| Blog series by Orange008 | updated 02-11-2019 03:37 AM | 15 parts | 18607 reads | 20 comments total |
Part 1: Design and adapting to fit onto glider base
My wife and I have recently found out we are expecting. Once I knew, I just had to make something for my wife and soon to be child. I know it is great to have a rocking chair in the baby’s room to rock them to sleep. I have always liked the look and movement of glider rockers. I figured it was the perfect opportunity to build one. I got the core plans from Wood magazine’s issue 112. I followed the plans for the chair pretty much exactly. Due to the low profile of the chair I ha...
Part 2: The cut list
I am getting anxious to start on this project. I have the cut list (below) all ready. Unfortunately the lumber yard I am purchasing the material from is only open on the weekdays during my work hours. I finally have a Thursday/Friday off next week, so off to the lumber supplier! I would love to do this in walnut, but cost drives me to white or red oak. I may decide that this is a once in a lifetime piece and end up with walnut.
Part 3: Cutlist 2.0
After putting together my cutlist, I called up the lumber yard that I am getting the material from. They emailed me the latest price list for all their products. Seeing that you are charged extra for boards wider than 8”, I decided that going back to the cutlist to reorganize the pieces on 8” wide may benefit me. I had too much room left over on 9” wide pieces anyway, so fitting them onto 8” worked well (below), and I actually had less waste. I didn’t even hav...
Part 4: Breakdown of wood
I haven’t posted in awhile. I have finally found some time to show my progress. I purchased the lumber at the end of September and began to mark out on the wood where my cuts would be. I used a light blue chalk to show up well on the dark wood. I also marked a letter on each piece to correspond to my cutlist and assembly instructions with a grease pencil, so it would not smudge or rub off easily during the breakdown of the wood, but not stain as a marker would. Some of the boards ...
Part 5: Cutting to rough size
After checking and rechecking my layout of the cuts, I nervously began to make my first cuts to bring all the pieces down to rough size. I made sure to oversize all the pieces by at least 1/4”, so I could more carefully bring down to the final size on the planer, tablesaw and eventually some hand chiseling and planing.
Part 6: Gluing, cutting and adding mortises to the legs
Here I glue up the rough cut legs. They are made of 3 separate pieces laminated together to make one very strong, thick legs. The ones that have some slight variation color between the layers will be the back legs and strategically turned so they still look like solid legs. I then ran them through the planer to bring them down to their final dimensions. After carefully laying out the placement of the mortises, I drill most of the material out with a 1/2” forstner bit. I then came bac...
Part 7: Dry assembly of lower body
Testing the fit of the tenons in the through mortises of the legs. A little tight, but some small chisel work will take care of that.
Part 8: Gluing of laminated armrest
Three thin pieces make up the lamination of one arm and are glued on a form. The form is made of scrap plywood and cut according to the dimensions in the plans. Each piece is slathered in glue and then bent around the form and clamped into place. After drying, the clamps are removed. One edge is trued up and flattened with a jack plane and then the curve laid out on the opposite side and cut on the bandsaw. More sanding and shaping need to be done as well as the mortises for the tenons on the...
Part 9: Layout of side assembly
I have not posted in awhile. Turns out completing a fine furniture build of this magnitude and preparing for a first born child to arrive is a very large undertaking. I have continued to cut all the pieces to the final size and planed and sanded them down to thickness. I also continue to work on the joinery. I have dry fitted both side assemblies, the seat assembly and back assembly to make sure everything is lining up correctly. I have purchased a dado blade for my table saw to make th...
Part 10: Through tenons on armrests
Since the arm shape is complete and the side assemblies are laid out, I decided to start work on the tenons on the top of each leg that will protrude slightly from the top of the armrests. This was not in the plans that I had purchased, but really like that look and why not add more complexity to an already drawn out project! If I am going to take this much time to build the chair, might as well make it detailed. I completed one on a leg that will be in the back to practice my technique. I...
Part 11: Update
Woah… It has been more than 2 years since I have posted. Not where I wanted to be. Basically the chair still sits at relatively the same stage as my last post. I did complete the other side of the chair (arm and leg assembly) and a few miscellaneous parts. I do plan to work more on the project in the near future and eventually complete. With a now almost 2.5 year old daughter, I find myself distracted more and more. I am currently building a dust collector and soon a router lift. ...
Part 12: Back at it... again
OK, this is a little embarrassing… It has been nearly 4.5 years since my first post on this chair. I was originally going to make this chair prior to my daughter’s birth in March of 2015 for rocking and feeding her. She is turning 4 in just a couple of months and I am only halfway done. Luckily I get a second chance! My second daughter is due at the end of April. It’s go time. I have moved since my last post and now live in Charlotte, NC. This allows for more comfortable ...
Part 13: Seat
Quick update. Glued up the seat frame and set into place. Still have to add spacers in between the slats and do some final sanding. I did not, however, let this opportunity go to waste and got to sit down in the chair for the first time! I have to imagine that it will be much more comfortable with cushions and a back, but exciting none the less to be able to sit in it for the first time. Progress is being made and can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
Part 14: Chair back
The chair back is assembled and temporarily put in place. The holes were drilled for the removable dowel that allows adjustment of the back. Some sanding still required for the back assembly and then on to the glider mechanism! The end is near… I can taste it! Well, except for the cushions. Have had the fabric for about 3.5 years. Need to purchase the seat foam (FYI, Home Depot seems to carry the cheapest upholstery foam…). The wife, who is a hobbyist sewist will be helping wit...
Part 15: Backrest spacers
Made a quick trip to the local Stickley store to do some ogling, I mean research. I am glad I did, since I was a little stuck on the pivot pins on the backrest. I found that they use wooden washers to keep the backrest centered on the chair, since it is slightly narrower than the chair frame. I was also keeping my pins for the pivot and the positioning snug, but found Stickley’s quite loose making it much easier to reposition. It makes sense now that I think of it. The pins will never b...
