buttons. When mine fails I'm going to cut off the end and get the button device out of the inside of the tube and pop rivet the end back on. I'm going to fashion myself a 1/4 or 3/8 inch pin that I can set through both the tubes at the proper length. One set of holes for in the deck rack and another set at the proper sailing length. Several years ago I broke one of the end pieces and epoxied and pop riveted the new one back on. It's worked fine for the past 8 or 9 years so I know that repair works.