DIY wooden rocking chair drawings. DIY metal rocking chair. Making a hanging chair with your own hands

Most people associate a rocking chair with rest and relaxation. Imagination draws a veranda country house, a warm blanket and a glass of wine. Is it possible to make this piece of furniture, synonymous with a measured life, with your own hands? After reading this article, even a novice master will easily cope with this task.

• glider;
• classic on runners.

Each type has a number of features, so let’s consider them in more detail.

Glider (with pendulum mechanism)

This type of furniture has a fixed base, and swinging occurs using a pendulum mechanism. It has a number of advantages over the classic one, but the main advantage is silent operation. That is why it is often purchased by mothers for feeding and rocking babies.

Classic on skids

This type of rocking chair is known to everyone, but not everyone knows what a wide variety of subspecies of this piece of furniture exist.

1. On simple runners of constant curvature (radius).

   Radius runners are the simplest and most common type of support

   However, it is worth knowing that this is not the safest design option. Professionals make custom-made, as a rule, rocking chairs on runners not of constant, but of variable curvature, which are calculated taking into account the height and weight of the users. It is these models that have the lowest risk of capsizing.

2. On elliptical skids with tilt stops.
3. On springs.
4. Vanka-stand-up.

What materials can a rocking chair be made from - table

Material	Description, features	Advantages	Flaws
willow vine	Very durable openwork products are made from wicker, but this work is very labor-intensive and requires certain skills. This material is often used to make suspended structures.	beautiful appearance; long service life; ease.	afraid of moisture
Rattan	Rattan products have their own ethnic flavor. Weave it yourself - difficult task, since it is not easy to get material in our latitudes.	very light and beautiful; Only braided and adhesive joints are used in production.	high price; quite fragile material.
Wood massif	The most common material for making strong and durable rocking chairs is wood. Used different breeds wood, but the most common are coniferous, especially durable species (alder, oak, larch).	relatively low price; opportunity to make it yourself.	carpentry skills are required for manufacturing; durable wood species have a high price.
Metal	Since metal has a large mass, only the frame is usually made from it, and the seats are made from another material - plastic, fabric, leather, wood. Fully metal forged products look impressive, but are quite complex in execution. To do this, you need to have a special tool, as well as skills in working with metal.	durability	heavy weight of the structure
Plastic	To make a folding rocking chair yourself, you will need special equipment.	low price; variety of design.	low strength of the product.

Rocking chairs made of plastic, metal, rattan, willow wicker and solid wood - photo gallery

Armchairs for home and garden

In the house it is better to use products made from environmentally friendly materials, not too heavy, so as not to spoil the floor covering. Size also matters if your apartment is not too large. Most suitable option- plastic and wooden products. Wicker furniture is also suitable, but is not always appropriate in an urban interior.

If you plan to use furniture for open air, then it is necessary to take into account some points: how resistant the material is to moisture, exposure to the sun, and whether it is easy to wash. With certain preparation, a product made from almost any material can be used outdoors - forged, plastic, wooden models. Designs with a sun awning are relevant on hot days.

You can also make original rocking chairs from chairs that have been going to be repaired for a long time.

Photo gallery: options for wooden garden chairs

DIY rocking chairs

Making this piece of furniture is not entirely simple task, but it can be done even by those who have never done anything like this before. There are many designs, options and manufacturing methods. Let's look at the most interesting and simple ones.

The simplest chair from an ordinary children's highchair

The best option is to use ordinary wooden chair. For manufacturing you will need the following materials and tools:

• chair with back and armrests;
• high-quality plywood 15 mm thick;
• wood varnish;
• jigsaw;
• milling cutter;
• grinding machine;
• dowels

Stages of work:

1. We cut out radial runners from plywood using a jigsaw according to the diagram.
2. We sand them with a machine or sandpaper on a lath.
3. We make cuts from the bottom of the chair legs and select grooves for the runners.
4. We insert the runners into the grooves of the chair legs, fix them with glue and dowels.
5. We cover the surface of the rocking chair with varnish.

