The rocking chair in most people is associated with home comfort, rest, relaxation. Sitting in it, it's nice to have a cup of coffee, read a book or dream by the fireplace, covered with a blanket, on a long winter evening. Measured swaying soothes, relaxes, gives peace. No wonder everyone loves to swing so much even on regular chairs, often breaking them. But it is not always possible to purchase rocking chairs - they are not cheap. In this case, you can make a thing with your own hands.

Types of rocking chairs

There are many types of rocking chairs. They differ in design, scope, material of manufacture and upholstery, design.

Design variation

Rocking chairs according to the type of structure can be divided into the following types.

1. On simple radius skids - skis, rocker arms, arcs. Such chairs were the first to appear and are still used today. They are easy to manufacture, but have the disadvantage of tipping over with strong rocking. In this regard, they are made with a low fit for a greater excess of the center of the generatrix of the circle over the center of gravity. There are also varieties with a closing horizontal arc. This model requires the construction of individual drawings, taking into account the height and weight of the person for whom it is intended.
2. On skids of variable curvature. They have no risk of tipping over. Due to their length, when tilted back, they do not allow the chair to fall, and when tilted forward, they simply push the person out of the seat. When making this model, it is better to use a ready-made drawing, since the process of building it is quite complicated.
3. On elliptical skids. They roll very softly. They are often equipped with bumpers at the back, a footboard at the front, or springs. At home, a model on springs cannot be made, for this you need special types of wood or a rubberized metal strip.
4. Glider is a sliding rocking chair. Unlike previous designs, its base remains motionless. It swings due to the installed pendulum mechanism. This piece of furniture is a difficult option for a novice master.
5. Vanka-vstanka - a garden roly-poly chair. Does not lose stability in any position. This is due to the fact that the seat is also a skid. If you lean back strongly, the chair will move to an almost horizontal position, but will not roll over, and with a little effort will return to its original position. It is not easy to build a drawing of such a chair, but you can use the finished one.

Options for rocking chairs depending on the structure - photo gallery

The classic rocking chair has the main drawback - the risk of tipping over with strong rocking. Elliptical arms provide a smooth swing On skids of variable curvature, the risk of tipping over is excluded The glider chair will not leave scuff marks on the floor in your home The rocking chair does not lose stability in any position, and on the side it resembles a recumbent person

Glider - the perfect chair for new mothers - video

Variety of materials

In the manufacture of rocking chairs, the following materials can be used.

1. Wood. Conifers, oak and larch are suitable for this. The master will need experience in woodworking, knowledge of how to connect parts.
2. Plywood. The best option for a novice master there will be plywood. Working with it will require a minimum of skills and tools, all the details can be cut with electric jigsaws.
3. Vine and rattan. Without the skills to work with these materials, it is better not to take on the job. You will need skills in the field of proper harvesting, drying and processing of vines, as well as weaving skills. In addition, it is worth considering that the rattan palm does not grow in Russia, its homeland is Indonesia and the Philippines.
4. Metal. Products from it are durable, strong, but have a lot of weight. To work with this material, special welding or forging skills are required, as well as pipe bending equipment if the chair is made from pipes. As a rule, the frame is made of metal, and the seat is made of wood. Such a chair in an apartment can damage the floor, and it looks more appropriate in a country house or a country house.
5. profile pipes. Suitable for making elliptical arches. This material, like any metal, also requires welding skills.
6. Plastic pipes. Lightweight, durable and easy to work with. All you need is fittings and a blowtorch. Moreover, the cost of such a product is low.

Types of materials for the manufacture of rocking chairs - gallery

Plywood is suitable for making a chair by a novice craftsman The rattan palm does not grow in our country, its homeland is Indonesia and the Philippines Working with metal requires skills in welding or forging. Polypropylene pipes are light, durable, easy to work with Softwood, oak and larch are the most popular materials for making rocking chairs For the manufacture of products from the vine, you will need special skills

Applications

Depending on the place of use, rocking chairs are divided into items for home or outdoor use. If you plan to use the product outdoors (dacha, garden plot), keep in mind that the material will be affected by sunlight, precipitation, air temperature.

