rocking chair build

[BuckeyeDennis]

Way cool! Yet another ambition to add to my bucket list ...

[berry]

So with the seat ready it's time to move onto the rocker cutting. I used a hot melt glue gun to stick both rocker blanks together to ensure I had identical curves. The bandsaw made short work of that and it came out reasonably well considering it was guided by hand. It's a bit late after the event but if anyone has an accurate method for cutting totally smooth curves I'd like to hear. A fair amount of sanding followed and I'm now happy with those.

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If I'm concerned about the final shape or worried about loads of sanding, I make a template of the part from 1/4" hardboard (Masonite), cut/sand the template to the 'perfect' shape. Then band saw the part, as you normally would (although you don't have to be quite as careful). After the pieces are cut attach the template to the part you just cut with double sided tape and use a router with a flush trim (the bearing should follow the edge of the template) and cut to the final shape. Carefully remove the template and position on the next piece and so on. The router and flush trim bit leave a nice finish. You can eliminate a lot of sanding that way.

This has been a great project to follow. I'm enjoying it.

[terrydowning]

I'm way impressed. Very nice work. Can't wait to see the final product.

[danscot]

The final glue up is complete and the end of the build is in sight! :eek:

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Overall I'm very happy with what I've achieved thus far; the spokeshave, surform and 80 grit sandpaper resulted in a nicely rounded shape that flows reasonably well. Some of the joints look pretty good; others required a touch of woodfiller. It's no Maloof and it doesn't really fit to any style I'm aware of but it'll do me :)


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There's the mouse, if you look closely you'll see the ladybird/ladybug too

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So here it is, all rubbed down (120, 180 & 320 grit) & ready for the finish - satin polyurethane varnish. First coat will be thinned 50/50 - apparently that helps it soak deeper into the wood to give a more durable finish. I'll follow that up with at least 2 coats of finish. The old display board is under it to protect the smooth base of the rockers from the concrete floor!

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[charlese]

Super job on super project, Dan!:D
I just can't say enough! First Project? It shows excellent work of a seasoned craftsman.

[nuhobby]

Super job! Bravo on a well-thought-out, patient project!

[fredsheldon]

Wow, great job. In a few hundred years the Roadshow will 'Discover' this great work of art and it will fetch thousands of dollars for sure.

[saminmn]

Great work. Thanks for sharing your progress on this project. Have enjoyed seeing your solutions to problems as you went. Very fun to follow. Best of all the new mom will have a great place for rocking the new arrival!!

[terrydowning]

It's no Maloof and it doesn't really fit to any style I'm aware of but it'll do me :)

Who needs a Maloof when you have an original danscot?

Awesome job and brilliant reuse of material.

[danscot]

It took a while; dozens of cups of coffee, several slaps on the forehead with a cry of "Doh!", a small amount of spilled blood, many mutterings, shouts and outbursts along the lines of "bother", "tsk, tsk", "oh fudge", "how irksome", etc.

But it's done, finished, complete, over ... what'll I do now???

Well here's what I did then:

To finish the project: Varnish applied, 1 coat thinned 50/50, a second coat 60/40 and then 2 coats of straight varnish - satin polyurethane. A gentle rub down between coats with 600 grit. Out of all those coats I had 3 runs to deal with which, considering all the edges and places for excess varnish to hide before making a run for it (and my prior record in such things) I thought was not too bad. I was able to fix all 3 runs so it looks quite smooth now:

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With the varnish dried and reasonably hard after about 36 hours, I got ready to load the chair into the car for the 100+ mile delivery journey. Of course, the previous evening, after admiring the finished chair, my dear wife just had to ask in passing if it would fit in the car - I told her it would. And then woke up in the morning with that seed of doubt sprouting in my mind - why hadn't I checked that measurement before starting the cutting & building all those months ago

But it was all right. An inch or so to spare getting it in the door

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So, after our 2 hour drive the chair was duly delivered to the flat (apartment) in Dundee. It's down by the City Quay so I just had to take advantage of the photo opp.
The ship in the background is an old wooden frigate, now a small entertainment venue.

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The new mum tried the chair for size and it fitted; then mum & son tried it - it still fitted (I did get a row for not giving advance warning of the photo-shoot - I caught her in her lounging gear, she's usually much better turned out!)

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Not only did it fit - it worked (wee man now asleep in the cot):

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So what did I learn from this project? I have to plan joints better, I have to build a workbench, I have to measure where it's going & how it's getting there in advance (car fitting worry), I now know good angles to use for rocking chair assembly, I really have to build a workbench, and I learned that project completion time estimates should be doubled, doubled once more and then add on half as much again for good measure!

Most of all, I've learned that by taking it steady in simple steps, I could build what seemed next to impossible when I started out. And if I can do it, well, anyone can!

And what a reward seeing daughter & grandson reap the benefits :D

To top it all off, when we got back home I got a text reading: "totally love the rocking chair...best thing ever" :D

Job done!