Video: making a high chair

Vanka-stanka: step-by-step instructions, photos, drawings

It will also be easy to make such a rocking chair from plywood yourself, if you know the drawing. There are many options on the Internet, we will present one that does not have the risk of capsizing.

Materials and tools for assembly:

• sheets of plywood measuring 1520x800 mm, 15 mm thick (for sidewalls, racks and supports), 10 mm thick (for back and seat slats);
• jigsaw;
• glue;
• screws.

Chair assembly steps:

1. We are preparing a drawing of the future product.
2. We transfer the drawing onto sheets of plywood.
3. Cut it out necessary elements using a jigsaw.
4. We drill holes for the screws.
5. We sand, prime and paint all the elements.
6. We assemble the frame.
7. We form the seat and back from the planks and glue the elements.
8. We fix all the elements with self-tapping screws.

Video: simple plywood rocking chair

Is it possible to assemble a pendulum mechanism for a sliding chair on your own?

The pendulum design moves the upper part of the chair relative to its base. To do it yourself you need detailed diagram. It's not an easy job. But the principle of operation of the mechanism is always the same. For simplest design you will need:

• 4 bars of the same length and two of a larger length (sizes are chosen depending on the design diagram);
• 8 bearing nuts and washers.

Instructions:

1. Assemble the bars and drill one hole in them at each end for the bearings.
2. Make an end beam (it holds the weight of the entire sliding structure):
   
3. Attach each end part to two bars. This will be a simple pendulum mechanism. Next, it is connected to the base of the chair and the seat. An example of the finished design is below.

Rocking chair made of plastic (polypropylene) pipes: diagram and operating procedure

The chair can also be made from profile metal or simple water pipes. You will need it for work.

After a busy day of work, you have a well-deserved rest. For complete comfort and peace, we recommend getting a rocking chair. No need to buy, we offer detailed instructions on the manufacture and assembly of parts for a comfortable and lightweight chair from ordinary plywood.

Skis and chair base

The main highlight of the rocking chair is the optimally selected shape of the skis with a constant radius, so that the chair takes a natural position under load. human body, did not tip over and at the same time remained quite compact. We propose to make it according to a very technologically advanced scheme with the possibility of adjustment.

The parts for the left and right parts of the chair are cut and processed in pairs, which guarantees complete identity of the shape. Before you start slicing, prepare cardboard templates and patterns on which you will mark the blanks. This will not only simplify the process and give a visual idea of ​​the design of the product, but will also allow you to divide large elements into several small parts, maintaining smooth mates.

To obtain the optimal rounding radius, we need an arc, or more precisely, a sixth of a circle with a radius of 1.5-2 meters, depending on the desired dimensions. We build an equilateral triangle with the specified side length, and then with a pencil on a cord we connect its two vertices with an arc, taking the third as the center. We retreat a quarter of the radius inside the sector and draw another arc.

The resulting part is nothing more than the shape of skis, but so far they look too clumsy and cumbersome. Since this part does not have to be massive, we put rounded cutouts on the upper corners with a compass and mark the same cutout in the center. Skis, like any large part of a chair, can be made lighter by perforations or cutouts, but keep the solid parts at least 60-80 mm, and at the joints - 100 mm.

For skis, it is also necessary to make a small extension - a bar in the back that limits the tilt of the chair back.

Why avoid large parts

In typical plywood rocker designs, the side elements are made in one piece. This approach is not only wasteful, but also harmful to ergonomics. By dividing the parts into a number of smaller ones, you have the opportunity to adjust the chair during the assembly process. Also, the presence of joints will make the chair more springy and pleasantly creaky, while the solid base will convey to the sitter all the defects of the floor in detail.

It is recommended to use thin plywood. Several (5-6) parts with a thickness of 8-9 mm are folded in the manner of a Gall chain and connected with plowshare bolts, thus achieving high strength and maintaining elasticity. In general, in addition to the ski itself, the base of the chair includes three more parts.