The metal is not afraid of moisture changes. It only needs to be treated with an anti-corrosion compound. because of heavy weight it is better to put such a chair on a stone base. It will push through loose earth or a wooden podium. The best option for the street - a metal product with a wooden seat or with removable cushions.

Chairs made of wood must be treated with a waterproof coating. This must be done especially carefully if the product is made of plywood. Before assembly, hot drying oil is applied to the ends of the parts, and then they are slightly flattened with a hammer so that moisture does not penetrate inside. After this procedure, the elements are coated twice with waterproof varnish.

Wooden rocking chairs should not be kept outdoors all the time. Otherwise, the product may lose its original appearance.

The most successful street option are plastic chairs. They do not rot, are not afraid of the sun and wind, do not require a protective coating. Such products are durable and lightweight, they can be moved to any place if necessary.

Do not use chairs outside upholstered, it is better to cover them with a blanket or put removable pillows. The upholstery will get wet in the rain and deteriorate.

"Street" seating options - gallery

An armchair made of plywood and wooden planks is the easiest option for a novice master A chair made of plywood with a roof will save you from sunburn The rocking chair can accommodate several people at once Plastic pipes are quite inexpensive material, even a beginner can make a rocking chair out of it.

How to make a rocking chair with your own hands

Do-it-yourself things carry a completely different energy than purchased ones. With their manufacture, you can realize any of your wishes. It is not difficult to make a rocking chair, even a beginner can cope with this task. You need to be patient and follow the step-by-step instructions exactly.

Types of handmade chairs from various materials - gallery

From plywood, you can cut a chair of absolutely any shape. The presence of a footrest creates a greater relaxing effect. Armchair covered with threads will surprise your guests Upholstered wooden armchair to help you relax after a hard day's work An armchair made of natural materials is suitable for an eco-style interior. Such an original rocking chair will decorate your country house Pipes can serve as the basis for a future chair Forged rocking chair will organically look at your summer cottage Knitted elements in interior items create a homely atmosphere A pipe and a tree will always be found on the farm. From this material you can easily make a country rocking chair

We turn the most ordinary chair into a rocking chair

The easiest option to get a rocking chair quickly and at no cost is to make it from an old but sturdy chair or armchair. You only need to make a couple of skids. For structural stability and to prevent tipping, the center of gravity must be shifted down. To do this, the legs need to be filed under the arcs, on which a chair or armchair will be attached in the future.

How to make skids from an array - video

Instructions for making a vanka-vstanka

To make this chair yourself, it is better to use plywood. A drawing can be built by making calculations with your own hands, or you can use a ready-made scheme.

We prepare tools and materials

Before starting work, it is necessary to prepare materials and tools. You may need:

• electric jigsaw with wood files;
• disc grinder with a set of nozzles of various grain sizes;
• screwdriver or drill;
• a hammer;
• brush;
• plywood sheet 20-30 mm thick;
• bar 50x25 mm for cladding;
• 3 connecting bars 30x50 mm;
• self-tapping screws or confirmants;
• wood glue;
• antiseptic for wood;
• primer or drying oil;
• dye;
• roulette;
• pencil;
• graph paper.

Now you have everything you need. Before proceeding to the next step, treat the plywood sheet with an antiseptic. While you are working on the drawing, it will dry out.

We draw a diagram

The design of the vanka-vstanka does not require taking into account the individual parameters of future users. If you wish, you can amend the finished scheme. For example, if necessary, such a chair can be made double. Thus, we will assume that you have a drawing.

We transfer it to graph paper, and then to thick paper in the full size of the details. We cut out the patterns and draw the sidewalls. We will make them from plywood, fasteners - from bars, sheathing - from rails.

Both sidewalls must be exactly the same, there must be no bulges and bumps on the rocking surface, the line must be smooth!

