Walking-tall stilts
A long time ago, people used stilts to walk above flooded ground. You
can use stilts to make you taller, to help you look over high fences, or
to pretend you’re the tall man in the circus.
Materials
common nails (ten, 8d)
crosscut saw
hammer
lumber (10- or 12-foot length of 1 x 2; two 12-inch lengths of
scrap 2×4)pencil
ruler
sandpaper
To make the poles, saw the 1 x 2 into two lengths. Each piece
should stand about 2 inches (5 cm) above your shoulders (see sawing,
page 202).For the footrests, use two pieces of scrap 2×4. The length of the
footrest will be the distance you’ll stand from the ground. If
you’ve never used stilts before, it’s a good idea to make the
footrests no more than 12 inches (30 cm) long.Sand the poles and the footrests (see sanding, page 203).
To nail on the footrests, prop the poles with a 2 x 4 scrap. Make
sure the bottom of the pole is flush, or even, with the bottom of
the footrest. Hammer five nails through each pole and into the
footrest (see driving nails, page 200).
- Lean against a wall or ask a friend to hold the stilts until you
get your balance. Grip the poles so that they are behind your
shoulders. To walk, pull the stilts up against your feet as you
shift your weight from one leg to the other.
