Now, honestly ..........

[willshak]

on 9/29/2009 11:44 AM (ET) Phisherman wrote the following:

5 gallon buckets, like those containing sheetrock spackle, are remarkably strong. If at immediate hand, it can be used as a temporary step. If one had to go into the garage to get the bucket, pick up the step ladder instead.

[Jim Yanik]

"Dave" wrote in news:ssGdna8Cp-Vc4VzXnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

some plastics get brittle after being in the outdoors environment; you might step on the bucket and your foot go right thru it,either immediately or after a few minutes.

[Jules]

I'm sure the buckets could be stacked, pyramid-style, to give a variety of heights ;)

Never tried the bucket trick myself. Old metal-framed chair works for low-down work, home-made 8' ladder for slightly higher stuff, and the 24' aluminum extension ladder for anything bigger.

I still can't get to the top of the barn roof, though, and that'd need a

*lot* of buckets ;-)

cheers

Jules

[Stormin Mormon]

I did stand on a chair today, to put the cover back on a door closer. I'm guilty.

The scouts have some thing they do, with a couple ropes and hold the bucket to their feet, and walk with them. Looked like fun.

[Red Green]

aemeijers wrote in news:sc2dneMz0fFINVzXnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

I ain't no where even near 6' to start with. And as the movie tile goes, "White Men Can't Jump". :-)

Guess I would hae needed... a five gallon plastic bucket!!

[stan]

Couple of ideas:

1) Use an upturned milk crate, (the ones that hold nine milk cartons) **, it's about 13 inches square and fairly stable and strong. Do not try and use two, one on top of t'other!

Afterwards it can be up-righted and used as a caddy to take away the remains of whatever one was working on.

2) Found a damaged aluminum step ladder. Cut off the top 18 inches or so, that's one step and the top, drilled and bolted the 'stays' so it no longer folds, to make a substantial step-stool. Very lightweight, can be hung on nails on the wall. Fits in trunk of many vehicles, or back of pickup.

Problem is that my 76 year old knees and ankles now appreciate help from the arms stepping up (or down) anything. So may add a vertical post or handle to item #1 as a hand assist. Possibly a bent loop of Al. conduit, bolted the the base?

** Here where we adopted two litre milk cartons many years ago, the milk crates are a little smaller than in days of yore. Back then, before metrication, the milk crates were just the right size to hold phonograph albums! Ok, ok what's a phonograph ...... ! And some DJs (Disc jockeys) would arrive at a 'gig' such as a wedding reception with several heavy boxes of them. IIRC the discs were 13 inches diameter. These days the DJ just cues up the next tune/song on his laptop! Or has it all stored on a 'stick' of memory! After sending this must go and measure a record.

Cheers.

[aemeijers]

(snip)

Eh, I'd spring for one of the purpose-built stepstools with the top loop. Available online, or at most janitorial supplies. If you add a top handle to your cut-down step ladder, that is a pretty long lever on a small base. If you put much sideways load on the handle, the thing is liable to topple on you. The real thing may be a little more cumbersome to move around, but it will be harder to tip.

About five years ago, my father was your age, and tripped over a floor fan in the back room with the blueprint machine, and broke a hip. It took a long expensive time to heal. Before he got home, we had a through-the-wall exhaust fan installed, and the next trip down, I quietly threw away several of the more rickety things used for climbing on.

-- aem sends...

[SteveB]

"aemeijers" wrote

I like those, too, as you can actually lean on them to steady yourself, and they feel solid underneath you. I know they're just meant to steady you, but some are more substantial than others and the geometry of them is slightly different. IIRC, a sheetrock friend of mine had one of the most solid ones, but don't know if it was specifically a rocker's stand or just one he had.

Steve