The seat bed is an L-shaped part with a width of half the radius of the rounding (70-80 cm) and a height of approximately a quarter of it (40-50 cm). The upper edge has a bend that determines the shape of the seat; the rounding of the lower protrusion is associated with the radius of the ski.

The back is a plank 80-100 cm long and 12-15 cm wide. The bend on the side edge determines the shape of the surface of the back: in the lumbar area the seat should have a small recess. Also, since the straight position of the neck cannot be called comfortable, the back should have a smooth rotation, starting 50-60 cm from the seat. Folding the edge or folding it inward is entirely a matter of your preference.

The shock absorber is a free-form part; it can be conveniently made from scraps. The main task is to connect the backrest and the ski, that is, the length of the bar is about 35-40 cm. Remember, however, that a crescent-shaped shock absorber will make the chair softer.

When making templates, lay them out on the table in the form of a finished structure, adjust the shape of the joints and ensure that the intersecting sections are sufficiently wide - 100-150 mm. Please note that in the parts during their manufacture, only one hole is drilled for each fastening unit. In areas where a pair connection is required, a second hole is drilled after pre-assembling and adjusting the chair, then a second bolt is inserted for final fixation. But let's get back to making parts.

Comfortable seat with armrests

The second assembly option offers a more ergonomic design with the ability to adjust not only the back angle, but also the “dip” of the seat and its overall tilt. It's very important point: when drawing up a diagram of a chair, take into account the order in which the parts are folded, otherwise there will be overlap. For example, in both proposed designs the number of parts is odd, conditionally one more external than internal.

It remains to mention two more small parts that form the armrest. An external bracket is attached to the conditionally internal part, which serves as a continuation of the ski. It serves as a transition element to prevent incorrect assembly order. The second part is the armrest itself. Its upper edge is absolutely flat, this is done to tightly secure the horizontal board.

It remains to determine the number of parts to be manufactured. In general, each half of the chair is a “sandwich” of 5 parts, folded in different orders. The functional parts of the chair - ski, seat and back - are assembled from three parts. Conventionally, internal parts, such as a shock absorber and an armrest, are made two for each half, that is, four per chair.

Example of sheet cutting: 1 - back; 2 — adding skis; 3 - shock absorber; 4 - ski; 5 — armrest bracket; 6 — armrest; 7 — seat bed

After cutting out a stack of parts, they are disassembled, and each one is cleaned of chips and irregularities with emery cloth. It is useful to cut washers with a diameter of 60-100 mm from the scraps in order to use them to make filler inserts for long parts and to logically complete the protruding parts of the chair - the back and the roll stop.

Chair assembly, connection methods

First, assemble the ski with front and rear internal parts. Start the plowshare bolt from the outside, lightly tighten the parts from the inside under the washer with a nut and a plastic lock. Afterwards, roll the ski over a flat surface to align the joints of the parts, or remove rough irregularities with a plane. Tighten the bolts, drill additional holes and finally secure the chair support.

Lay the chair blank on its side and attach the shock absorber to it without tightening it. Also assemble the back and seat parts. Shape the chair by eye and tighten the bolts. Having assembled the first half, trace it on a sheet of plywood and assemble the second according to the resulting pattern; the bolts must be tightened at half strength until the mobility of the joints is eliminated.

To fasten the halves of the chair, prepare the required number of crossbars - pieces of a 40x40 block with a chamfer on the edges or round timber with a diameter of 40 mm. The length of the crossbars is 50-55 cm, but keep in mind that when connecting to conditionally internal elements, an allowance must be given for the thickness of the plywood. Make holes in the center of the ends and tighten the fittings for the M8 bolt.

When joining, fill the gaps between layers with plywood inserts. Stuff 5-6 thin slats onto the seat and back to get a finished prototype of the chair. Test it for comfort and ergonomics, adjust by loosening the bolts on the connections. After obtaining the desired shape, tighten the bolts so that the heads and washers dig into the plywood by 1 mm, drill additional holes and perform the final fastening.

