Childs Rocking Chair

[genethehat@gmail.com]

Need help on making a chils Rocking chair. One of staff asked if I could make her a rocking chair for granddauter so she could rock like grandpa. Not sure it is a project for half a brain disabled vet, but thought I would think about it. Looked on net, but over dosed on numbers of chairs. Think the size is between 15" to 22" D 12" to 17" W and 24" to 28" H. Needs to be simple. No tools to speak of. No M&T. Any ideas? Do not want the take on more the I can handle. Getting pretty go with SketchUp, so I could draw if I had a photo & size.

Thanks, Hope this is the right place to ask.

[PaulMarcel]

That sounds like a cool project plus you'll know you aced it when the kid is crazy for it.

No doubt, you saw this plan from Rockler:

Rocker's plan

Naturally you could buy the plan, but I think we could reverse-engineer it right here. Here are some ideas using a minimum of tools and predominately pocket hole joinery.

The arms you could just draw the pattern once and cut two pieces form what looks like pretty thick oak. Use the same pattern and flip one arm to make the pair. You could cut this with a bandsaw or jigsaw then clean up with an oscillating spindle sander. I know some tools aren't available to you so I'll list some basic ways to make it. If something is missing, reply and we'll figure out another way to make it.

Arms could be pocket-holed into the back. Once pocket holed, I'd drill a 1/4" hole through the back directly into the arm a good inch into it. Slather a dowel with epoxy and ram in the hole; clean up a bit then flush trim the dowel. To be honest, I'd actually angle the hole inward for the dowel; you'll flush trim it off anyway so that doesn't change, but angling it in makes it more difficult for the arm to pull away even if the glue fails.

Back is a simple outline; bandsaw or jigsaw. The spindle sander will help for many parts, but some for areas you'll need to use a detail hand sander. Other places sell those, too. Note that the grain should go vertically for strength.

The rockers are again one pattern you cut twice; sand like before (damn sanding is everywhere....) Note that the grain needs to go horizontally to keep the back part from shearing off.

The arms attach to the seat with 1" dowels. Use a 1" forstner bit on the arms and seat to make the recesses and glue.

The seat should have the grain going front to back to match the back. Make a patterns, cut, sand. The back attaches to the back of the seat. You could use pocket holes from the seat in to the back, although I'd go the dowel route for sure on this part and likely 3.

There's a stretcher going from rocker to rocker under the seat. This could also be pocket holed from behind into the rockers. Rockers could be glued and pocket holed into the seat as the long-grain to long-grain there will be pretty strong. The stretcher, though, should only be attached to the rockers and one screw straight up the middle into the seat to allow for movement.

Maybe order the plan and see how they say to build it (plus they have the patterns!!) If some aspect of it is beyond your tooling or some joinery more than you want to do, post about it here and we'll work it out.

Good luck!