Metal collapsible tubes were invented in 1841 by an American artist named John Goffe Rand, for artists pigments. By 1889, Johnson & Johnson became the first major company to use them for packaging toothpaste. By the early 1900’s, collapsible tubes were being made on assembly lines and in the 1950’s, plastic tubes were introduced.
Tubes continue to evolve today, becoming more durable and even recyclable, using safer and more environmentally friendly materials. Squeeze tubes are practical and useful for a variety of products. But through it all, one question has always remained: How do you get that last little bit out of the tube.
Enter The Original Tube Wringer.
John Gill was the one who answered that question. In the 1970’s he invented The Original Tube Wringer, formed his company, and traveled the world promoting The Original Tube Wringer. The rest is history.
But what makes The Original Tube Wringer work? And how is it made? Let’s take a look into the science behind this practical and necessary tool.
No doubt, John Gill gave some serious thought and effort into creating the first tube wringer. Over the past hundred years, products in tubes were either getting left in the bottom of a tube, or maybe tubes were getting cut open and contents were being scooped out, which was likely a messy process.
John Gill saw the need for a tool that could help people save money and not waste the products they had paid for. He set out to produce the best tool for the job! We can imagine the hours he spent creating his prototype and trying out different materials that would be strong, long lasting, and efficient.
Finally, he invented The Original Tube Wringer that met his exact specifications and standards for the perfect tool to extract the last bit of contents from collapsible tubes.
So, what were the materials he used, and how did it work?
Our Metal Components
A few different metals make up The Original Tube Wringer. Some of them are steel, like the frames, pins, and keys. The qualities of steel were the best match for these elements of the tool. When John Gill was looking for the right materials, he most likely chose steel for a number of reasons.
Steel is strong and durable. It’s a versatile metal that has uses in many industries. It contains a small amount of carbon that improves the steel’s overall strength and durability. It is also more likely to be corrosion and abrasion resistant. This makes it a great material in The Original Tube Wringer! Some of these steel parts, like the frames and keys, are then Zinc coated for a shiny appearance. The pins are coated with a black oxide coating.
The rollers that you see on The Original Tube Wringer are made from aluminum. This type of metal is more lightweight than steel but still mighty in its strength. It’s also corrosion resistant and eco-friendly due to it being recyclable. And when new aluminum components are created using recycled aluminum, they often require less energy to create than other metals.
Using these types of metal for The Original Tube Wringer enables this tool to be of the best quality and remain durable for many years of continual use.
Our Plastic Parts
The plastic parts chosen for The Original Tube Wringer are made from something called Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Copolymer, or for short, ABS plastic. This type of plastic is known for being high quality and durable. Its ability to withstand heavy use was a key advantage to the loads of work it would be used for in the tube wringer.
ABS Plastic is also known to be impact resistant, chemical resistant (including acids, alkalis and various solvents), and is fully recyclable.
How It All Comes Together
Putting these quality parts into one working mechanism is where it all comes together. Parts are assembled by hand in the United States, (Eugene, Oregon to be exact), and are carefully crafted and inspected to be sure you are receiving the best quality tube wringer money can buy. You can view the video of how they are assembled here.
The way this tool works is not complicated, but it is well thought out, and a bit intricate. When the tube is placed between the two rollers and is forced through the process of flattening, the contents are squeezed out of the top. But that’s not all!
The crimping mechanism has a deeper purpose than just making cool crimping designs and having the ability to be used as a jewelry making tool. It actually closes off the empty portion of the tube so that the content stays where you want it to and won’t move back down the tube.
When using The Original Tube Wringer, you get the best designed tool to get that last bit of product from every tube. John Gill put a lot of thought and engineering into this device and the science of how it works is simple, yet effective.
With the materials used, the way it is assembled and inspected, combined with the design of quality and efficiency, it’s easy to see why The Original Tube Wringer is still around over 50 years after its first introduction around the world.