Genesis of the Kick Steps

Posted on April 16, 2013

When you think of the word 'Kick step' what other words spring to mind? Step stool, kick stool, kick along step, Steppy, Kikkers, kik-step, Daleks? Yes, Daleks the infamous enemy of Doctor Who. Since the Daleks first appeared on the television screens in 1963, they have become the epitome of robotic evil across the globe and has had children diving behind the sofas terrified that the evil Davros will come and get them. This was incredibly scary for the 60's and 70's children. Well, I thought in brilliant Blue Peter style of creating the iconic villain the Dalek using a kick step and other materials.

But you will have to figure out how to make one yourself, however I should warn anyone planning to make a Dalek, that if someone in your workplace or at home is scared of a Dalek, please be aware they may not turn up to work or they may leave home if the Dalek remains in the building.

The kick steps, step stools, Kikkers, what ever you want to call them, are the perfect solution for when you are struggling to access those hard to reach places. Any step stool is safe and secure to use. The spring loaded castors allow it to glide along freely and when stood upon, the wheels retract, in other words, Kick and it rolls – step and it stays. Perfect for using it as a base for the Dalek as they are known for there gliding movement.

So how is the Dalek looking, we have used a paper recycling bin, blue paper, some sellotape and a plant pot and this is what it looks like. So far so good, we would say but there is still a long way to go before our Dalek is complete and is ready to exterminate!

You can use a step stool in a range of places, both industrial and commercial. Library’s, shops, warehouses, storage units, offices etc. all use a number of kick steps to help them about the workplace. There are many uses for a kick step, you can use it to help clean the family car, play office football or help do a bit of spring cleaning around the office or home, including cleaning your Dalek!

Let's take another look at how the Dalek is coming along. As you can see we have added the extermination devices i,e a toilet plunger Sucker Gun and a cardboard Dalek Gun and some black stickers to represent the Globes.

Most step stools are made of polypropylene although some can be made out of steel. The steps have rubber treads, to stop the user from slipping off the step and the rubber trim protects against any damage the step may encounter, e.g. if you kick it to hard. The kick step and the Dalek are starting to have some similar features – strange.

Depending on the type of step stool, the weight of the product will differ. This all depends on the materials the stool is made out of and how big it is, for example, our Kickalong Step is made out of plastic with rubber treads and trims, weighs 4.5kg whereas as steel stool could weigh up to 5kg, the weight of the stool could depend on the type of workplace – so choose wisely.

 Okay, so now we want to unveil our 'attempt' at creating our very own Workplace Depot Dalek. Here it is – you have probably noticed it isn't exactly perfect but we gave it a go anyway!

If you think that you can do better (which is very likely) then create your own and send it to us via Twitter, Facebook or email (social@theworkplacedepot.co.uk)!

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