Sewing the seat

Prepare a strip of 5 mm plywood 50-55 cm wide. Measure the total length of the seat and back with a thread, transfer the size to the workpiece. In the same way, measure and mark the cutouts for the armrest parts. Cut out pockets on the edges of the part, then use a 45mm crown to make checkerboard pattern holes across the entire surface of the part with a space between them of about 150-180 mm.

Place the part on a spread wet rag and cover with a second layer of fabric. Place another similar piece on top, but made of 3 mm plywood and without holes, but with cutouts for the armrests. Cover with a wet cloth and leave it for a day; you can add water periodically.

The next day, take a piece made of thin plywood, insert it into the niches of the armrests and screw it into the end of the plywood sidewalls with self-tapping screws. Attach to those layers of plywood that are located closer to the central part of the chair. Start screwing thin plywood from the back of the chair, gradually moving towards its front and giving it the desired shape. Then insert and secure the perforated piece of thick plywood in the same way. After drying, the chair will be almost ready.

All you have to do is dry the plywood well, and then go over all visible parts with fine sandpaper and lighten the texture of the wood. The chair is then covered with two or three layers of yacht polyurethane varnish. As for the seat, you can even make it soft by stuffing the carriage tie according to our instructions.

One of the components comfortable rest– comfortable furniture. A rocking chair provides an opportunity to quickly relieve stress after a hard day, relax well, indulge in pleasant memories or think about upcoming matters. The simplest model It is relatively inexpensive - within 5,000 rubles, but it is not a fact that it meets the buyer’s wishes in certain parameters (dimensions, shape, finishing).

By designing and assembling a simple rocking chair from plywood with your own hands, you can not only make it best option, based on the installation location, but also get real pleasure from the process itself.

By appearance

The author looked through several sites devoted to the topic self-made rocking chairs made of plywood, and on none of them did I find an explanation on the question of what kind of plywood it is advisable to use. Anyone who thinks that it doesn’t matter is mistaken. If you focus on moisture resistance and reasonable price, then there are few options -.

What's the difference? The main thing is in the adhesive composition that holds the veneer layers together. In the manufacture of FSF sheets, phenol-formaldehyde resin is used, which releases toxins. It is for this reason that this plywood is recommended only for exterior use. Therefore, in relation to a rocking chair (as well as any other piece of furniture), one should focus on the modification of the FC. Of course, if you think about your own health and the well-being of loved ones. From the point of view of “ecological cleanliness” there are no complaints about this plywood.

A more expensive modification of plywood is FOF. The surfaces of such sheets are laminated, so if the rocking chair is intended for installation outside the building (porch, open veranda, country gazebo or recreation area), then it is better to purchase them. And the problem of external design will disappear by itself.

By size

Making your own means reasonable savings on everything, including the material. There is no point in explaining that the thicker the plywood, the more expensive the sheet is. What is recommended?

• For carriers structural elements(side supports, racks, etc.) - from 15 mm or more, depending on the expected load. Why is this so? Some models of rocking chairs are made for simultaneous use by not one, but two or three people. Especially when it comes to children. This is what should be taken into account when designing.
• For all other parts (for example, backrest trims, decorative elements) you can use plywood at 10.

Wood veneer

In principle, the choice is not that big. If a rocking chair is made exclusively for home use, that is, installation indoors, then it is better to use birch plywood. In other cases - pine, as a species less susceptible to rotting.

The process of making a rocking chair with your own hands is not very difficult (plywood is a fairly malleable material both for cutting and processing), but drawing up a drawing requires a competent approach. First of all, special engineering knowledge. If you focus on finished goods, using them as a prototype, you can make mistakes, for example, when determining all linear parameters. And few people will take measurements from a rocking chair right in a furniture showroom.

It is advisable to use the drawings available on the site. Based on them, if you remember what scaling is, it’s easy to create your own diagram and even modify it a little factory model in relation to the conditions further use rocking chairs.

Examples of engineering solutions and drawings of a rocking chair

Rocking chair - manufacturing instructions

Stage 1. Drawing

It has already been said that it is better to take a ready-made one and then, if necessary, slightly modify it. When choosing a drawing, it is advisable to pay attention to the following point - the fewer connection points (lines) in the rocking chair design, the better. Despite the sufficient strength of plywood, we must not forget that it is a multi-layer gluing. Unlike a monolith (solid wood), a sheet is more susceptible to destruction from dynamic loads.

