I've made my first prototype quad foreleg stilt! \o/ The ankle hinge works and everything, so I'm very excited.
I started experimenting on ABS cell core pipe and am hoping I can use the prototypes in my suit.
Of course, a little more research shows that cell core pipes tend to be brittle and can shatter under impact. Ideally, I'm hoping to cut a little off the 'outside' of each stilt, both for better ventilation and to make a slimmer-from-the-front leg instead of a base tube, but I'm not sure if that would compromise the strength of the pipe too much to be safe.
So, quadsuit makers: What pipe do you use? Cell/foam core or solid core? Have you ever had a stilt shatter under regular use?
Has anyone used ABS pipe in other, weight-bearing applications? It's entirely possible that I'm imagining the impact of going down a ramp, and what would actually damage it is being run into by a bulldozer - am I worrying too much about this?
I started experimenting on ABS cell core pipe and am hoping I can use the prototypes in my suit.
Of course, a little more research shows that cell core pipes tend to be brittle and can shatter under impact. Ideally, I'm hoping to cut a little off the 'outside' of each stilt, both for better ventilation and to make a slimmer-from-the-front leg instead of a base tube, but I'm not sure if that would compromise the strength of the pipe too much to be safe.
So, quadsuit makers: What pipe do you use? Cell/foam core or solid core? Have you ever had a stilt shatter under regular use?
Has anyone used ABS pipe in other, weight-bearing applications? It's entirely possible that I'm imagining the impact of going down a ramp, and what would actually damage it is being run into by a bulldozer - am I worrying too much about this?