customer had fittings powder coated black and yellow to match an existing barrier.
- Outdoors. Galvanised tube with galvanised key clamps is used for outdoor handrail, barriers and frames. See key clamp handrail fittings for outdoor use.
Where Our Tube Has Been Used
- High tables for a riverside pub, built from a simple plan we turned into a bill of quantities and a cutting list: down by the river.
- A netting frame inside a greenhouse for breeding butterflies: little things add up.
- An allotment fruit cage, ordered from the customer's own cutting list: fruit cage.
- A parkour training frame, picked, cut and sent out within days: parkour frame.
More on the projects page.
How to Order Tube
- Choose the size from the table.
- List the standard lengths you want, or the cut lengths.
- Add the key clamp fittings for the job so it all arrives together.
- Request a quote, email [email protected] or call 01905 779944. We quote within one hour, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.
- Delivery is charged at cost, depending on weight, volume and your location, and confirmed with your quote before anything is despatched.
Why Buy Tube from Fisher Alvin
- All five sizes in stock, with next-day delivery on stock orders.
- Cut to length, free.
- Quote within one hour, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.
- Free design service. Send a sketch and we list the tube and fittings.
- Founded in Birmingham in 1912, now based in Cradley Heath.
Key Clamp Tube Questions
What sizes of key clamp tube do you stock?
Five sizes: 26.9mm, 33.7mm, 42.4mm, 48.3mm and 60.3mm outside diameter, known on our listings as sizes 5 to 9.
What lengths does the tube come in?
Standard lengths of 1.6m, 2.13m, 2.4m, 3.2m and 6.4m, or cut to the lengths you give us.
Do you charge for cutting?
No. Cutting tube to length before despatch is free. Orders with cut tube can take two to three days.
What wall thickness do key clamp fittings need?
The fittings are designed for steel tube to BS EN 10255 with a minimum wall thickness of 3.2mm. Internal fittings such as the A9 internal connector need tube with a maximum wall thickness of 3.2mm.
Is the tube galvanised?
Yes. Tube is supplied galvanised as standard, and our tube in 3.2m and 6.4m lengths conforms to BS EN ISO 1461.
Can I get coloured tube?
Yes. Ask for powder coating when you request a quote and we will build it into the price.
Which tube size should I use for a handrail?
Our handrail kits use 42.4mm (size 7) or 48.3mm (size 8) tube, and DDA handrail fittings are made for 42.4mm. For guardrail, upright spacing depends on the tube size, wall thickness and design load, so check the upright centres table before you order.
Tube Guides and Related Ranges
Read first: how to choose the right key clamp size, key clamp fittings versus traditional pipe joining, key clamp handrail fittings for outdoor use and the key clamp FAQs.
Related ranges: key clamp fittings, key clamp handrail kits, DDA handrail range, shop fit clamps and square fittings. Download the brochures.
Recent projects
A few of the jobs we have supplied. Every one was quoted, drawn up and delivered by the Fisher Alvin team.
Tell Us the Job. We Quote Within One Hour.
In working hours, with a free design service if you need the layout drawn up. Or call 01905 779944.