How to Build a Rocking Chair

Rocking chairs would make a good furniture piece on the porch or by the fireplace. It definitely is worth the effort to learn how to build a rocking chair. It is one of the most comfortable chair to have around the house.

And I should know, several times, I found myself dozing off just after a few minutes sitting in a rocking chair.

How to Build a Rocking Chair - First Things First

Before building a rocking chair, you need to decide first if you wish to build the whole set or you may just want to add a rocker to an existing chair.

Yes, you do have the option to do this and yes, adding a rocker to an existing chair is a whole lot easier than building the whole thing but for a woodworking enthusiast like me, it's definitely less the fun.

Plus, not all chairs can be made into a rocking chair. You'll need to have a sturdy chair made of hard wood for this purpose.

To build a rocker, you'll be needing a plywood onto which you will draw and cut the template for the rocker. This template is then used as an easy guide for drawing and sawing the rocker from the wood.

WOOD

In building a rocking chair, you need to decide which type of you are going to use.

As mentioned earlier, the sturdier the wood the better. Pine is the least expensive choice for this purpose but if the rocking chair is intended for outdoor use, I'd suggest something sturdier like oak.

TOOLS

Back when I was learning how to build a rocking chair, I haven't used some fancy tools. Basic woodworking tools like a band saw, t-square, screwdriver and a drill I've borrowed from a relative was able to do the job.

Now, I'd welcome the help of some power tools anytime to get the job done faster.

SOME TIPS TO FIX ROCKING CHAIR CREAKS

Even if you are still in the process of learning how to build a rocking chair, you may want to know some tips to fix rocking chair creaks.

* Tighten the nuts and bolts of the rocking chair.
* Use WD-40 to lubricate the metal joints. Or if the noise is due to wooden pieces rubbing into each other, you may use talcum powder instead.
* If squeking persist, you may want to transfer the the rocking chair to another area as the noise might be due to the flooring. Pretty obvious, I know, but hey it happened to me so might as well mention this.

DESIGN AND PLAN

The one thing I can credit my successful initial attempts at building a rocking chair is due to a very good, step-by-step, DIY rocking chair plan.

Sure,you can always draw your own diagram with your own design and your own dimension. But I want to do away with the headache that's associated with numbers and dimensions. I just wanted a very easy to follow rocking chair plan that I'm sure would work so I can spend my time doing what I love the most, getting my hands working in building things.

So to everyone who also felt the need of a very good rocking chair building plan, check out this nifty resource I've used not just in building a rocking chair but in my other woodworking projects as well.

www.WoodworkHaven.info