Stage 2. Pattern

The diagram of the rocking chair is transferred from the drawing onto a format sheet (graph paper), observing the scale. But this applies only to the simplest options, with a minimum of structural elements. If the drawing is quite complex, then you will have to make a pattern for each part separately.

Stage 3. Marking plywood

At this stage, the main task is to lay all the prepared pieces of paper as tightly as possible in order to reduce the amount of waste when cutting the sheet into parts. That is, you will have to experiment a little with the patterns, placing them in different positions. But the meaning of the work is clear.

Stage 4. Cutting plywood

The only recommendation is to use. With it you can achieve the most accurate cutting. Otherwise (when working with a regular saw), you will additionally need to level out all the “roughness” on the cutting line. And taking into account the fact that plywood consists of several thin layers of wood glued together, it is extremely difficult to do this carefully with your own hands. As a result, individual parts will have to be rejected and their production will have to start again.

Stage 5. Processing the rocking chair elements

Smoothing plywood ribs. In other words, you need to round all the edges structural parts. The maximum effect can be achieved using a power tool of the appropriate modification - a household grinder or drill (low-speed) with a milling attachment. A fine file or sandpaper will take longer, but in any case, such work must be done.

The main goal of this technological operation is to remove the smallest fractions of wood from the plywood, which will certainly remain after cutting the sheets. Visually they may not be visible, but if the edges of the workpieces are not smoothed out, then splinters (and permanent ones) when using a rocking chair are guaranteed.

Treatment with special means. First of all, antiseptic drugs are meant. And the point is not that plywood will quickly absorb moisture with all that it entails. FC is quite stable in this regard. As already said, it consists of the thinnest layers of wood, and even the mere appearance of fungus will immediately lead to the appearance of characteristic stains or stains on the elements of the rocking chair.

There is no point in hoping that it is in a dry room. Droplets of liquid are always present in the air, regardless of the purpose of the room. And even more so on the street. But if it is relatively easy to bleach solid wood (monolith) when fungus develops, problems will arise in this regard with plywood. Therefore, there is no need to neglect this stage of making a rocking chair.

Stage 6. Assembly

The specifics of this work are largely determined by the selected drawing. But some general recommendations will not be superfluous.

Glue alone for joining the elements, given the load on the rocking chair, will not be enough. To strengthen the structure, self-tapping screws (small, for wood) are used. Since the plywood sheet is not that thick, the fasteners must fit into it strictly vertically. To do this, the primary canal is pre-drilled with a thin drill. Even if it goes at an angle, you can try again by moving the tool a little.

But the second penetration can already be done with a drill with a diameter slightly smaller than that of the self-tapping screw. Such careful preparation of mounting sockets for fasteners will require more time, but error is completely eliminated.

The “tops” of all self-tapping screws must be recessed into plywood sheet– this requires no explanation. Therefore, you will need another drill, with a diameter approximately equal to the fastener head. Well, the sufficient chamfer depth is easy to determine after the first drilling.

How to seal these “points” is decided based on the general design of the rocking chair. You can select a mastic (sealant) of the appropriate shade. By the way, in specialized stores there are plastic plugs that are specifically designed to disguise fasteners in furniture.

Everything else is at the discretion of the master. For example, further finishing of a rocking chair. Everything is used - from paints and varnishes to foam rubber and fabrics. It’s easy to improve some drawings with your own hands standard models. For example, attach springs to the supporting parts of a rocking chair.

If the manufactured chair sways with insufficient amplitude (the balance is disturbed), and this does not suit the user, then you can try to increase the weight of its rear part. For example, connect the ends of the runners with a metal strip or a small channel. If necessary, add weight. Actually, fantasy itself will suggest the best way out of the situation.

It is best to foresee the possibility of quickly shifting the center of gravity of the chair. Then both adults and children will be able to swing in it comfortably.