We make parts

With an electric jigsaw, he cuts sidewalls from plywood, from bars - connecting drawers. The best connection of chair parts is spiked. If it is provided for by the drawing, we make spikes and cuts for them in the sidewalls. We cut the facing plank from the rails. To keep as few scraps as possible, when choosing a rail, observe the multiplicity of their sizes to the finished bar. If there is a remainder, save them, they will be useful to you when the product needs to be repaired.

All parts are sanded, sanded, and then chamfered. We carefully process the ends. We slightly break their fibers with a hammer so that moisture does not penetrate into them. All elements must be primed and painted, the ends - twice.

Chair assembly

We connect the sidewalls with bar-bars. If you have a spiked connection, then insert the spikes into the cuts under them, having previously smeared them with wood glue. If not, then we mark the joints on the sidewalls, make holes with an 8 mm drill, and 5 mm at the ends of the bars. We tighten with the help of confirmants - euro screws.

Now it remains only to attach the facing strips. In order for them to lie flat, they must first be marked. Each board should have 4 marks, that is, 2 on each side. To facilitate the work, you can make a template from trimming the rail by drilling 2 holes in it, then the work will go much faster.

To prevent the strips from cracking during fastening, drill holes along the marks with a thin drill and screw them to the sidewall with self-tapping screws. The distance between the rails should be 15 mm.

Cover the product with primer and paint. The rocking chair is ready, you can enjoy it.

Video on making a plywood rocking chair

Making a rocking sofa

Using the basics of making a roly-poly chair, you can make a rocking chair. In this case, you will need three sidewalls.

This light and comfortable chair is suitable for both home and garden. The seat and back can be braided with leather strips, colored cord, or simply stretched with a durable fabric.

Photo of manufacturing a chair on radius arcs

Make a drawing first Prepare all the details of the future chair, outline the attachment points for the elements Assemble the chair according to the diagram

Making a chair out of wood

Wood is a more complex material than plywood. There are several options for drawings of wooden rocking chairs.

The product can be without armrests and have a back that repeats the curves of the back.

If you do not have sufficient skills in working with wood, you can make a chair, the elements of which are straight lines. The only exceptions are arcs.

The order of work in the manufacture of such a chair is the same as that of a plywood model.

1. We make drawings and patterns.
2. We cut out the material. A board 3000x200x40 mm will go to the runners, 3000x100x20 mm to the rest of the parts.
3. Sanding and sanding.
4. We process with a primer and paint all the elements.
5. We outline the connection points of the parts, drill holes for the bolts.
6. We make assembly.
7. We put a soft pillow and swing.

How to make a wooden rocking chair for a child - video

We use the pendulum mechanism in the manufacture of the glider

To make such a chair, you need to have good drawings. Although, there are craftsmen who build them on their own, taking measurements from factory products. The pendulum mechanism is assembled on ball bearings. This applies to both metal and wooden structures. The seat should not be attached to the base, but suspended from it. This allows the chair to swing in a horizontal plane.

How to make a metal pendulum chair - video

We make a wicker chair from a vine

Wicker products are very popular. If you know how to weave from a vine, you can make such a chair at home. However, the process of its manufacture is quite long, it requires patience and effort.

It should be noted that the wicker chair should be comfortable and durable. Its flexibility is achieved due to the vine, which is also an environmentally friendly material.

We use plastic pipes to simulate the sound of the sea - video

We make a chair out of metal "under the wicker"

If you know how to forge products, then it will not be difficult for you to make a rocking chair out of metal. It can also be made by welding from profile pipe, better than an elliptical section. The seat, backrest and braiding of the armrests can be made from ropes, belts or strips of fabric.

A simple metal chair for a summer cottage - video

If one person managed to create some thing, then another will certainly be able to repeat it. All you need is a desire and strict adherence to the instructions. And it doesn't matter what your chair is made of. If the soul is invested in the work, the result will bring joy.

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How to make a rocking chair from plywood with your own hands - drawings and assembly instructions attached

A comfortable and beautiful rocking chair made of wood in a store is not cheap. However, it is not necessary to buy such furniture, because everything can be done with your own hands. Read in this article about how to make reliable and inexpensive furniture from plywood for a comfortable stay.

