On Sep 29, 1:19*am, "Dave" wrote:
"SteveB" wrote in message

...

How many of you use a five gallon plastic bucket for a ladder? *I know
it's not such a good idea, and I cringe when I see someone else do it,
from being a safety professional and suffering from the hypervigilance of
PTSD. *And yet, I just did it, and with little reservation. *I have seen
people "walk" these remarkable distances, and use them quite adroitly. *I
also have heard tales of woe and steel pins and screws. *And yet, if I
need to do something straight up, and all I need is a foot or two, I grab
a bucket, because I can never find the damn ladder.

Steve

Sorry, I used either a two-step plastic folding thing that is weight-tested
for my mass, or a three step metal folding step ladder with similar promise
of strength, or the real thing, depending on which one suits my needs of the
moment. *Plastic buckets are not a good idea, and neither are milk crates.
When you fall after 40 you no longer bounce back up, you just lay there and
ring. *And I am pushing 50, only a few months away.

My $.02. *YMMV

Dave

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.