Build Your Own Rocking Chair

April Wilkerson presents a simple yet sturdy rocking chair design. This guide will walk you through each step of the process, making it easy for both beginners and experienced woodworkers to create their own rocking chair.

Materials:

  • 6 pieces of 1×6 Western Red Cedar (or your choice of material)
  • Waterproof wood glue (Type On 3)
  • Exterior grade screws
  • Oak dowels (for reinforcement)
  • Wood finish or clear coat (if desired)

Tools:

  • Miter saw
  • Thickness planer
  • Bandsaw
  • Router table with a round-over bit
  • Drill with a Forstner bit
  • Sander (belt sander and palm sander)
  • Clamps
  • Brad nailer
  • Mobile workbench

Step 1: Prepare Your Materials

Start by selecting your materials. April chose Western Red Cedar for its lightweight and durable nature. This wood is perfect for outdoor furniture, and she had some leftover from a previous picnic table project.

Preparing materials for the rocking chair

Step 2: Design and Cut Templates

Using 3D modeling software, April designed the chair and created custom templates for the seat bottom and back. She traced these templates onto the cedar boards and used a miter saw to cut them to rough length.

Tracing templates onto cedar boards

Step 3: Smooth the Boards

To reduce sanding time, run each part through a thickness planer. This step is crucial as it prepares the wood for a smoother finish later on.

Using a thickness planer

Step 4: Cut the Parts

Next, use the bandsaw to cut out the parts for the seat and back. You will need two of each part. April took her time to ensure precise cuts.

Cutting parts with a bandsaw

Step 5: Assemble the Seat

Join the parts using waterproof wood glue and clamps. April used a brad nailer to temporarily hold everything in place while the glue set. This assembly includes slats that will span across the supports.

Assembling the seat

Step 6: Create the Slats

To make the slats, April set up a stop block on her miter saw for quick and accurate cuts. After cutting to length, she took them to the table saw to cut into strips.

Cutting slats for the seat

Step 7: Round Over the Edges

Using a router table with a half-inch round-over bit, she rounded over the edges of the slats for a softer look and feel.

Rounding over edges with a router

Step 8: Attach the Slats

Apply a small dab of glue on the underside of each slat, then attach them to the seat base, starting from the backmost slat and working toward the front.

Attaching slats to the seat

Step 9: Construct the Legs

April made the legs by cutting boards to width and length using the miter saw. The joinery for the legs is a half lap joint, which she created by gluing together two boards cut to different lengths.

Cutting legs for the rocking chair

Step 10: Assemble the Legs

Position the legs and attach them with glue and brad nails. Make sure everything is flush before moving on to the next step.

Assembling the legs

Step 11: Sanding and Cleanup

Once the assembly is complete, sand the entire frame with 180-grit sandpaper to smooth out any rough edges.

Sanding the assembled frame

Step 12: Create the Rockers

Using a piece of cardboard, trace out a rocker template. Cut it out with a bandsaw, then transfer it to a cedar board. Ensure that the bottom curve is smooth for optimal rocking motion.

Creating the rocker template

Step 13: Attach the Rockers

Clamp the first rocker to the chair legs, apply glue, and set it in place. Repeat for the second rocker. After the glue has dried, reinforce the connections with oak dowels.

Attaching the rockers to the chair

Step 14: Final Touches

Trim any excess wood and sand down the edges of the slats. Apply a clear coat to protect the wood and enhance its natural beauty.

Applying finish to the rocking chair

Step 15: Enjoy Your Rocking Chair

With the project complete, April is thrilled with the final product. This rocking chair is not only functional but also a beautiful addition to any porch.

Final rocking chair

If you’re inspired to build your own rocking chair, check out the templates and plans available on April’s website and don’t forget to share your results!

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