Advantages of a homemade plywood rocking chair

The use of plywood as the main material for furniture assembly guarantees the following advantages:

• Making furniture with curvilinear shapes. Plywood, unlike solid wood, can be bent in different directions, giving products complex curvilinear shapes.
• Ease of manufacture. Most plywood furniture can be made by hand using readily available tools from the home workshop.
• Affordable cost. Finished products will cost less than similar, but solid wood products.
• A great appearance . Plywood is glued from veneer with a solid pattern, and therefore the finished furniture looks no worse, and sometimes even better, than similar products completely assembled from wood.
• Strength and durability. Due to the special arrangement of the veneer in the board, plywood exhibits higher fracture strength compared to similar indicators of solid wood.
• Environmental Safety. Multilayer plywood is a product made from natural raw materials - wood, and therefore this material is safe for humans.

Types of rocking chairs

What chairs can be made from plywood? There are many options, consider only the most interesting.

How does it swing

The review shows that in terms of the device, all rocking chairs are of 3 types, namely, models with curved skids, models with a pendulum and hanging models. But regardless of the modification, the principle of swinging all rocking chairs is pendulum.

The seat in all of these models moves due to the forced displacement of the center of gravity relative to its original position. Subsequent displacements occur by inertia. As you swing, the inertia weakens and the pendulum stops until you set it in motion again.

Drawings of plywood rocking chair

Choosing a chair model for self assembly, we give preference to those drawings that will be easier to translate into reality. I offer several such drawings.

model on the drawing upholstered furniture, assembled on solid sidewalls, cut out in the form of curved runners, turning into armrests. To connect the sidewalls, you can use transverse inserts made of plywood or planed board.

The supporting frame of this chair is assembled from plywood parts. Cross bars are stuffed over the frame. Bottom part the sidewalls are reinforced with a bent strip of skids. Such a design will be an excellent element of the surroundings of a country terrace or a personal plot.

Puzzle Rocker translated from English means "a rocking chair assembled from mosaic fragments." 4 fragments shown in the diagram are cut from multilayer plywood. Then these fragments are put together without the use of fasteners and the chair is ready. If necessary, the rocking chair is easy to disassemble.

Design requirements and dimensions

The dimensions of plywood furniture are selected so that the overall dimensions correspond to the thickness of the material used. That is, the larger the chair, the thicker the plate should be, from which the details will be cut. The preferred option for any chairs is plywood with a thickness of 25 mm or more.

What you need to work

The most important tool for working with plywood is a jigsaw, which will ensure sufficient accuracy of the cut.

Required materials and tools:

• Multilayer plywood - thickness 30 mm.
• Fasteners self-tapping screws for wood and other hardware for furniture assembly.
• Joiner's glue.
• Paints and varnishes for decorative and protective finishing of furniture.
• Electric jigsaw.
• Screwdriver with a set of drills and bits.
• Clamps for wood.
• Sander or hand grater with replaceable sandpaper.

Chair making process

Making furniture from plywood is not much different from making chairs from other board materials. The process is step-by-step and all steps are performed in the following sequence:

• Cutting the material in accordance with the selected drawing.
• Preparation of parts - chamfering, drilling holes, forming grooves, etc.
• Furniture assembly.
• Finishing, including grinding and processing with paints and varnishes.

Let's consider the above points in more detail.

If the material is purchased for subsequent painting, simply select a sheet of the desired thickness, not paying attention to the texture of the fibers. If a finished furniture it is supposed to be varnished at the end of the assembly, we do not save and get the plywood that initially looks good.

We try to purchase the material that was stored correctly - we are talking about moisture and the absence of sheet curvature. The purchased material must be even and dry. We pay attention to the cut line, all layers must be tightly glued together without peeling.

Preparation of plywood and general rules for working with it

Plywood is a board glued together from sheets of natural wood veneer. On the one hand, the layered structure of the material simplifies the work, since plywood can be bent.

On the other hand, this feature makes sawing difficult, since an improperly selected tool and unprofessional cutting lead to the fact that the layers of veneer along the cutting line of the slab crack and crumble. That is why, when assembling plywood furniture, we follow the instructions and recommendations proposed in this article.