The article discusses the easiest options to make with your own hands and easily implemented technological operations. Experienced craftsmen collect more complex designs, often using not individual sheets of plywood, but gluing them together. But this is the next stage professional growth. Having learned all the intricacies on one of the above models, you can do everything else yourself - develop a drawing and carry out the assembly using your own technology.

Good luck in making your own comfortable rocking chair!

A rocking chair is a very necessary and comfortable thing that helps you relax while relaxing, or, conversely, concentrate while working. In the furniture market, you can choose a given piece of furniture for different tastes and at different price categories.

But there is a more reliable and less expensive option - making your own rocking chair at home. It is important to carefully calculate and measure all the details, since if the exact balance is not maintained, the chair will either not move or tip over on its side.

Main types of rocking chairs

Below are photos of different types of rocking chairs.

A massage rocking chair would be an excellent option for a private home - it will not only add beauty to your interior modern style, but also has great functionality!

Look at the photo how beautifully the massage rocking chair fits into the interior:

Chair on skids

The chair is most popular among users, that is, it has radius runners. This rocking chair is distinguished by its simplicity of design and fairly simple assembly technique.

The disadvantage of such a chair is that it will not be possible to swing much, as it will simply tip forward or backward.

Chair with variable curvature

A chair with variable curvature prevents tipping over. It is the most comfortable to use and allows for almost any seating height.

Chair on elliptical runners

The chair on elliptical skids is equipped with bump stops to prevent it from tipping over.

Multifunctional chair

The multifunctional chair has another name: “3 in one”. If necessary, such a piece of furniture can be turned into a lounger, but its dimensions are quite large, so it can only be used in relatively large rooms.

Materials for production

Typically, rocking chairs are made of wood, as metal is too heavy for such a design. Most often, beginners assemble a rocking chair from plywood without violating the following recommendations:

• the plywood for the middle layer should be much thicker than for the edges;
• it is necessary to use predominantly waterproof glue, or when using PVA, it is better to secure the parts with small nails;
• all connections are treated with glue, securing them with several self-tapping screws on both sides;
• It is reasonable to protect the surfaces on which the entire mass rests with rubber or strong wooden slats to avoid chipping of the plywood under the load.
• For greater strength, the finished structure must be treated with a special emulsion or water-based varnish.

Tools that will be useful are an electric jigsaw, a screwdriver, a drill and a hammer.

A forged rocking chair, of course, can only be made by a specialist, since it will require special equipment and premises.

Of course, it is possible to make such a chair by welding metal profile pipes, which resemble wicker rocking chairs. But this option is more suitable for a garden street area.

You can also place a sun lounger with an awning (like a swing) in the garden, which is a little more difficult to make, but will bring a lot of pleasure to use!

For home comfort and comfort, it will be more aesthetically pleasing to use wood, decorating it with wicker rattan rods.

A children's rocking chair is also not complicated, but its proportions will differ from the adult version. Making it yourself is not at all difficult, even for a beginner.

Important steps and operating rules

Before you make a rocking chair with your own hands, you need a competent drawing! Most often, self-taught craftsmen find ready-made drawings of a rocking chair on the Internet, but it is worth taking into account the weight of the largest person who will use it in order to avoid misunderstandings in the future.

Pay attention!

And then, if necessary, you can put a pillow on the seat for greater comfort and to avoid sudden swaying.

Beginners may not succeed right away ideal option, even if all rocking chair dimensions are met. This can be easily corrected by balancing the product.

The rear overhang can be made heavier by simply connecting the rear ends of the runners with a stick in a "U" shape. This will make it easier for the rocker to walk and not “push” when rocking.

When tilting the chair backwards, it is necessary to attach weights to the front overhang.

Necessary pads for chair runners

It is imperative to install linings on the rocking chair runners, which prolong its durability and make the furniture wear-resistant.

