Hi,

Are there any general dimensions or hard rules in making rocking
chairs?

Is there an angle to follow for the rockers from front to back or out
to in or something? or how long rockers should be?

thanks,

NORY

Hi Nory,

I've been building rocking chairs for at least 20 years. For a good
balanced chair, the overall heigth of the chair is proportional to the
length of the rockers. The tilt back, of the backrest, when the chair
is stationary is optimally 7 to 8 degrees, whether the seat - backrest
is angled at 90 degrees. The rockers have to be angled back (front
"toes" out or back "heels" in) at the same angle or the rocker is apt
to creep across the floor.

The arc (degrees) of the rockers of an adult chair is greater than that
of a child's chair. The reason for this: Adults tend to ease
themselves into a chair. A child tends to plop themselves into a
chair. If the rockers are too arced, when they plop themselves into
the chair, the top of the backrest will "fly" forward and smack them in
the back of the head.

Want some great inspiration, study Hal Taylor:
http://www.haltaylor.com/new_page_21.htm

As advice to a newbie in building rocking chairs, I would suggest the
first effort be made from a plan, as when I tried to design my own all
the parts didn't go together all that well - I had no insight as to the
varying angles for the mortises and tenons in the lower frame of the
chair....so I went out and bought a book that had a plan and it came
out just fine. My second chair was my original design built with the
lessons learned and insights from having built the first from the plan.

Mutt

Pig wrote:
As advice to a newbie in building rocking chairs, I would suggest the
first effort be made from a plan, as when I tried to design my own all
the parts didn't go together all that well - I had no insight as to the
varying angles for the mortises and tenons in the lower frame of the
chair....so I went out and bought a book that had a plan and it came
out just fine. My second chair was my original design built with the
lessons learned and insights from having built the first from the plan.


I second that opinion. I've designed a lot of my own furniture, but I
wouldn't attempt a rocking chair until I built one from a plan first.
Too many angles to keep up with. And if you make all 90 degree angles
to simplify, the chair would be uncomfortable and wouldn't look right
either.

DonkeyHody
"Don't ever wrestle with a pig. You'll both get muddy, but the pig
likes it."

Wed, Jan 25, 2006, 3:42am (EST-3) doth asketh:
Are there any general dimensions or hard rules in making rocking chairs?
snip

Yep. Make 'em wider for a big ass.



JOAT
You only need two tools: WD-40, and duct tape. If it doesn't move and
it should, use WD-40. If it moves and shouldn't, use the tape.

Wed, Jan 25, 2006, 4:39am (EST-3) (Sonny) sayeth:
snip A child tends to plop themselves into a chair. If the rockers are
too arced, when they plop themselves into the chair, the top of the
backrest will "fly" forward and smack them in the back of the head.
snip

And, the downside is?



JOAT
You only need two tools: WD-40, and duct tape. If it doesn't move and
it should, use WD-40. If it moves and shouldn't, use the tape.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,

Are there any general dimensions or hard rules in making rocking
chairs?

Is there an angle to follow for the rockers from front to back or out
to in or something? or how long rockers should be?

thanks,

NORY

Issues 90 and 91 of Woodwork magazine have plans and an article to build a
Craftsman style rocking chair. I've built the chair and it is a very
comfortable chair. Paul Sellers has taught many students to build the chair.
You can answer a lot of your questions with these articles.

I would use some ones plans for the first chair. If you get something wrong
in dimensions it can ruin your effort.

J T wrote:
Wed, Jan 25, 2006, 4:39am (EST-3) (Sonny) sayeth:
snip A child tends to plop themselves into a chair. If the rockers are
too arced, when they plop themselves into the chair, the top of the
backrest will "fly" forward and smack them in the back of the head.
snip

And, the downside is?


10 to 12 degrees usually solves the problem. And reduce, a bit, the
back of the rocker recurve, also.

Wed, Jan 25, 2006, 7:54pm (J*T)
On Wed, Jan 25, 2006, 3:42am (EST-3) did ask:
: Are there any general dimensions or hard rules in making rocking
chairs? snip

To which I responded:
**********Yep. Make 'em wider for a big ass.

Yes, I realize most of you considered that a wise-ass response, and
un-called for. On the contrary. I make a kid's puzzle rocker. Years
back a grandmother oohed & ahed over them. But, didn't buy. Reason?
She told me her two young grandchildren, 3 & 4 if I recall right, were
too fat to fit in them - her words. So, I widened my "standard-sized"
patterns about 6"; and now, any kid can fit in my rockers, unless he/she
is vastly overweight.



JOAT
You only need two tools: WD-40, and duct tape. If it doesn't move and
it should, use WD-40. If it moves and shouldn't, use the tape.