How to prepare material for subsequent sawing? You don't need to do anything special, just make sure the slab is dry enough and free from curvature. If there is curvature, lay the plywood on the bars so that the sheet curves in the opposite direction of the curvature.

Pattern making and drawing transfer

After we decided on the choice of the drawing, it remains to mark the plate in accordance with it. That is, you need to transfer the drawing to plywood, while increasing the scale of the image to natural size. If the design of the furniture to be assembled does not have complex shapes, the drawing from the paper is transferred along the ruler and square.

If it is planned to make furniture with complex shapes, patterns (templates) are cut out of thick paper or cardboard for each part, which are subsequently traced on a sheet of plywood.

Cutting plywood into pieces

For a curved cut, it is preferable to use a jigsaw, as the tool is available. If possible, the workpieces are cut into band saw provided that a blade with a fine tooth is used.

Construction assembly

The chair is assembled according to the drawing. The strength of the finished product largely depends on the choice of fasteners. To achieve maximum reliability, we use self-tapping screws only in unloaded connections. In areas with a high degree of load, we use fasteners consisting of bolts and nuts.

The advantage of bolting when assembling furniture is that the nuts can be tightened during operation and thus eliminate backlash and creaking.

Final balancing

How to balance skids for smooth rocking? Make sure there are no ridges or flat areas on the skids that could impede rocking. If there are such areas, round them off using a sander with sandpaper.

In addition, for smooth rocking without sticking, use the chair on a flat hard surface. If the furniture is to be used on personal plot, it is preferable to make the skids wide so that they do not imprint into the ground.

How to bend plywood for a rocking chair

How to make curved parts out of plywood without cutting out their contour from a single sheet, but by bending the strips along a given radius?

Illustrations	How to bend
	Steaming and bending. This is a classic method in which the part is soaked in boiling water and then molded and fixed in a pattern. After drying, the workpiece retains the specified radius. The method is relevant for plywood of small thickness.
	Cutting and bending. By inside of the intended bend, cuts are made on ¾ of the thickness of the sheet. After that, the workpiece bends. To fix the radius, glue is poured into the cavity of the cuts and a strip of veneer is glued over the cuts. This method is preferred for materials with a thickness greater than 25 mm.

How to make chair pads

Correctly assembled furniture looks good on its own, but soft overlays will make it more comfortable. The easiest option is to make pads in the shape of the seat and back on ribbon ties. You can make these patches yourself, or you can buy them ready-made.

DIY collapsible chair

Summing up

Now you know how to make a plywood rocking chair yourself. If after watching the video on choosing a design and assembling furniture, you still have questions, ask them in the comments to the article.

October 25, 2018

If you want to express gratitude, add a clarification or objection, ask the author something - add a comment or say thanks!

The rocking chair in most people is associated 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, a synonym for a measured life, with your own hands? After reading this article, even a novice master can easily cope with this task.

• glider;
• classic on skids.

Each of the types has a number of features, so we will consider them in more detail.

Glider (with pendulum mechanism)

This type of furniture has a fixed base, and swinging occurs with the help of a pendulum mechanism. It has a number of advantages over the classic one, but the main plus is its 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 exists.

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

   Radius skids - the simplest and most common type of support

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

2. On elliptical skids with tilt limiters.
3. On springs.
4. Roly-up.

What materials can a rocking chair be made of - table

Material	Description, features	Advantages	Flaws
willow vine	Very strong openwork products are obtained from a vine, but this work is very laborious and requires certain skills. this material is often made suspended structures.	beautiful appearance; long service life; ease.	afraid of moisture
Rattan	Rattan products have their own ethnic flavor. Weave from it yourself - difficult task, since it is not easy to get material in our latitudes.	very light and beautiful; only braided and glued joints are used in the manufacture.	high price; rather fragile material.
wood mass	The most common material for the manufacture of strong and durable rocking chairs is wood. Different types of wood are used, but the most common are coniferous, especially durable species (alder, oak, larch).	relatively low price; opportunity to make your own.	crafting requires carpentry skills; durable woods have a high price.
Metal	Since the metal has a large mass, only the frame is usually made of it, and the seats are made of another material - plastic, fabric, leather, wood. All-metal forged products look spectacular, 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 construction weight
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 vines 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 flooring. Size also matters if your apartment is not too big. Most suitable option- plastic and wood products. Wicker furniture also suitable, but not always appropriate in an urban interior.

