Legs?!

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BlindRascal

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Not sure if this has been posted, and if you want to move it to the videos, that would probably be smart, but it'd get more traffic here.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx6ej0Vh7HE...player_embedded


If someone wants to help imbed it, that would be great.

Oh, to respond to your other question in the prior post, the pair is going for about $750-$780 depending on if it is adapted for a particular costume. We also provide the hooves and fur as an extra.
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$750-$780 is a hefty chunk of change for something you can make with some scraps.

Here's what I came up with after reading this.
[attachment=9123:dgleg.gif]
 
If you're up to trying to make these yourself, you might try these:



They have other tutorials on other types of props. It wouldnt be a bad idea to subscribe to them. :)
 
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I definitely agree 700$ is quite steep for just legs, but I enjoy how smooth their walking is, and how clean the mechanism is. Awesome drawing dungbeetle.
 
Someone should probably get Drakku's attention on this one ;) , I will PM her the thread.

Great find, should help wonders with anyone making an elite (as well as motivate me into producing one :lol: ).
 
Speaking as someone who has built digitigrade stilts from scratch... it's tougher than you might think. I went through several designs before settling on something, and even then... I didn't really work all the bugs out of them.


True, $700 is steep, but think of the time and materials you'll spend building them yourself.

I'm going be rebuilding my stilt before Dragoncon.. if I come up with a design that I feel comfortable with, I'll post up the schematics here.

I'd love to see more details on these stilts.. they looks very easy to use.

Good find!
 
Question for anyone that has actually used stilts like these.

How comfortable are they to walk in? It seems like there would be a lot of strain on your ankles.
 
My experiance is with a home-made pair not unlike the video's I posted. Actually, even without much bungie, the ankle strain is negligable. The most dificult part of the stilts is getting used to walking comfortably. Ive had powerisers at one time (also a good substitute for elite legs btw) and those were hard, even with the 'hoof' directly under your weight. With these, your pretty much walking on your calf at a 45 degree angle. awkward and dificult... but no, the stilt design actually preforms very well, even for long periods of time. if anything, its your shin and tip of your toe that gets sore. But that can be avoided by adding DungBettle's fiberglass support idea.
 
I forgot to mention, but although the price is steep, she makes them to order. As in, you can tell her how to change it and she will.
 
I've had another look at these last night, and I've had a realization about their design.

These are steel versions of the carbon fiber 'Underworld Evolution' stilts, just like mine. This artist didn't invent these as much as they are reverse engineered from pre-existing Hollywood creature stilts, created by Tatapoulos Studios for the film. If you have the DVD, watch the special features... they show you how they work in clear detail. I have screen caps of these at home and will upload them for everybody, but here's an article that describes them from 2006:
On the first 'Underworld,' we worked with a much smaller 'pawprint,'" says Himber. "One of the changes here is that we allowed it to open up a little bit and modify the bottom of the foot. Stopping or standing still from a run-in, doing a performance and walking out without looking teetery--that's what these new extensions have been all about."

"The idea is to design an extension that: One, we can pull in and do a close-up with. I can be steady and do all these movements," explains Steele. "Another thing is that we can walk upright but we can also get down, do the turning movements, all the aggressive stuff. We can back up from a prey. We can do a lot of stuff without wires. We can step up on stuff if we had to. So it gives us a lot of movement. These are definitely the Rolls Royce of extensions."
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I was working my way up to the thigh braces with my design, but was hoping to do without them for convenience of getting in and out of the costume. I'm wondering now if that wasn't the key factor that I was missing.


It just makes it more clear to me that I need to release the plans for these as soon as I rebuild mine. $700+ is too much to pay for stock metal that you can pick up at any hardware store for $50.

I'm kinda glad that this artist put this out.. it's getting me geared up for getting back into the shop with my stilts.
 
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Sean Bradley said:
It just makes it more clear to me that I need to release the plans for these as soon as I rebuild mine.
...
I'm kinda glad that this artist put this out.. it's getting me geared up for getting back into the shop with my stilts.
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Yeah, my dad and I are going to attempt making some digitigrades now, since everyone and their dog has been showing me videos like these. Rofl.
Looking at yours closer, I think your problems would be solved by the "tendons" of a bungie cord. Weren't you saying that your legs were killing you in those or something? 'Cuz they look great, 'cept the lack of cords.
Do you have any schematics of those old ones you made? Or any close-up pictures I could look at?
 
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I know that they used bungie cords on those wood 'wolf feet' but I wouldn't suggest using it here, you'll fall on your face! My tendons are 1/8" braided steel cable. :p

DSC01098.jpg


I wouldn't want to put any drawings out until I have some issues fixed. These stilts are more complicated than they look... I can't emphasise that enough. Give yourself LOTS of time to work the bugs out before your event. Spend lots of time in them... don't think that just because you can walk around for 15 minutes at a time that you've been successful. The real test is when you have to try to wear them under your heavy costume, without seeing where you're walking, for hours at a time in crowded areas.

The best advice I can give you or anyone who wants to do this is to go to a video store and get the Underworld, and Underworld Evolution special edition DVDs. Go to the special features section and watch the creature featurette. The design that Patrick Tatapoulus made is the most stable and user-friendly a digitigrade stilt ever. If a movie issues a press release about achievements in stilt design... I'm pretty sure it's as good as it gets. 3 years later, and people are still impressed with them (via Ms. I'll sell you someone elses design for $750 a pair). :cautious:


Underworld Stilts:

stiiiiiilts.jpg


GrabbedFrame17.jpg


GrabbedFrame18.jpg



Kim Graham's stilts:

digigrade-leg-ext.jpg
 
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