Pediatric PVC Pipe Walker

This PVC pipe walker was created in hopes that a pediatric hospital patient would be able to use it during their treatments. Most patients who are hospital bound are suffering illnesses that make them weak and cause fatigue. To combat additional issues, doctors will instruct their patients to walk a certain distance each day. This walker will not only provide them the walking assistance that they need, but its bright colored ribbons, and comfortable hand pads will hopefully make it fun too!

Supplies needed to create this project include:

1. 1 pool noodle
2. 2 different roles of colored ribbon
3. 2 tennis balls
4. 2 wheels with needed parts (corresponding bolts, washers, and nuts)
5. 6 straight 3 opening PVC pipe connectors
6. 4 curved 3 opening PVC pipe connectors
7. 8 1 inch PVC pipes
8. Paint primer
9. Spray paint (color of your choosing- we used metallic)

Materials needed to use these supplies include:

1. Scissors
2. PVC pipe cutter
3. Paint brushes
4. Wrench
5. Drill

The PVC pipe used to make this walker are 1 inches wide. I would suggest to get about 8 long pipes. The walker will be measured for the individual that is using it, and getting extra is always better than not getting enough! The PVC pipes needed are shown above. You will need 4 of the ones with the curve and 6 of the ones that have a straight edge. They can be found at local stores such as: HomeDepot, and Lowes.

The walker that you are making should fit measurements of the individual who is planning on using it. Therefore, when cutting the PVC pipes, you do not want to copy measurement numbers. PVC pipe was cut using the cutter shown above. Al you have to do is place the pipe between the blades and push down as if you are using a pair of scissors. In order to connect the pipes together, you just have to push them into the connectors.

Next, watch the video above that explains how to drill holes into the PVC pipes. The holes should be drilled at the level you would like to attach your wheels.

Next step is to paint your walker! Before you paint, it is important to prime the PVC pipes with paint primer. We used ColorPlace primer, but any primer will work. Priming is important because it will make your paint stick better to the surface of the pipes, and it will hide any writing on the pipes. Primer can be applied with foam paint brushes as shown above. Make sure that the primer is completely dry before paint is applied.

Next up is choosing the color of paint! The color is entirely up to you, but we chose metallic grey because we wanted to give it the feel of a real walker. We used spray paint so that it would have an even coat. Make sure you spray paint your walker outside and in an open area as to not be affected by the fumes. Give the spray paint up to 24 hours to dry. After that, it is ready to be handled.

Now that your holes have been drilled into the PVC pipe, attaching the wheels should be fairly easy!

With the wheel on the outside of the pipe, place a bolt through both sides of the pipe and the wheel. Make sure a washer is between the bolt and the wheel to prevent unwanted friction. Next, you want to put another washer on the other side of the pipe. To make sure that nothing comes apart, put a stopper nut at the end of the bolt. These can be tightened with the assistance of a wrench. Make sure that you do not make them too tight, as the wheels will not move. Once you trial the walker and the wheels roll, you are ready to move on!

Last step is to assemble the extra features of your walker!

With the pool noodle you have chose, cut about 1 foot long pieces that are equal in length and are not longer than the handles of your walker. After this, slice through one side of the noodle so that it looks like the photo above. This can be done with ease with the assistance of scissors. This can then be placed on the handle bar PVP pipes, and will act as a cushion for whomever is holding onto the walker to move.

Next, you will be using the two tennis balls you have gathered. Cut an X on each tennis ball with a scissor and/or an exacto knife. Once the hole is cut, the back PVC pipe can slide right into it. The tennis balls will help the walker glide without going too fast for the walker. Make sure the tennis balls are placed on the back two legs and not the front. The front is where the wheels should be.

Lastly, is the ribbon for design. The connectors that were used had an extra opening facing outwards on the walker. We used a 3D printer to create plugs to go into the connector that we could attach the ribbon to. Using the webpage: Tinker-cad, we created the plugs shown above. In order to do this we used a cylindrical object, measured them to fit the 1inch opening, and then put a hole through them with an additional cylinder. Instructions on how to us Tinker-cad can be found on youtube. After the plugs are printed it is ribbon time! Gather your curling ribbon and get several strips in one hand. You want to make a big cluster of them and have them curl into each other. These can be attached in the plug with tape, as it will be hidden inside the pipe. Make sure that the plug is fully in the pipe and nothing extra is showing!

After all these steps are completed, you have successfully created a walker that will roll smoothly and be comfortable for the desired individual. Great job!