Just for a change, yesterday I tried painting a ceiling on 24in pegs. WOW!! Concentrating on something other than stilting is a whole new ball game. Loss of balance and regular doses of "the staggers" while concentrating on the job in hand, together with paint tin in one hand and a brush in the other --- result .....more paint on floor than on ceiling (Did you know that wet paint on protective sheets on smooth floor can be lethal?).
I need more practice but it was fun. In the middle of the room with nothing to grasp in an emergency is not easy with no free hands = several "almost but not quite" adrenalin moments.
Has anyone tried doing a job while on pegs? I know Bill (Stretch) Coleman cleans windows while on his stilts, but then he does not use pegs and he is not looking up above his head.
Is there an easy way to keep your balance while concentrating on something else or will it come with practice?
Must try again today.........
I need more practice but it was fun. In the middle of the room with nothing to grasp in an emergency is not easy with no free hands = several "almost but not quite" adrenalin moments.
Has anyone tried doing a job while on pegs? I know Bill (Stretch) Coleman cleans windows while on his stilts, but then he does not use pegs and he is not looking up above his head.
Is there an easy way to keep your balance while concentrating on something else or will it come with practice?
Must try again today.........
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United Kingdom
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Re: Just for a change
Tue, November 29, 2005 - 12:27 PMWatch that paint!
Working over your head is hairy on pegs,
hence the durastilts for drywall and other working environs...
Be careful! -
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Re: Just for a change
Wed, November 30, 2005 - 2:25 AMIt may be hairy but its fun.
You see so many law suits from injured workers claiming compensation after falling off drywalls and so much legislation about the use of drywall stilts in a working environment that you would think that they just forget that they are on stilts. With pegs of course you can never forget that you are on stilts!!
It has been reported on many occasions that one of the main causes of falls with inexperienced peg stilters is a third party (be it someone talking to you, an overhead obstacle or something going on that attracts your attention) affecting your concentration that causes loss of balance, hence the fall.
I was just using this third party (i.e. the paint and the ceiling) as a means of affecting my concentration to practice multi-tasking so that I can do two things at once without loss of balance.
The next job is to remove old ceiling tiles from another ceiling. This will require a hammer and chisel - even more concentration to hit chisel with hammer - and probably even more hairy while on 24in pegs.
Foolish perhaps but its fun. I really do think that it is not as foolish as getting drunk when up high as many seem to do at BM.
I fancy trying peg stilts while blindfolded. Do you have any thoughts on that? -
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Unsu...
Re: Just for a change
Mon, December 26, 2005 - 2:26 PM"I fancy trying peg stilts while blindfolded. Do you have any thoughts on that?"
Better you than me! For practice, try standing on one foot with your eyes closed!
I have always had trouble maintaining balance with my head tipped back. Thought the chair, ladder, cane balancing on the chin stunt would be nice while on stilts, but don't look for it from me anytime soon. -
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Re: Just for a change
Fri, January 27, 2006 - 1:37 AMI do not think my balance organs would allow it. I have tried stilting in the darkness in my local wood and found that tripping and sliding is much more concerning than in the daylight. Perhaps it is great for that 'Rush' that I crave but not being able to see the ground is a problem because you cannot be prepared for what is about to happen. I also tried my pegs on a smooth area of concrete with my eyes closed but only managed about 6 steps before becoming disorientated. I suppose that with a lot of practice you could overcome the balance problem, but if going cross-country I would need a spotter alongside me to warn of obstacles and possible falls. I would think that steps while blindfolded would be out of the question.
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Re: Just for a change
Fri, January 27, 2006 - 1:44 AMQuote "The next job is to remove old ceiling tiles from another ceiling. This will require a hammer and chisel - even more concentration to hit chisel with hammer - and probably even more hairy while on 24in pegs. "
I tried this this morning for an hour. Great fun and a lot of adrenalin. Got about a square yard done. Using the chisel hand for support against the ceiling, hitting with the hammer is no problem... The adrenalin and sweat dripping into the eyes is a problem - must get a forehead sweat band so that I can see what I am supposed to be hitting. Balance is no problem being wedged between the floor and ceiling and is proving much easier than continually having to move stepladders -
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Re: Just for a change
Fri, January 27, 2006 - 7:44 AMMu daughter and I used our stilts to put up and take down our christmas lights, but we did it in the daytime with our eyes open. I think one of the reasons it's so difficult to maintain balance while on stilts is that you have no feedback from your toes at to whether you're beginning to tilt one way or another. I could walk firly well with drywall stilts on and my eyes closed (wouln't try blindfolded) but I don't stand a chance on powerisers and I think this is why. Happily, I have no real need for this. -
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Re: Just for a change
Tue, January 31, 2006 - 1:02 AMquote "My daughter and I used our stilts to put up and take down our christmas lights"
I tried that this year also. I found that peg stilts were much, much easier than steps or ladders when pinning rope lights to the house or twisting them round trees and bushes. Also in the house hanging streamers was much easier, but decorating the Christmas tree I needed something more stable as I found that I could not lean far enough to reach the top of the tree without falling into it, so tree decorating still has to be on step-ladders. For the first time I was able to decorate the highest part of the house using the 36inch pegs to climb the stepladder and stand on the top platform. This gave me a combined height (steps,stilts, my 6ft and outstretched hands) of about 14feet - and I felt quite comfortable although I had to move the steps fequently as leaning or stretching at that height was foolish and dangerous. The adrenalin was rushing each time that I tried to come down the steps while holding the wall but it seemed easier to turn round and come down forwards and feeling for each rung and adjusting the position on the rung so the stilt was central before trying the next one down
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Re: Just for a change
Tue, January 31, 2006 - 12:45 AMQuote "The next job is to remove old ceiling tiles from another ceiling. This will require a hammer and chisel - even more concentration to hit chisel with hammer - and probably even more hairy while on 24in pegs. "
I had another go at the ceiling tiles yesterday and found that the practice of first the painting and then the first attempt at the tiles had done me good. This time I found that I could stand with only slight movements of one stilt while concentrating on the job in hand. With my head back and looking at the ceiling, balance was no problem. Instead of hammer and chisel,I used a crowbar and got on with the job with very little problem. Only when a tile came off easily without warning was I finding I had the staggers while I recovered from the forward lunge. After a couple of hours work, the only problem other than the sweat in my eyes was the pile of broken tiles on the floor which were difficult to walk on.
While wandering round the house to get liquid refreshment, I stepped on a sheepskin rug and got a strange sensation. The woollen surface allows the stilts to twist and turn without either effort or warning. It was not dangerous but was interesting in that I could spin through 180 degrees without effort.
All in all a good day
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