If you plan to use outdoor furniture, then you need to take into account some points: how resistant is the material to moisture, sun exposure, is it easy to clean. With a certain preparation, a product made of almost any material can be used on the street - forged, plastic, wooden models. Designs with an awning from the sun are relevant on hot days.

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

Photo gallery: options for wooden garden chairs

DIY rocking chairs

Making this piece of furniture is not really simple task, but even those who have never done anything like this before can do it. There are many schemes, options and manufacturing methods. Consider the most interesting and simple of them.

The simplest chair from an ordinary highchair

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

• chair with back and armrests;
• high-quality plywood 15 mm thick;
• varnish for wood;
• jigsaw;
• milling cutter;
• Sander;
• dowel.

Stages of work:

1. We cut the radial skids from plywood according to the scheme with an electric jigsaw.
2. We grind them with a machine or sandpaper on a rail.
3. From below, on the legs of the chair, we make cuts and select the grooves for the skids.
4. We insert the runners into the grooves of the chair legs, fix with glue and dowels.
5. We cover the surface of the rocking chair with varnish.

Video: making a highchair

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

It will also be easy to make such a rocking chair with your own hands from plywood, knowing the drawing. There are many options on the net, we will give one that is devoid of the risk of rollover.

Assembly materials and tools:

• 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 to sheets of plywood.
3. We cut out the necessary elements using a jigsaw.
4. Drill holes for screws.
5. Sanding, primer and paint all the elements.
6. Assembling the frame.
7. We form the seat and back from the planks, 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 top of the chair relative to its base. To make it yourself you need detailed diagram. This is not an easy job. But the principle of operation of the mechanism is always the same. For the simplest design you will need:

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

Instruction:

1. Assemble the bars and drill one hole into 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. Then 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 procedure

The chair can also be made from profiled metal or simple water pipes. Needed for work.

A successful invention for those who appreciate the opportunity to relax and unwind without leaving home is a rocking chair. And if you put it in the garden, you can enjoy doubly.

The traditional material for such chairs is willow vine and its analogue - rattan. Products made from this material weigh little, are distinguished by the elegance of lines and a solid price.

Modern materials can also be used in the manufacture of wicker chairs - there are options from synthetic wicker. They are no worse than natural, absolutely not afraid of moisture and have a very long service life.

Armchairs made of metal, despite the reliability and plasticity of the material, are too heavy. A wrought iron chair will look great in the garden, but you will have to make a platform for it. In addition, certain skills are needed to work with metal; it is difficult for a beginner to make a metal chair.

Rocking chair made from pipe scraps

Metal profile rocking chair

Affordability and attractive appearance of plastic chairs. To these advantages, you can add resistance to wet weather, durability, bright non-fading color. In addition, they do not have to be repainted and processed.

For self-manufacturing wood is best suited - an inexpensive, easy-to-work material. At the end of the work, the wooden chair can be given any color or its texture can be preserved. For those who first thought about making furniture on their own, wood is best suited.

There are many models for home craftsmen, the simplest ones are presented below.

When developing a homemade rocking chair, the main thing is that it does not tip over when the seated one leans back. It is also important that the rocking process itself, for which the chair was made, does not force the person to strain too much.

Types of rocking chairs

The simplest type is armchairs built according to the radius principle. These are the most affordable products for self-manufacturing, they are distinguished by the simplicity of manufacturing technology and design. The model below has a somewhat heavy and awkward look, such a chair is suitable for the garden.

Armchairs of this type are made with a fairly low seating position, which ensures smooth rocking and safety of the seated person. If the seat is set to a normal height, then the chair runners are equipped with bumpers - swing amplitude limiters. To get up from such a chair, you need to make a physical effort. Yes, and the buildup itself requires some tension.

