ELEVATE IT: ST ILTS
I
J
K
L
M
NO
P
Fig. I: Each footplate sits on the peg so that the shin support is on the outside the shin. Fig. J: Pre-drill and attach
the footplate with wood screws. Fig. K: Cut out a 3"-wide
vertical section of each ABS piece. Fig. L: Fit the ABS
and the foam to your shin. Fig. M: Swing the front of the
shin plate toward piece A so that it shows 1¼" past piece
B. Fig. N: Attach straps. Fig. O: Test the balance before
attaching the shoes. Fig. P: Peg footing from a bike tire.
it cool, then hold the ABS and the foam to your shin
to make sure they fit (Figure L). You may have to heat
and bend it again so that it fits well.
5c. Drill a hole with the ¼" bit 1" from the top of B.
Use that hole to guide you in drilling your first hole
in the ABS shin plate. Then thread the top hole of B
and the ABS with a 2½" carriage bolt (this time with
the head facing inward toward your shin), but don’t
tighten it. Swing the front of the shin plate toward A so
that it shows 1¼" past B (Figure M). Drill the bottom
hole through A and the shin plate. Thread holes with
a 2½" carriage bolt. Tighten both bolts. Trim excess
ABS and bolt material with a reciprocating saw.
WARNING: If you don’t have much experience using
a reciprocating saw, ask someone for help on this step.
6. Sew straps and attach the foam.
6a. The strap wraps around the back of your calf
to the front, through the D-ring, and attaches back
to itself with velcro (Figure N). Sew the strap to the
D-ring and the velcro to the strap.
6b. Pre-drill the holes. Use ½" wood screws to
attach the straps to A on the upper end adjacent
to the shin plate with the D-ring facing forward.
6c. Cut a 7"× 15" piece of foam padding. Glue the
foam onto your shin plates so that it wraps around
the outside and back of your calf. Sew fabric around
the foam for comfort, if you like.
7. Attach shoes and footings.
7a. Arrange each shoe on each footplate so the mark
on the outside of the shoe lines up with the line on
your footplate and with the middle of A. Stand on
your stilts with your shoes on to find the right shoe
placement before attaching them (Figure O).
7b. Loosen laces and remove shoe liners. Pre-drill
and screw each shoe onto a footplate with at least
2 wood screws per shoe.
7c. Use zip ties to attach the bike tire footings to the
bottom of the stilts (Figure P).
For more information, check out
vigilantiup.org.
Molly Graber is an environmental biologist who enjoys
gardening, hiking, and stilt walking with friends at festivals.
Chris Merrick, an electrical engineer by day, inventor at night,
and tinkerer for life, can do almost anything with his hands.
