Werewolf Stilts, digitigrade legs.

The epic costume requires much preparation.

Inspired by the designs from supernatural themed movies these stilts are metal and plastic which makes for a safer and longer wearable appendage.

All of the computer generated templates and drawing files are located in the digi.rar file on the materials page.

I recommend that you download and read this entire instructable before beginning your project.

Build early so you can practice and get used to walking in these stilts. Play safe...

You can download the complete instructions in 2 parts in the materials section of this instructable.

I spent approximately $120 to build these. Expect the cost to be between $100 and $200 depending on your local materials availability.

The stilts shown weigh about 8 pounds each.

The stilts pictured were tested thoroughly bay a person weighing 200 pounds plus carrying an additional 30 pounds of weight.

NOTE!!!!  To make up for the lack of video I am offering a 1 year PRO membership to the first person that posts a video of stilts based on my design.!!!

Step 1 Tools and Materials

Basic tools needed:
 
            Power drill
            Measuring ruler that can go up to 24 inches
            Fabric tape measure
            Hand Hack Saw
            Center punch
            Drill bits: 1/4, 19/64, 5/16
            Marking Scribe
            Heat Gun (not a hair dryer)
            1 Lb hammer
            Flat Bastard file
 
 
Additional tools (optional):
           
            Drill press
            Jig Saw or Rotary Saw
            Bench Vise
            Sewing Machine (If you are making your own straps)
           
 
Materials Required
 
            6mm Sintra (6 square feet)
            3/8 X 1.25 inch Aluminum Bar Stock (12 feet)
            1/4 X 2 inch Aluminum Bar Stock (24 inches)
            1 X 2 inch aluminum Bar Stock(6.5 inches)
            1 X 2 Rectangular Steel Tube 1/16 inch wall thickness (4 feet)
            1/4 20 by 1 inch Grade 8 bolts (36)
            1/4 20 by 0.5 inch Grade 8 bolts (8)
            1/4 20 Tee-Nuts (40)
            1/4 Steel Fender washers(36)
            1/4 Standard Washers(36)
            1/4 Standard Nut(8)
            1/4 Nylon Fender Washers(12)
            1/4 by 1/4 Bolt bushing spacers(32)
            5/16  X 1.25 inch bolts(4)
            5/16  X 2.0 inch bolts(2)
            5/16  by 3.0 inch Grade 8 bolts(4)
            5/16  by 5.5 inch Grade 8 bolts(4)
            5/16  Steel Fender Washers(2)
            5/16  Standard Washers(16)
            5/16  Nylon Fender Washers(4)
 
            5/16  Nuts(20)
            3/16 aircraft cable (6 feet)
            3/16 cable sleeves(4)
            5/16  by 9 inch turnbuckle(2) Verify the load limit to be over your weight
            1.5 inch Velcro Strapping (12 straps 18 inches long)
            1.5 inch nylon webbing (7 feet)
            1.5 inch Velcro (6 feet)
            1.5 inch Tri-Ring (24)
            Red Loctite 271 Thread locker
 
Important Notes
 
If you are making your own straps then you will not need the pre-made Velcro strapping listed above. The pre-made straps are available at Home Depot but are weaker and considerably more expensive than making your own. I will cover how to make your own in a later section.
 
If you are unable to find the 1/4 by 1/4 Bolt bushing spacers then you will have to make your own from 5/16 inch steel or copper tubing. You will need a tubing cutter or hack saw for this. I will show the steps to make your own.
 
Sintra is available at plastics supply stores like Industrial Plastics & Paints. (ippnet.com) There are other plastics available like nylon and PVC but they are a great deal more difficult to work with. Sintra is foamed PVC which is light weight and has the strength required for this project. It is easy to cut and form.
 
The metals are available on-line from metalsupermarkets.com. If you go to the store be sure to check for pre-cut and scrap pieces which will be less expensive than the full lengths of bar stock.
 
Bolts and fasteners are available in specialty stores like calfast.com
 
Nylon webbing, Velcro and Tri-Ring are available from paccana.com or hudson4supplies.com
 
Big Box stores like Home Depot may have the materials listed here but the prices will be quite a bit higher than the specialty stores.

Comments

[David-Yezbak]

do you know how tall these make you?

[Random_Canadian]

Mine added over 12 inches to my height in full upright stance. I broke 7 feet!

[David-Yezbak]

that's so cool thanks for answering, now i'm defintly making a pair or 2 or3 heck i'l make some for the whole family!!!!!!

[Silver Night X99]

I was wondering, with the design, is it at all possible to run using these? And at what speed? Oh, but I'm not asking for anything specific like MPH, just like, general running speed, or something.

[Random_Canadian]

Running would only be possible with an extensive training program. The biggest hurdle is learning to walk again. It took me several months to learn to walk without falling. I haven't even tried running on these.