Much more stable chairs on skids of variable curvature, they do not tip over.

Nirvana chairs are very comfortable, it is worth leaning forward a little, it will gently “land” a person on his feet. Rocking chairs on elliptical skids, despite their comfort, can tip over, therefore they are equipped with chippers, the front one usually acts as a footrest.

Overturning during swinging at sunbeds with awnings, on elliptical skids is excluded.

Where to begin

Below is a rocking chair for the garden, which, with some effort, even a beginner can make. On the
such a model, you can try your hand before moving on to a complex home version.

In any case, the drawing should be as simple as possible so that it can be reproduced even without much experience.

Such a compact chair will look great in the garden, and it can be placed at home, it does not take up much space. This simple model will be used to describe the process.

Start with a drawing

The drawing is made on a scale grid, on which each cell corresponds to 10 cm. All markings on sawn parts must be made according to the drawing, taking into account the scale.

What can a chair be made of?

Euro plywood 3 cm thick is suitable for work.

• You need to cut the sidewalls exactly according to the pattern, three parts for each side;
• The remaining parts are made of timber 50 mm wide and 25 mm thick. For the seat and backrest, you need 35 elements from a bar, the length of each is 120 mm;
• In order to correctly calculate how much timber is needed, you must first visit the store and see what bars are presented and what is their length. Knowing the initial size of the material, it will be possible to minimize waste by varying the width of the chair;
• For example, if bars of the required thickness with a length of 2.3 meters are available for sale, then you can make the chair a little narrower - cut the bars for the back and seat by 115 mm. If the bars have a slightly larger width, then the chair can be made a little wider, so that there are not many scraps left;
• You will also need three crossbars from a bar; in their manufacture, one should proceed from the width of the chair - that is, the length of the bars for the back and seat.

Small fluctuations in width will not affect the stability of the chair, so you can do this without worrying about the result.

When the details are ready

After the parts are sawn, they will need to be processed. They should not be rough.

In addition, carefully processed surfaces will give the product a finished look and facilitate finishing.

Surfaces are processed using a grinder, each part must be sanded on both sides with sandpaper with different grains. If you have the skill, you can use the milling nozzle to soften and round the sides of each part. If this is not possible, you can simply grind the cuts with a grinder or sand them by hand.

Treatment with hot drying oil should be carried out in at least two layers. This is one of the most outdated methods, but after that the product can be painted with oil paint and used even on the street, without losing its quality and appearance.

Small parts can be dipped in boiling drying oil as a whole, while you can not hold them with your hands. It is better to make improvised tongs from wooden slats. Larger parts should be generously smeared with a brush, laying them out on cardboard, alternately on each side, and dry the rest of the parts in the same way. Working with hot drying oil requires great care, you should remember this during the impregnation process. Do not lean over a container with a boiling substance; wear thick work gloves on your hands.

Alternatively, the parts can be treated with antiseptics, stains, and other impregnations, of which there are a great many in stores. They should be selected based on the intended purpose of the item: where it will be used.

At the end of the work, it will be possible to walk with a fine sandpaper again by hand, bringing it to complete smoothness.

Assembly

• Be sure to mark the connection points transverse bars- these places are marked on the drawing, their location on the finished parts should be calculated based on the scale grid step.
• Having assembled the sidewalls, you can begin to attach the parts of the seat and backrest. The back will be attached to the rack, the seat - to the sides.

We need to pay attention to that again. that the drawers must be fixed strictly symmetrically, and the assembled side parts, if put on top of each other, must completely match, without the slightest deviation.

• Now the side parts are fastened together by crossbars, they should be attached at the legs, in the middle and at the top of the chair. For attachment, it is better to use confirmations (type of connecting fastener);
• To attach the back and seat parts, four holes should be drilled in each bar, two on each side. In order for the heads of the self-tapping screws not to be visible, each hole must be slightly expanded from above with a drill of a larger diameter (it must be selected according to the diameter of the hats). When screwing on, the caps will be in recesses, which can then be masked with furniture putty.

