Forums > Other Toys > constructing levisticks

Posted: 31st Oct 2008
Great question.

I know nothing as I'm a levinewbie but I'll certainly be following this thread.

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]

Posted: 2nd Nov 2008
the first one i tried to make was poor as. i basically took a practice staff and tied a string around the middle - firstly, my newbistick had 2 string attached to it. cos i was a newb.

so levi length should be no longer than your arm, make a hole for the string about 1cm above the centrepoint - run the string up to your middle finger so that your hand sits about 3cm from the top of the stick. with the loop i found the best is to make a slip knot to sit on the middle finger so you arent constantly adjusting when youre playing, thats what the flowtoys ones have - which are the raddest.. but i know the salza ones are just a big loop so you can put them around your wrist (which might be good for transferring from hand to hand but i havent experienced that level of levininja yet)

aaaah yeah

'FREE HUGGIES!!'

Posted: 3rd Nov 2008
thanks for the reply - ive had a little try with an old bit of steel tube and some string and i seem to have the just of it but its not quite there (i think theres a very long way to go!)

any info for weighting (i shoved a load of blu-tac up the bottom) or length of the stick (does it really matter?) should the top be weighted too?

any drawings or plans would be great!

it could also be that i have a alot to learn - ive managed to get what i can only describe as doing an isolation (if it was poi) but when i try and spin the stick around rather than my hand it just goes too horizontal - what do i need to do?

Thanks
Guy

Posted: 3rd Nov 2008
Hi Guy

I've only ever seen one of these things but i did take a look at how it was constructed. The trick seems to be drilling the hole just a little, and I mean a little bit above the center point.

As in 1 cm is too much, we're talking a few millimeters here.

Thread some black upholstery thread through the hole, tie a loop in each end of the thread and practice

and practice

and practice

Posted: 3rd Nov 2008
yeah 1cm might be too long, i have no concept of distance.. maybe go for half a cm..? thanks stout and yeah i didnt mention weights but an equal weight at the top and the bottom would help, blue tacs a pretty good idea - not sure what id use really.. some like chair stoppers that were really really small would be good. the stick is also really thin, like pencil thickness, and the length of the levi should be no longer than your arm. and just checking my one out now it is actually pretty heavy for what it is, like almost the weight of a devil stick.

ACTUALLY.............!
a devil stick would probably make a really good practice levi! if you take the flowers off the top and bottom, and attach one string a little above the middle.

do we agree people?

'FREE HUGGIES!!'

Posted: 4th Nov 2008
well im getting somewhere, just not sure its the right direction.

the stick ive got is just a steel tube, about 20mm diameter, maybe a bit less than 1mm thick and its about 450mm long with the hole about 5mm off centre. tried adjusting the weights and it seems as though more is needed on the bottom to help keep it vertical but too much more and it just spins horizontally.

im guessing that its a combination of never having done this before and a first attempt at making one - but as a competent poi spinner i assumed it would be a bit easier.

any more advice?

thanks

Posted: 8th Nov 2008
k. My own messing around the other night:

I found a couple devil sticks (:D) and was messing about with doubles stuff (very badly) when I saw some thick string. I tied it on just above the centre point and it worked fine.

I did find (since I was not able to drill into the stick (obviously)) that the string would slip and it would go off-vertical. The trick really seems to be getting the string in the *exactly* correct place. Moving it back was a case of shifting by millimeters.

I am going to try make a better one when I go home after this term is done, so will let you know.

'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

Posted: 10th Nov 2008
righty

so general idea seems to be a thin solid rod (im thinking about 6mm) around 450mm long with a hole just 3 or 4 mmm from the centre. the salza website talks about clever weighting, in reality the hole is just off centre to make it stay vertical.

everyone agree?
Guy

Posted: 10th Nov 2008

agreed

(ps. OMGEE! New emoticons!!) tehehe

'FREE HUGGIES!!'

Posted: 10th Nov 2008
Or some other clever weighting.

I mean, you could even stick tape on the "bottom" and then add or remove to get the balance point where you want it.

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]

Posted: 13th Nov 2008
Well yes. If you get the string in the exact centre, then you just need a bit of weight on either end. How much and where will need some experimentation. Also, you might need to do that anyway, since like I said, my hack levistick was very sensitive to where the string was.

'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland