Hi Marcva, and welcome to Hammock Forums!

I filled the gap by wrapping the 3/4" ends with a spiral of 16 gauge bare wire (Home Depot, less than $2 for a 10 ft coil in a little bag) and glued it in place with epoxy (I think I used JB-Weld). The wire coil doesn't need to cover the entire surface of the inserted end. Each of my wire "fillers" looks like a stretched-out spring, about 3" long with about 6 wraps that fit snugly around the emt. It's a perfect fit, and it's holding up well after many uses.

Wishing you & your daughter joy making and using your new stands!