Risers for Foot Percussion

April 5th, 2025
music
The ideal seat height for foot percussion is significantly higher than a typical chair. I've tried a few things over the years:
  • Stacking chairs: works great, until you come to a venue without any stackable chairs.

  • Drum stool: good (unless you buy a very cheap wobbly one like I did) but heavy and not good for flying with.

  • Adjustable booster: ok, though unavoidably bulky and the one I made is also too heavy for flying.

At Hashdance Weekend Kelsey had a set of furniture risers she let me borrow, and I liked them a lot! I decided to get a pair.

They do slide around a bit, though, because they're hard plastic on the bottom:

I decided to put on a layer of silicone for better grip. I roughed them up a bit with 220 grit sandpaper:

And put on a thin layer of old silicone from what I had left in a tube from a bathroom renovation:

It's certainly grippy, but it turns out not very robust. Here's after my first gig with them:

I really like how light and compact they are, and a bit of sliding isn't a complete dealbreaker, but I would still be a lot happier if they'd stay put under me.

I was thinking of maybe using cyanoacrylate to attach a thin layer of rubber, probably from an old inner tube. But I'm worried this might mark the floor. Suggestions for things to try?

Comment via: facebook, lesswrong, mastodon, bluesky, substack

Recent posts on blogs I like:

Inkhaven Blog Recommendations

I was recently a contributing writer at the blogging retreat Inkhaven.

via Thing of Things December 12, 2025

How to Make a Christmas Wreath

Yesterday, I made a Christmas wreath. Here's how to make one. First, find an evergreen tree near your house. Clip off a few branches from the tree. Try to have as many leaves or needles on the branches as possible. Next, bring them home. What I usu…

via Anna Wise's Blog Posts December 6, 2025

Against the Teapot Hold in Contra Dancing

The teapot hold is the most dangerous common contra dancing figure, so I’ve been avoiding it. The teapot hold, sometimes called a "courtesy turn hold,” requires one dancer to connect with their hand behind their back. When I realized I could avoid put…

via Emma Azelborn August 25, 2025

more     (via openring)