• you need to turn the chair over with the runners up;
• bar required sizes heat quite strongly with a special hairdryer;
• then carefully press the hot workpiece to the runner and wrap it with thick braid;
• We repeat a similar action with the adjacent runner;
• After waiting for the blanks to cool completely, glue them with waterproof glue;
• we secure the linings with small nails along the entire length;
• after a maximum of three days, when the glue has completely dried, you can remove the temporary fasteners. Then finally secure the ends with self-tapping screws;
• The heads of the screws must be thoroughly rubbed with putty made from sawdust of the same material (wood), mixing them with glue.

Pay attention!

DIY rocking chair photo

The rocking chair is rightfully one of the most popular pieces of furniture. It gains even more popularity if there is country house. It could be different models, made from different materials. But more preference is given wooden products. You can buy it ready-made, or you can make it yourself. How to make a rocking chair with your own hands and what materials to choose, read further in the article.

Advantages and disadvantages of wooden structures

Wood is the most common material for making furniture. Wooden rocking chair is no exception, thanks to numerous advantages:

• Environmentally friendly material that emits a pleasant forest smell.
• Considerable strength.
• Long period of operation.
• Possibility of implementing design solutions.
• Easy to process, including manual processing.
• Wide selection of wood of any brand and anywhere.
• Wide color spectrum of material.

The finished rocking chair fits well into any architectural ensemble of the building. It can be installed at any time in convenient location: in the clearing, by the pool, by the fireplace, near the barbecue, etc. Rocking in a chair relaxes, creates comfort for the body and benefits the body. This is a comfortable and safe swing for children.

Photo: rocking chair in interior design

Along with numerous advantages, there are a number of disadvantages, the main one of which is the significant cost of any rocking chair. In addition, the structure is characterized by loss of its qualities and characteristics if it is exposed to rain, fog, and other precipitation. It is also undesirable to keep the rocking chair exposed to the sun for a long time.

Material and its characteristics

To make rocking chairs from solid wood, coniferous species are preferably chosen. It can be pine, spruce, alder or larch. These rocks are characterized by their low mass and low density. Homemade designs with significant mass it will be inconvenient to move. The high density of the material will create difficulties in work.

Coniferous trees have a light structure gray shade. Easy to process. A significant disadvantage of such wood is that as the humidity level increases, it increases in size. Despite this, conifers are budget option, are widely distributed in the retail chain and have a low cost.

The chair can be made from more expensive types of wood. It could be oak, ash or beech. These types of wood have almost no pores, resulting in high level strength. Finished structures are reliable and durable, but have a high cost. Tree species have a light or light yellow color.

To make a chair that swings, high-quality first-grade wooden blanks are used. The moisture content of these workpieces should not exceed 10% at the start of work. If this indicator is higher, then wood is not recommended. It is better to let it dry, since a structure made of wet wood will subsequently dry out and be subject to deformation. The consequence will be its nondescript appearance or complete destruction.

Drawings

To make a wooden swinging structure, you need to draw up a drawing of the chair. It is better to do it on graph paper, drawing all the structural elements with dimensions. To make a simple rocking chair from wood with your own hands, it is recommended to take an ordinary chair as a basis.

Drawing of a rocking chair made of wood

The simplicity of the design lies in the fact that all elements are attached at right angles and there is no need to cut additional parts. The basis for the entire structure is the size of the seat and the height of the legs. The connecting elements will be cut to these dimensions. The next stage of making a rocking chair, according to the drawing and the required dimensions, is to cut the wooden parts.

Seat square shape with a side length of 53-56 cm can be made of plywood or a solid piece of wood. The thickness of the seat should be 1.0-1.5 cm. For the rear and front legs, a beam with a section of 4.5x4.5 cm is used. The rear legs are cut to a height of 105-110 cm, the front ones - 55-60 cm. To connect the entire structure, transverse slats are used, with the size length, height and thickness 57x4x1.5 cm, respectively.

This design and dimensions are not a dogma. Based on preference, the shape and size of the parts may vary.

