Thursday, October 19, 2017

Rocking Chair

This in not my first rocking chair that I have built, but the first one I designed.  My first ricking chair was from pallet wood and ended up where pallet wood should go: in the fire.  The second was the design my grandfather made.  This one was designed similar to the high chair I recently made.  My seat joiner was a little better on this on one and I did not do mortise and tenon joints.
Overall the rocker is 17 1/2" wide X 22 1/2" tall x 23" long.  It is made out of poplar and the rockers are made form bent lamination.  Bent lamination is taking thin strips of wood and gluing them together.  before the glue dries forcing them into a mold.  When the clue dries the piece takes on the for with a little bit of spring back.  It does not require steam and heat.  I have don this before.  It usually makes a mess so I take clear packing tape and put it on top of the form so the bent piece and form do not stick together.
This go around I was a little more careful on the joinery.  Still not great but better.  It is also helpful that I have a set of nice sharp chisels.  I also cleaned up the dado with a shoulder plane.  I have to justify why I purchased it, right?  The doweled joinery was just for speed.  It still took me forever to make.
I am working on the drawings and procedure now.  I had to make a change to the height because it was too talk.  When doing the dry fit I had my son sit in it.  His feet were three inches off the ground so I took 2 1/2  inches off.  He is almost four so there is the age reference.  That was the only design change on this project.  It came together really well.  My kids want to keep one, my wife says it is defective and I can't give both away.  I was not planning on keeping either.  One is going to be donated to a toy drive.  The other I am not sure yet.

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