How to Build Your Own Walker

Making your own walker is a wise way to ensure the health and safety of someone you love. Metal walkers provide stability and support for a disabled person standing in an upright position. Elderly individuals or injured persons often use walkers to help them move from one location to another. Essential metal walker design specifications, according to Columbia University, include functionality, safety, quality and affordability. Constructing a walker out of metal conduit will have your loved one moving again in no time.

Things You'll Need

• Work gloves
• Safety glasses
• Measuring tape
• Marker
• Hack saw
• 1 1/2- by 84-inch metal conduit (2)
• 1- by 12-inch metal conduit (2)
• 1- by 15-inch metal conduit (2)
• Abrasive sanding pad
• Hand-bender
• 4-inch rubber handles (2)
• Solder gun
• Solder wire
• Damp sponge
• 4 tennis balls
• Straight-edge knife

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Instructions

• 1

  Slide on a pair of work gloves and safety glasses to protect your skin and eyes. Measure a distance from the waist of the person who needs the walker to the floor. The distance will be used as a guideline for the height of the walker legs. Multiply the distance by two and add 12 inches. For example, say the height is 36 inches: multiply 36 by two and add 12 inches to equal 84 total inches. The height of each walker leg will eventually equal 36 inches long and the side handle bars will measure 12 inches long.

• 2

  Measure six total pieces of metal conduit: two 1 1/2- by 84-inch pieces; two 1- by 12-inch pieces; and two 1- by 15-inch pieces. Cut all of the pieces to their specified lengths with a hacksaw. Dull the edges of each piece of conduit with an abrasive sanding pad.

• 3

  Measure 36 inches toward center beginning at the left end of the first 84-inch piece of conduit. Dot a spot on the conduit with a marker at the 36-inch mark. Repeat for the right end of the conduit. Repeat this step for the second 84-inch piece of conduit. Each 84-inch piece now has two marks.

• 4

  Slide the first piece of 84-inch piece of conduit into the hand-bender. Align the first mark with the prefabricated star on the bender. Bend the conduit until the bender reads 90 degrees. Remove the conduit. Slide in the opposite end of the same piece of conduit and repeat the 90 degree bending process. The conduit now resembles a "U" shape. Repeat this step for the second 84-inch piece of conduit. Each "U" shape has 36-inch vertical stems with a 12-inch horizontal connection. The two "U" shapes will be turned upside down and used as side handles for the walker.

• 5

  Slide on one 4-inch rubber handle to the center of the 84-inch piece of conduit--so the handle is at center on the 12-inch horizontal section. Repeat with a second rubber handle for the additional 84-inch conduit.

• 6

  Pre-heat a solder gun. Rub solder wire onto the warm gun tip. Wipe the tip clean with a damp sponge.

• 7

  Place one "U" shape onto a work surface so the bottom of the "U" is facing you. Place the short ends of one of the 1- by 12-inch pieces of conduit in between the 36-inch vertical stems. Adjust the 1- by 12-inch piece so it is 5 inches above the horizontal base of the "U."

• 8

  Touch the solder wire to the right end connection point between the 12-inch piece and 36-inch stem. Touch the hot solder gun tip to the wire to permanently secure the bond. Continue around the entire right side connection point to complete the soldering. Repeat this step for the left end connection point.

• 9

  Place the second "U" shape onto the work surface so the bottom of the "U" is facing you. Repeat steps seven and eight with the second 1- by 12-inch piece of conduit.

• 10

  Measure up 2 inches from the bottom right corner of the "U" shape. Place one of the short ends of the 1- by 15-inch piece of conduit onto the "U" shape at this point. Solder the short end of the conduit to the "U" shape. The 36-inch vertical stem with the 15-inch bar will act as one of the front bars to your walker.

• 11

  Spin the "U" shape around so the open end of the "U" is facing you. Measure up 10-inches from the bottom corner of the front bar. Place one of the short ends of the second 1- by 15-inch piece of conduit onto the "U" shape at this point. Solder the short end of the conduit to the "U" shape.

• 12

  Solder one of the bars on the second "U" shape to the opposite short ends of the 15-inch pieces. The body of the walker--and its support frames--is now complete.

• 13

  Slice a 1 1/2-inch wide letter "X" shape into the top of a tennis ball. Press the tennis ball onto the bottom of one of the walker legs. Repeat this step with three additional tennis balls for the three remaining walker legs.