Another example of a drawing

Tool

Making a chair requires the presence of tools. To complete the work you will need:

• fine-toothed wood saw or electric jigsaw for cutting workpieces;
• simple or electric plane for processing structural parts;
• grinding or draw machine for grinding parts;
• manual milling machine for making grooves and processing connecting strips;
• right angle or plumb line;
• screwdriver;
• hammer;
• tape measure and pencil;
• clamp or rubber band;
• brush or spatula for filling mounting holes.

Considering that the structural elements will not be fastened with nails, a hammer will be necessary to fit the parts to each other.

Connecting parts

To attach the seat and legs to each other, you can use two options:

1. tenon fastening;
2. connection with glue.

When fastening into a tenon on wooden elements Rocking chairs are marked. According to it, grooves are cut out in the legs, measuring 2.0x1.5 cm, 2 cm deep. The shape of the connecting slats is prepared for the grooves. Before fastening the parts, the groove and ends of the slats are treated with construction adhesive.

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In the second option, the fastening points are treated with glue and connected to each other. For reliability, epoxy glue is often used. The joints are reinforced with self-tapping screws. The seat is mounted on transverse slats and is also fixed with self-tapping screws.

In both options, a clamp and gaskets are used to finally fasten all the elements of the wooden rocking chair. The cushioning material is installed between the clamp and the rocker. After installation, the clamp is tightened and the rocking chair is left for 24 hours for the glue to completely harden. In the absence of a clamp, the screed is carried out using a rigid rubber band.

Installation of runners

The manufacture and installation of runners can be done in two ways.

First way

It is characterized by simplicity and speed of implementation. It is as follows:

• To make the runners, use a sheet of plywood, 1.5 cm thick.
• Using a pattern, two pieces of equal curvature, about 1 m long, are cut out of plywood.
• Slots are made in the legs of the chair, 1.5 cm wide to match the thickness of the plywood runners. The depth of the slots can be 7-10 cm.
• The runners are ground along the edge and installed in the slots. During installation, it is necessary to achieve the most identical level of installation.
• In the places where the runners are planted, it is carried out through hole, diameter 2 cm.
• The hole is treated with glue and a wooden spike is inserted into it.

Second way

More labor intensive. A block of wood is used as a ski. To equip a rocking chair with skis you need:

1. IN wooden block, with a cross section of 4.5x4.5 cm and a length of about 1 meter, cut grooves.
2. Treat the ends of the chair legs to fit into the grooves of the runners.
3. Place the runner bars in boiling or hot water until the wood becomes pliable.
4. Using a tool, bend the skis to a certain radius and leave them in this state until completely dry.
5. Place the dried runners on the legs, having previously treated the grooves with glue.

In order for the runners to serve for a long time, it is necessary to use wood with high wear resistance.

Balance check

A rocking chair made of wood may be uncomfortable when sitting down or standing up. This occurs as a result of the difference in the weight of the structural elements that are located in its front and rear parts. To avoid discomfort, it is necessary to balance the swinging structure.

If the structure is significantly tilted forward, transverse strips can be mounted on the runners behind the backrest. If necessary, the weight on the slats can be increased by installing decorative elements.

Balanced Rocking Chair

When tilting backwards, the same counterweight must be equipped in the front part of the rocking chair. It could be additional shelf for legs. If this weight is not enough, then you can install a niche under the shelf for additional counterweight.

Processing

The finished structure will be used in different places at different temperatures. Operation in winter and summer, under the sun and in the cold, indoors and outdoors can lead to rapid aging of the tree and various diseases. Processing the material will save you from this.

Before assembling the structure, the wood can be treated with stain. Due to its concentration, the rocking chair can take on any shade.

The chair is varnished in 3 layers

To prevent diseases, the tree must be coated with a special antifungal liquid, as well as a remedy against wood insects and pests.

To protect the wood from getting wet, it is recommended to treat it with a special water-repellent liquid.

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Finally, the entire structure must be coated with two layers of varnish.

Conclusion

The presented option for making a rocking chair is the simplest and fastest. If you follow the rules and technology of work, you can make a chair of any complexity and design.

The finished chair will serve not only as a piece of furniture, but also as a separate design element that will always attract everyone's attention.