[ignatzart]

Where can you find a reasonable quantity of 6mm Sintra? OR is there another brand/product you can use?

[Random_Canadian]

Sorry for the delay in responding. The important notes section above will answer your questions.

[ignatzart]

Industrial plastic and paint only sells 4' x 8' sheets. They do not show pricing but other sites list the same size (and only that size) at prices in the $300.00 range before shipping. I was hoping you knew of a source for pieces of the size required for this project.
Does any one else know of such a source?

[Random_Canadian]

That is why I recomended to go to a local to you supplier. As for IPP, in their shop in Calgary they sell by the square foot not just in full sheets. There are several choices all over north america just internet search for Sintra plastic and select the one closest to you. I have no idea where you are so asking where to buy is just a little to broad of a question. I can assist in your search if you send me your location.

[Toloachi]

Thanks for the great tutorial. I have been looking at your version and comparing it to the wetalegz/digilegs versions and noticed their straps were in the front, utilizing the sintra on the back of the leg. Is there any advantage that you see in this? What changes will you make in your next version? Ie, what part of this project do you still see as needing further refinement?

I have made a few versions of digilegs with a wood base (backed with aluminum strips). Here is a video of me walking around in them. (The toes are still missing in this video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL62eXZgBZY

While they lack the thigh support/knee joint, they do have some large springs running down the back and a lock cable which allows me to rest in a standing position.
Thanks again.

[Mad inventor]

OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!


I INVENTED THIS BEFORE KNOWING THEY EXISTED!

her's my story:

I came up with the idea about 5 years ago, after a while, I decided trying if it was possible. then, I spent the next years ( some months per year, until I dropped the project.. then continued.. then dropped again, a few times more)

when i did research, i saw that the concept existed, but there was no info whatsoever abut how they worked, so I had to start from zero, (and I mean piece of wood tied to the foot zero) came up with the idea of a suspension system that transferred the extra weight ( added from the leverage of longer feet) tho the legs. then added a spring to it. improved the foot and the leg strap like 4 or 5 times.... until...

two summers ago, I finally made them work, and quite comfortably. I learned to stand from the ground, or a higher surface, and to walk ( my TRUE first steps)

you can imagine how thrilled I was, It was the first and only project I could take from zero to "beta testing" by my own.

but they were made out of wood, so, they broke the firs time I took them to a park to try and walk longer distances. ( I was working on a budget of almost nothing, lots of scrap)

I made another pair after that, but something changed and they didn't worked, so I dropped the project once more.

I had the idea of making some kind of harness and transfer the weight further, to the hip, ( our gravity center) but never actually got to try it.

You can by now tell how important Digitigrade stilts have become to me, not for the project itself, but what they mean to me.

So, I'm really glad you shared this with everyone. looking at your project, I can see I was going the right way with my ideas. If you see mine they look like an early prototype of yours. I'll post some photos of the last prototype. your's look waay better tho :)

p.s: mine are longer :P

[Mad inventor]

slideshow:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Unfinished-Digitigrade-Stilts-project-prototype-n/

greetings from the other end of the continent, Buenos Aires, Argentina :)

[nomooremr.niceguy]

En qué parte de Buenos Aires vives? Capital Federal? O en la provincia? Viví en Banfield, Veronica, (2 horas de La Plata por micro. Se queda en la nada de nada) Gutierrez, (Cerquita a Berazategui y Quilmez) Villa Fiorito y Avellaneda. Estuve aya por dos años, y hace 5 meses que he vuelto ha mi casa. Lo extraño much. Quisiera volver algún día, cuando tenga plata. Son muy buenas las personas aya. Me trataron bien. Todos a menos que los pibes en la calle. Con ellos, dependía si me querían robar o no. Pero me llevo muchos buenos recuerdos che. Tenés un país muy lindo. Hay mucha cultura aya. Pero seguro que ya te canso con mis recuerdos. Fueron los mejores dos años de mi vida, y los más felices. Pero igual, sabés en que se parece una vaca de Chile con un Argentino? (En que la vaca da leche, y el Argentino dice, "Dale che!". Que tengas un buen día amigo, y que le vaya bien.

