Building a Porch Rocker

[Bryan @ Woodstock]

Some forum members have shown interest in building the porch rocker so I thought I would post pics and dimensions, as I build my #3 rocker.
Material to make 1 chair out of western red cedar :
Approx.
19' of 2x6, 22' of 1x6

12' of 2x6 = 4 legs
5' of 2x6 = rockers
2' of 2x6 = seat supports
4' of 1x6 = dowels
4' of 1x6 = arm rests
7' of 1x6 = seat slats
7' of 1x6 = back rest
2' of 2x2 = decorative top front dowel
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For the legs , I ripped 3 pcs @ 4' cedar 2x6 down the middle and glued up with polyurethane glue. Rip blank to 2 & 5/8" square for lathe work. The rockers are cut from 2x6 and arm rest, back support, dowels from 1x6 cedar deck boards.
The back leg is 2 & 3/8" dia. x 43" long , and I turn a separate 3" tall knob for the top. Front leg is 23" long. Make a 7/8" x 2 & 3/8" x 40" long V block with a pipe strap clamp to assist drilling / mortising holes. All holes drilled are 1" dia . Drill a 1" dia. x 1" deep hole, measuring from the bottom end of the leg , at 5 & 1/8" , 10 & 1/2" and the arm rest hole at 22", on center. For the next holes ( for the back of the chair, & using 19" long dowels), the leg is turned 97 degrees. Those holes are 4 & 3/8" and 9 & 1/2". You have to drill the back and front legs as both Left and Right parts. The bottom pin turned on the leg is 1" dia. x 1 & 1/4" long. The bead and spool design is 5 & 1/2" long, starting from the bottom, measures 15" to 20 & 1/2" , and again at 28" to 33 & 1/2". Round over 3/8" R the top of the back leg to transition to the knob you will attach later. The front leg is a duplicate of the back leg , cut to 23" long. When done drilling the holes, the side dowel holes should be higher than the front and back dowels, so they become the support for the seat. The seat support arches will be screwed to the top of the side dowels.
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Using a protractor to set the angles, using a length of dowel in the first holes drilled to rest the protractor on.1073
Making dowels with a 1/2" radius bit, out of 1 & 1/16" wide strips cut from deck boards, then sanded on my belt sander till the ends fit a 1" hole. I did turn a larger dowel on the lathe , out of 2x stock, with a bead detail for the top rung on the front. You could turn all the dowels on the lathe to a larger dia. & reducing the ends to 1". Something I will try with #4 chair.
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The backrest is planed to 3/4" thick , and the top is two pcs laminated and trimmed to 7 & 1/2" high. You may want to mortise the top for the 3/8" backrest slats before glue-up, depending the capacity of your mortiser. The slats are re sawed from 1" stock, then planed to 3/8" thick x 2" wide x 20 & 3/4" long. Once glued up and dry, mark the 3/4" wide mortises in the back legs. When gluing up the backrest, using polyurethane glue, check the square on the backrest and keep clamps on the outer edges till dry. I found the foaming glue can force the backrest out of shape.
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[Bryan @ Woodstock]

1049
Cut arm rest out of 1" x 6" deck board stock. Trim the 1" wide end into a round pin. Use 3/8" round over bit on the edges.
Back rest is 2 pcs deck board laminated, then planed to 3/4" thick.
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[Bryan @ Woodstock]

1048
Using a 1/4" x 1" x 36" long strip, tie a string to each end to make an arc to assist drawing the curve. Note grain orientation. After cutting out rocker, test strength before using. If the rocker is going to split, best to find out now. I cut 2 rockers out of 2x6x5 ft. stock.

[Bryan @ Woodstock]

Front dowels, spacing is 5 & 1/2" and 11" from the end of the leg on center. The side holes, are drilled at 83 degrees from the front holes . Holes are at 6 & 5/8" and 12". Side dowels are 1"x19" and front are 1"x23" set in 1" deep holes.http://www.workshopbuzz.com/forum/album_mod/upload/ef67d2ce85f9519966c47b1bb2f9d482.jpg

[Bryan @ Woodstock]

Mark a center line 1 & 3/4" from the front tip of the rocker. Sit the chair on the rockers and pencil in the hole locations, and also mark the angle the front and rear holes are to be drilled at in the drill press.http://www.workshopbuzz.com/forum/album_mod/upload/4d068e80e54ce0cc5e645388af1158ef.jpg

[Bryan @ Woodstock]

Mark and drill the armrest in the drill press
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Now drill into the front leg using the armrest as a guide
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Finish drilling down about 2"
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Cut a 3 + inch long dowel, cut a slot for a wedge and glue in as shown to prevent grain splitting of the armrest
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Glue the armrest and install the wedge
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[Mike Brazeau]

Thank you very much Bryan. Very well done. I have downloaded into a pdf file which is just over 1.1 Mb if anyone wants it for future use.
Mike

[Bryan @ Woodstock]

Drill the front holes 1 & 3/4" back from the tip, on center and then check the marking of the rear holes in the rockers before drilling. If your pencil marks are correct then proceed with the set up for the rear holes. Using a scrap block to hold the rocker in position, drill the rear holes. Holes are drilled 1" deep. You must be accurate or the rockers will not fit the chair. Don't ask how I know this! 1046
Glue the rockers to the chair. Your chair should be looking like this pic, the side dowels have to be higher than the front and back dowels. Dimensions shown will give a seat height of 16". Just need to build the seat and turn the knobs for the top of the back legs.
1047

[Bryan @ Woodstock]

Thank you very much Bryan. Very well done. I have downloaded into a pdf file which is just over 1.1 Mb if anyone wants it for future use.
Mike
Thanks Mike! But I'm not done yet and have been doing some editing as I re read what I have posted. The article is getting a permanent home in the Tutorial section, once I am done building the chair.

[Mike Brazeau]

Bryan - I think I would have to split the back legs into two segments with a good healthy tenon joint at one of the beads. Looks really good. My sister has a small antique child's rocker that came from Ireland in the early 1800's. I have made a bunch of photos with measurements, bill of materials etc. and may tackle it first this winter. I like yours though.
Mike

[Bryan @ Woodstock]

Using 2X material I cut out 2 seat supports the same length , trimming one for the rear. I tapered the front edge of the seat slat to remove the blunt edge. Set the band saw fence to 3/8" and cut approx 1.5" long taper off the top of the seat slats. Belt sand the top of the slat. Use a 3/8" round over bit to ease the edges with the slats on edge as you run it pass the router bit. 105410551060

[Bryan @ Woodstock]

The seat supports and 8 seat slats are fastened with 1 & 1/2 # 8 screws. Turn a 3" long knob to decorate the top of the back leg. I left about a 2" long pin turned 1" , slightly undersized. This will help seat the mating edges as hand drilling's not too accurate, 90 degree wise. Glue will easily take up the slack in the hole. I copied the shape of a small store bought knob. To keep the 1" forstner bit from wandering, ( top of the leg has the dead center hole from the lathe ) . Drill a 1" hole in 1/4" ply scrap and nail on top of the leg as a guide.1057
Jig to drill top post1065

[Bryan @ Woodstock]

Swmbo approves the design, especially the lower seat heigth , compared to my 1st chair. She likes the arched seat, and with the front slope I added in the slats. In this pic you can see what cutting a 1" deep arch does for the seat. Chair # 2 just had a straight support.
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Completed chair
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Here is my 1st chair , from soft maple painted with a gloss red color, from a histoical American color chart ( Kendall Lodge ) and my 2nd chair, made from western red cedar with 3 coats spar varnish.
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