Build your own small rocking chair for a child or small space.
Rocking chairs are a classic piece of furniture that fits most any decor. A rocker is good for relaxing at the end of a long day, soothing a child before bedtime, or just sitting on the front porch watching the world go by. Smaller size chairs can be made to fit in more compact spaces, or to fit a child who also loves to rock. Building your own rocker is also one of the less technical pieces of furniture you can make on your own.
Instructions
1. Draw the shape of your rocker panels on a piece of scrap plywood to use as a template. Using a template for your rockers ensures they are exactly the same on both sides and no wobbling occurs due to odd-shaped cuts. You want a shape with a wider curve at the front and slightly more tapered at the back to avoid tipping. The end result should look roughly like a half teardrop on it's side, with the rounded part down. Begin by blocking out a rectangle that is 5 1/2 inches by 36 inches on the plywood. From the top corners, draw your desired curve down and around the bottom half of the rectangle, removing the bottom two corners and making your rocking curve. Cut this template out.
2. Cut 4 rocker panels from your pine board using the template. Trace the template and cut each piece so they are exactly the same. Set the rockers aside.
3. Cut the stock for the legs. The front legs are straight up and down supports. The back legs angle from from to back and also support the seat base. Cut 2 pieces for the front legs 5 1/2-by-21 inches. Cut 2 pieces for the back 3 1/2-by-30 inches.
4. Make front supports for the rocker by cutting 1 piece of the pine 5 1/2-by-23 1/2 inches and a lower support that is 1 1/2 inches-by-22 inches. Cut 2 back supports 3 1/2-by-22 inches.
5. Use the jigsaw to cut a notch in each front leg. Start by measuring 6 1/2 inches up from the bottom of the leg board and mark it. Draw a line 5 1/2 inches long from there going up. Find the center point of the board width on your line and measure out to each side so you have a 3/4 inch width. Mark this so that you have a rectangle that is 3/4 of an inch wide and the 5 1/2 inches in length. Cut this out so you have a notched hole. Do this on both front legs, the center front cross support will fit in these notches.
6. Put the front of the chair together by gluing and screwing the front support into the notches in the two front legs. When that is attached, screw the bottom front support between the two front legs level with the bottom edge of the legs, centered on the leg. Screw through the leg into the ends of the front bottom support to hold it in place. Set this front section aside to let the glue dry completely.
7. Cut the remainder of the pieces while the front section dries. Create 11 seat slats that are 1 1/2-by-22. The back slats are 3 1/2 inches wide and 26 inches long and you need 5. You also need 2 back supports that are 3 1/2 inches wide and 22 inches long.
8. Cut a notched corner out of the back bottom support that is 2 inches high from the bottom and 3/4 inch in from the end. This makes a square notched area you have removed, do this for both ends. Now screw the back slats in place on this support by marking a line across the board 2 inches above the bottom, or a line even with the top of your notches. Line the bottom edge of the slats up with this line and beginning with one slat even with a far edge of the board, glue and screw them in place across the back support, spacing them roughly 1/2 inch apart. Use two screws per slat through the slat into the bottom support.
9. Add the top back support by measuring up from the bottom support top edge 13 1/2 inches; draw a line and place the bottom edge of the back support along this line. Screw and glue it in place and set the back support of the chair aside to dry. When dry, use the jigsaw to cut the square top of the slats into a rounded curve if you desire.
10. Cut 2 armrests, 5 1/2-by-25 inches. Reduce the back edge of the arm at an angle with the jigsaw so that the width is closer to 2 to 3 inches and tapers up to the full width at the front. You can play with the shape of this, making them curved or square, however you desire. Cut 4 small blocks of wood, 1-by-3 inches each, as supports for the arms.
11. Shape the back legs of the chair to fit the seat slats and angle the ends to sit correctly on the chair. Begin by cutting the ends of the board at angles to meet the front and bottom where it rests. The top you will cut a rough 45-degree angle down from the top left corner of your leg to the bottom edge of the board. Once you've done this, hold the board in place as it will be mounted. Draw the bottom angle so that the bottom edge of the board is cut so that it sits at the same line the front leg is resting. This can be adjusted and is primarily according to the way your chair is laid out. Adjust as needed. You can choose to curve the seat if you desire by cutting a curved "S" shape into the seat beginning about 3 inches from the front end and ending no more than 20 inches from the center of the board. Repeat the exact same cuts on the second leg by tracing the completed leg onto the second and cutting it out.
12. Construct the chair by screwing and gluing the bottom legs in place on the inside of the front legs. Attach the armrests to the top of the front legs and screw in place. Screw 2 of the 2-by-3 blocks you cut to the ends of the top back support. Sit the backrest in place on top of the back legs and put the armrests on the blocks attached to the top back support. Adjust everything so it sits at the angle you want and fits together. Screw the armrests to the support blocks. Now add the other 2 support blocks to the front of the armrests by screwing and gluing them in place just below the armrest on the outside of the front legs.
13. Screw and glue the bottom support of the backrest between the back legs. Now add the seat slats by laying them across the top of the back legs and screwing and gluing them in place roughly 1/2-inch apart. Allow the chair to dry completely.
14. Finish the rocker by laying it on it's side and screwing one, then the other outer rocker panels to the front and back legs. Screw and glue the inner rocker panels to the legs, sandwiching the legs between them.
Tags: front legs, back legs, back support, bottom edge, bottom support, rocker panels