ElHombreMoorecielago

[Mad inventor]

hola, soy de capital federal.

es raro escuchar eso de mi país ja ja, estoy acostumbrado a vivir acá y escuchar mas que nada quejas :P es cierto que es un territorio muy bonito. sé que hay lugares mas tranquilos en los que la gente tiene tiempo de ser bondadosa, aunque por capital no se ve demasiado ja ja!

me alegra escuchar buenos comentarios de gente de países limítrofes, siempre pensé que las naciones del sur deben estar unidas para crecer juntos.

un abrazo grande, che! :)

[nomooremr.niceguy]

The designer of these is a genius. I was wondering, what kind of grip do these things have? Better put, were I to step in a puddle, what are the chances of me slipping? Also, how would placing a piece of rubber on the bottom of the foot affect the performance? I think that I might tire of the clicking sound of metal on concrete after a while, and I'm not a fan of falling when I'm a foot higher off the ground than I normally am, so do you think that adding a damper, or some other soft material might address these concerns? One last thing, were you to give these a weight rating, how much weight might one safely put on these and still get their full functionality? I weigh 150 lbs and I carry a 50 lb pack to school some days. I don't intend to use these stilts on a daily basis, but it would sure be nice to take them to school every now and again just to see people's reactions. Any information on the specs would be greatly appreciated, and again (Though you've heard it from everyone else already, and will surely hear it from all who have yet to post) this is a great instruct able. I really hope that you don't get tired of hearing that. Have a great day!

NoMooreMr.NiceGuy

[Random_Canadian]

Thank you.

I forgot to add the weight information, it has been added to the main page now. The picture shows me at the initial testing stage at a weight of around 200 pounds. I alo carried an additional 30 pounds in a back pack just to check my balance movement capabilities.

The addition of grip on the feet is always a good idea and is left up to the builder based on the requirements of the end user. I found that a rubber molded foot pad with a custom grip works. It can be made to leave huge paw prints behind you as you walk.

[nomooremr.niceguy]

Thank you very much! Also, I was considering extending the foot an additional 6 inches. What are your recommendations according to this variation? Would I need to extend the heel as well? Thank you for your advice! Have a great day!

NoMooreMr.NiceGuy

[astewart3]

I'd really like to see a video of you walking in these things. I'm planning on making a pair for my fiance, but he wants to see how they work.

[Lochtar]

We all would love that. ^_^

[Random_Canadian]

Sorry i have no video of this stilt in action. Perhaps someone who has built a pair could come forward with one.

Remember walking in this fashion is unnatural to us so practice is needed before you can walk freely

[Drakeler]

Awesome, now I really want to make a pair ^_^ More stuff that I don't need to spend money on =P

I wonder if you attach the cable a little further up do you think you'd be able to have the stilt move up and down as you walk? It'd give the walking a little more "natural" look., though it might be a strain on your legs.

[soundinnovation]

These are really awesome! I'd also love to see some video of you walking in them.
I wonder if making the bottom part (the part that touches the ground) a bit larger would make it easier to walk in. Thoughts?

[Random_Canadian]

Thanks...

Making the "foot larger offers more stability but I did find that it added a tripping hazard. Modifications to the design are always recommended as you find a need for them.

[Organize74]

Congratulations! These look professionally made. I hope you post that video that everyone is asking for. Can you run in them?

[Random_Canadian]

Thanks. Running is possible but it looks odd and takes tremendous practice.

[www.microbike.ie]

vIdeo of the originals 

[andygates]

No: jumping stilts are not digitigrade leg stilts. Whole different gig. That curve in the back is a huge leaf spring and you stomp down with your heel to energize it for leaps and awesomeness. It is too chunk by far for the back-bending animal leg look in this Instructable.

This Instructable, OTOH, is awesome and I really have to have a go. ^_^

[Jar Sqwuid]

About how much did the whole project run you? And how much would I have to pay to get you to make me one! XD

[Random_Canadian]

I spent about $120. Sorry I currently do not make these for others, I just do not have the time.

[Jar Sqwuid]

Haha that's fine! Thanks so much, it's a really wonderful instructable. Good luck in the contest. My friends and I love this instructable, hopefully I've got the skill to do it myself haha.

[arkie]

Ye Cats & Little Fish!

Random_Canadian, you have outdone yourself. Your stilts are truly a work of artifice!

Congratulations on completing such a complex project... and good luck with the second generation.

Should you get the opportunity, I too would appreciate seeing a video of your stilts in 'action'.

[Random_Canadian]

Thanks, This was a satisfying build.

I will video the second generation but that won't be until later this year.

[hydr0ph0en1x]

Wow this is pretty awesome! I'm just wondering, about how much did all these materials cost together?

[Random_Canadian]

Thanks. This cost me about $120.

[DustySeven7]

Here is an idea. Instead of tension wire to assist the leg muscle, use thick strong bungies. This would give a better movement and provide a more realstic look when walking. Bungies would mimic the action of tendons and muscle fibers

[Random_Canadian]

I tried this but didn't like the feel and I found that the stilts kept trying to trip me. The cable seemed like a safer option for me at least.

[acti]

Once made as shown here, what's the total weight of the leg set?

[Random_Canadian]

I have updated the first page. The stilts weigh about 8 pounds each.

[Lochtar]

Is there a video clip. I'd to see you walk in them. :)
Nice work btw.

[DanYHKim]

For your next project, consider making a Skeletonics Exoskeleton Suit

http://skeletonics.seesaa.net/article/235381352.html

Be sure to add the rocket launcher.