Stilts

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islandview

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I have just bought some stilts and was wondering how long it took you to get used to them?

Ive had a quick walk round the house in them but dont feel confident enough to start plastering with them.
 
just get used to em i scrimmed a few ceilings first but after a while it didnt bother me just walk confidently an it will be fine i cant work without stilts now love em
 
Just keep practising it took me 20Min's to let go of the door into my lounge before i took my first step , but i got the hang in the the end ,but never really liked them perfur to deck a ceiling out still ...... i know dinosaur thats me
 
Just keep walking round the house till your confident enough
then try scrimming the ceilings for a few days
then try flattening off & trowelling up
& before you know it you'll be laying it on.

A mate of mine bought some & tried skimming a ceiling the day he got them
& he said these are s h i t & put em on eBay the next day.
He just didn't give them a chance.
It'll take a while just keep at it.
 
as church said. spend as much time as possible prior to plastering walking around. im a cocky young whipper snaper so just scrimmed and off i went on a thirty five metre ceiling. my legs were wrecked. not sure what ones you have but i sliced up an old t shirt to pad out the straps. good luck mate! it is harder work but they save a lot of time. just stay off the sauce the night before!
 
Cheers fellas,

I think ill go with the plan to do a bit at a time then. Ive got a couple of ceilings to do next week but i will just scrim them first and see how i get on.

Im only a little fella so im hoping to get on with them as i always have to use a hop up. I dont mind this method but id rather try and make life a bit easier.
 
I love the idea of stilts but i had a go on a mates and couldnt get away from the walls plus im 6ft 5 and i wouldnt use them often mostly just use a crate or hop up.
 
bodplasterer said:
I love the idea of stilts but i had a go on a mates and couldnt get away from the walls plus im 6ft 5 and i wouldnt use them often mostly just use a crate or hop up.
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But you can't trowel right across a ceiling in one sweep if useing a hop up.
First time on my stilts I did a large (35m2 plus) ceiling, had a nasty fall on the first trowel but just had to get back up and get on. I've never had another fall though, pain is a fast teacher.
 
walk around the room a few times very close to the wall until you are confident that you have your balance sorted, after a few laps try a couple of laps walking around with your hawk and trowel in your hands, when your happy with that do a few with your hands in the air (always keeping close to the walls just in case), 20-30 minutes of this and you should be fine. these tools are a godsend, ive had mine for ten years and have earned a hell of a lot more using them than if id had to deck out all the time. DONT TRY TO BE CLEVER, get all leads out of the way and dont walk over dust sheets, put all the tools you need up on your spot board (hawk/trowel/paddlebrush,scrim/knife/bucket of water etc), get it on and think of the lolly, you'll soon luv em
 
what is the lowest height you can use them? 2.3 ceilings i can reach without the aid of any hop up 2.4 is a bit of a stretch 3m is definatley hop up.....I even thought about the missus buffalos but they are way too small for me ;D
 
I was taught that you should have a gap of between 2 and 6 inches above your head to the ceiling, and I must say that every so often I try and work a bit lower and find there is a lot more strain on the arm when you are reaching up more. How have you guys been taught to do it?
 
I was always told the best distance is 8inches.
Thumb on head little finger touching ceiling;)
 
I used to work close to the ceiling as i used to work with my old man and he was 10" shorter than me (he told me we had a tall milk man) and found it hard, now i work almost full arm stretch and find it alot easier not at the start but i do now. I used to get a really bad neck but you get used to it plus i find it easier to see what you are doing you get a fuller view.
 
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