Workbench Creations

I'd guess lateral flop over (tech term) would be a problem, some support upto the calf which allows flex fore and aft but not sideways might help. Either that or bolt 'em rigidly to some old boots wich have some ankle support?

I'm deeply saddened that you haven't persevered, I was hoping to make 4 of 'em so I could reach the kitchen work surfaces.

Plastering is one of those jobs I do so seldom, I've always finished the job before I start getting good at it.

Del
(PS. I think the ones I've seen had calf straps)

As the feline said, the stilts usually have a support strapped to the lower leg to increase stability.

Ah, looking at the right hand picture, I do see a piece extending upwards...is this a support to the calf?

If so, my guess is you just need more secure straps, maybe a wider foot plate and floor contact area? (and a stiff drink before starting)

Not sure how varying spring pressure would effect stability...
Could be useful with Halloween coming up...now where's that old sheet?

Del

These could be good if you're in a hurry;

That piece of wood on the side is the support that comes up to the knee, the black velcro straps on my leg are going to it. I agree that I could do a better job connecting that part to my calf as it is critical.

The springs adjust if the thing leans forward or backwards and how stiff it is, as it was I felt like I was leaning a little forwards over the base, but thats just by feel. I was going to adjust that so I felt more level.

I did walk on these stilts, I felt somewhat unbalanced in the leaning left or right part if I placed my feet too close together. I do think they could be made to work, the real reason I stooped is that I was wasting too much time making the stilts for a job that I just wanted to get done yesterday.

When I tried them I was thinking, can I do this while I am mudding? and decided it would be too much for a first go. That and in the picture they are on their lowest setting 2 feet, to be useful on my ceiling, they would need to be put to their highest setting at about 3 feet.

I was thinking about utilizing them for Halloween, but they are just too tall for my costume (Frankenstein) to work.

My dad, a highschool English and Music teacher, was a stilt fan. Don't ask me how he got started on that, but he managed to share his enthusiasm with me. His method was to start me with a very low pair he made, so low they barely got me feet off the ground. When I was agile and completely relaxed with them, he made another pair about four inches higher. Of course with this version I learned that it was just a matter of scale since the mechanics and balance were the same, so the next pair he made me brought the soles of my shoes two feet off the ground, with provision for increasing the height. We stopped at four feet because of the limitations of the 2"x2" lumber we used. Eventually I got to the point where I could dance on them, or get up on one stilt and move freely with confidence on only one, hopping wherever I wanted to go.

My point is that once you've put on an upper support which wraps the calf almost up to the knee making one laterally rigid structure, the rest, like so much of Life, is just perseverance.

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"Most times, the winner is just the fella who gets up one more time than he got knocked down!" -- my great Grandfather

Well, I'm not too brave. I took my short step ladder, built a small platform using a piece of scrap plywood, and put office chair casters under the corners. Attach the ladder to the platform. I motivate it with a bamboo pole with a nail in the end of it to push myself around. Cheap and dirty.

I don't know where you are but Drywall (we call it Gyprock) stilts are illegal in Australia. That is using stilts to put up plasterboard, the stilts themselves aren't illegal.

The powers that be reckon they are just too dangerous!

But then again these are the same guys that reckon speedboats should be all diesel powered.....

Couldn't you just step up on a couple of these?

if you wasn't making a living why would you want them,?a scaffold works just as good and is easier on your legs,believe me after a days work you would be looking for a place to rest your legs.if finishing is all you will do,use a light ladder from wall marts for $32.00.looks like an accident waiting to happengood luck and be carefull

if you wasn't making a living why would you want them,?

It's surely just the fun of trying to build something!??
The Chinese Repeating Crossbow I built is no practical use for anything! But It's a heck of a lot of fun!

Del

Take it from a pro boys, stilts are a lot faster to work with, especially when your taping and finishing. I have no clue why stilts are illegal at all. You might as well ban skill saws too. I've used stilts for the first ten years of my taping career. I fell once, but I didn't hurt myself. When you fall it's like falling when you trip. It's all in how you land, like everything else. Any way for the next few years I was told I couldn't work with them anymore. I had to use a mini-scaffold. That slowed me down considerably, the production of my work was half of what I was used to doing. And being paid piece work, that means half a paycheck. One day I was taping on a step ladder, about three feet off the ground, and I fell, breaking my wrist, and falling head first on the concrete floor, knocked out. I was out of action for at leat 15 weeks before I could work again. Then after using my scaffold going up and down 200 times a day, if not more, for 10 years my knees were shot.

I decided to go back to my stilts, my work is back up to par and my knees are fine.

The point is, telling a taper he can't work with stilts is like telling the framer or carpenter that he can't work with his electric saw, that he has to go back to using a hand saw or not using an air gun, instead he has to use his hammer. Any piece of equipment is dangerous if you're careless and if you don't have the proper training, but if you do have training and you're cautious it's so much easier and profitable.

Drywall stilts are illigel in Ontario, Canada. And looking at those... hmmm. I can see why workers compensation would have a problem.