Rocker in progress -Updated *Pictures of finished rocker*

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Villa Park, CA
Here's a project I have under way right now - a Contemporary Craftsman style rocker in cherry (note the traditional Craftsman side slats). I still have quite a bit to do but you can see the outline. For me, the hardest thing is getting the arms to look good. I'm really not satisfied with the shape of arm yet but I'll keep working it. I want them to look appropriate to the chair and not clunky. I always have trouble with chair arms.

Lots of manual labor in shaping the seat and the arms. I used a chairmaker's plane on the seat, as well as a #5/30 carving gouge and a mallet, then sanded the seat out. The arm was shaped with the same gouge, as well as a variety of rasps, then sanded. Fitting the side slats into the arms requires some precise cutting since the joints are visible.

I'll post follow-up pictures as I complete it. Just thought I'd share.

Mike
 

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I think rocking chairs become a slope of their own.:thumb: Great job. Is this a design of your own, or from a plan?

Since I know you'll be making another one after this, get you a respirator and a 5" angle grinder with one of those flapper disks for the seat. Fills the neighborhood with dust, but makes very quick work of hollowing the seat.:D
 
Alan, the side slats (and the back slats) are lamination bent - three 1/8" strips to give a 3/8" slat.

Jerry - this is from my own plans. I did see a picture of a rocker something like this (but much more rectilinear) by Jay Speetjens (I think that's the spelling) so the general idea is not mine.

I made a two previous rockers (in walnut) based on the same idea. One was a gift for a friend and his wife who had their first child. The second was very modern, with a high back and very long rockers - but my wife didn't like it - said it took too much space - so I sold it.

This one is to her specifications - sculpted arms, lower back, shorter rockers (when attached), and in cherry.

Mike
 
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Since I know you'll be making another one after this, get you a respirator and a 5" angle grinder with one of those flapper disks for the seat. Fills the neighborhood with dust, but makes very quick work of hollowing the seat.:D

I thought about that, but I find the chairmaker's plane and the carving gouge make quick work of sculpting the seat. The seat sculpting is 3/4" deep. I do have to sand with coarse sandpaper after the gouge but it's not that much - just to smooth out the shape.

Maloof cuts the seat boards before he glues up so that some of the wood is already removed. I can't plan ahead that far.

Mike
 
Here's an update picture. The body of the rocker is mostly complete - still have to trim the top of the back seat rails and a few other things but I'm ready to start on fitting the rockers. The first thing I'll do is build up on the rockers where the legs meet so that I can flare the legs into the rockers. Norma wants short rockers so these won't stick out very far.

Mike
 

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Ah, the fun part, fitting the legs to the rockers. Hadn't noticed that it hadn't been done yet. I was too busy looking at the sides. Lookin better all the time. My LOML had a problem with the long rockers on mine. Had to totally rearrange the living room to get it in and lose an easy chair in there. She like the look so wouldn't go for me shortening them, just took a while to figure how to get it to fit.;)
 
Ah, this must be similar to how Maloof bends the rockers, laminates multiple layers with glue and squeezes them in place to form the bend, is that how you do it? I saw that in the video of his. His use of the bandsaw is scary but impressive, to say the least.
Yep, that's the way Maloof does his rockers. He sometimes puts a contrasting piece in the rocker, maybe a walnut strip in a maple rocker.

I do my rockers the same way - except no racing stripe (yet).

I've had the good fortune to vist with Sam a couple of times and asked him what glue he uses for his laminate glueing. He pointed to some Titebond bottles.

Mike
 
Hi Mike :wave:,
Your work on this piece is wonderful. So happy to be able to follow one of your marvelous pieces. Your time and effort are being rewarded with this as usual. Thanks for the look!:thumb:
Shaz :)
 
Here's the next progress pictures of my rocker. There's things I have to do yet, but they're small things that you can't see in the pictures.

I did a build up to attach the legs, and I included one picture of the slats attached to the arm.

Mike
 

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Here's the next progress pictures of my rocker. There's things I have to do yet, but they're small things that you can't see in the pictures.

I did a build up to attach the legs, and I included one picture of the slats attached to the arm.

Mike

Oh, now you've gone and done it; that thing is just beautiful. Excellent job on a challenging piece :thumb:. Love the finish.
 
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