ELEVATE IT: DIY STILTS
Materials
» Pair of shoes
» Lumber 1½"× 1½" See Step 1 for
lengths. Find a straight piece of
Douglas fir, ash, or poplar, without
bows or knots.
» ½" plywood cabinet grade, enough
for both footplates and C pieces
» ¼" carriage screws: 2½" ( 4), 4" ( 2),
and 5½" ( 2)
» Flat washers ( 8) for carriage screws
» ¼" nylon insert nuts ( 8)
» Wood screws: 1½" ( 18), ½" ( 4)
» Wood glue
» Recycled mountain bike tire
» 12" zip ties ( 4)
» Foam padding
» Strapping material 1"– 2" wide
Seatbelt strapping and nylon webbing
work well. Get enough to go around
your calf, shin guard, foam, and piece
B (see Step 1), 1½ times per strap.
» Velcro as wide as your strapping.
Each strap requires 10" of velcro.
» D-rings ( 4) as wide as your strapping
» Thread
» 4" ABS pipe, 14" long
TOOLS
» Cordless screwdriver
» Drill bits, ¼" and
1"
»
8" socket wrench
» Channel-lock pliers or Vise-Grips
» Reciprocating saw or handsaw
» Sandpaper
» Measuring square (T square)
» Jigsaw
» Safety glasses
» Propane torch
» Vise
» Heat glove
» Sewing machine
» Dowel such as 1" PVC pipe or
a broomstick
» Table saw (optional)
» Router, sandpaper (optional)
WARNING: When working with power tools, always
take safety precautions. Safety glasses are recommended.
1. Measure and cut wood pieces.
1a. Determine how tall the stilts will be. This will be
the length measurement for the pegs (piece A).
1b. Measure from the bottom of your shoe to just
below your knee and add 6". This is the length
measurement for the shin supports (piece B).
1c. Using a measuring square, cut 2 pieces of
1½"× 1½" wood to the length of A and 2 pieces to
the length of B. Each stilt needs an extra 7" piece of
the 1½"× 1½" wood for the foot platform (piece D).
1d. Cut the 2 support trapezoids (piece C) to size
and shape from the ½" plywood. Sand all the edges.
1e. Trace the outline of your shoes on ½" plywood
and leave at least ½"−¾" extra space outside of the
shoe on all sides. The width should be at least 5"
across at the middle of the footplate. Cut out both
footplates and sand all the edges. Don’t trim down
the footplate where it will eventually rest against your
shin support; this section (the outer edge of each
foot) needs to follow a flat, straight line (Figure A).
2. Determine footplate position.
Find your balance by balancing on a dowel. Stand up
straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, line up
your toes, and find your most comfortable balancing
point by rolling the dowel back and forth underneath
your feet while looking ahead. When you find the balancing point, have someone mark the outside of your
shoes where the shoes intersect the dowel (Figure B).
Set the shoes on the footplates and mark each plate
to match each shoe (Figure A).