Such a careful execution of the first part of the work will ensure the fulfillment of the following indispensable condition - all parts of the seat and back, all 35 bars must be located strictly horizontally.

Finishing

After assembly, the product must be processed again to give it a finished look. In addition, it will significantly extend its service life and maintain an aesthetic appearance.

If the parts were processed with drying oil, then at the end of the assembly, the chair should be covered with oil paint, in thin layers in two or three layers.

If you want the product to have a natural texture of wood, it should be treated with a stain of the desired shade and varnished.

Varnish should be chosen waterproof, as well as stain. There are varnishes that create a particularly durable coating that is resistant to abrasion and cracking. If the chair will stand on the street, it is better to take a yacht varnish or another with increased strength. In any case, it is better to keep the product under a canopy, this will extend the period of its functionality, or at least bring it into the house when it rains.

• For the chair you need to use strong types of wood. These are oak, larch, coniferous;
• Euro plywood, a 3 cm thick glued wood material, also has sufficient strength to make the chair reliable;
• Plywood sheets must be carefully inspected before purchase so that they do not have surface damage and cracks. This will eliminate the difficulties in cutting the product and its subsequent processing;
• The more time is spent processing the product and impregnating it with drying oil or compounds, the longer its service life will be;
• The chair does not need to be upholstered with foam rubber and dense tissues, this will contribute to the accumulation of moisture under the upholstery, which will quickly render it unusable. For sitting and backrest it is better to get removable pillows;
• If the finished product falls too far back or, conversely, is oriented forward, it will have to be balanced after work is completed. For this, an additional cross member is installed at the rear ends of the sidewalls. Previously, notches are cut in it, where the weights are attached according to the slope. Also, if necessary, the front of the chair is loaded. By adding and subtracting them, trying to sit and swing in a chair, you can achieve the perfect balance of the product.

Making a rocking chair is a rather complicated process, but quite doable. If you correctly and accurately, following the drawing and the advice given in the article, perform all the steps, then the result will be a beautiful and functional product that will last a long time.

For inspiration, watch the video below. The video contains incredibly simple, affordable models for self-production, from available materials.

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

Advantages and disadvantages of wooden structures

Wood is the most common material for making furniture. The wooden rocking chair is no exception, thanks to its many benefits:

• Ecologically pure material giving off a pleasant forest scent.
• Significant strength.
• Long period of operation.
• The possibility of implementing design solutions.
• Ease of processing, including manual.
• A wide choice of wood of any brand and in any place.
• Large color spectrum of the material.

The finished rocking chair fits well into any architectural ensemble of the building. It can be installed at any time in a convenient place: in a clearing, by the pool, by the fireplace, near the barbecue, etc. Rocking in a chair is relaxing, comfortable for the body, and beneficial for the body. It 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 of which is the significant cost of any rocking chair. In addition, structures are characterized by the loss of their qualities and characteristics if it is affected by rain, fog, and other precipitation. Undesirable will be a long stay of a rocking chair under the influence of the sun.

Material and its characteristics

For the manufacture of rocking chairs from solid wood, conifers are preferably selected. It can be pine, spruce, alder or larch. These rocks are characterized by low mass and low density. Home-made structures with a significant mass will be inconvenient to move. The high density of the material will create difficulties in work.

Coniferous trees have a light gray structure. Easily processed. A significant disadvantage of such wood is that with an increase in the level of humidity, it increases in size. Despite this, conifers are budget option, are widely distributed in the trading network and have a low cost.

The chair can be made from more expensive types of wood. It can 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.

For the manufacture of a chair that sways, high-quality wooden blanks of the first grade are used. The humidity of these blanks by the beginning of work should not exceed 10%. If this figure is higher, then wood is not recommended. It is better to let it dry, as a structure made of wet wood will subsequently dry out and undergo deformation. The consequence will be its nondescript appearance or complete destruction.

Blueprints

For the manufacture of a wooden swinging structure, it is necessary to draw up a drawing of the chair. It is better to perform it on graph paper, drawing all the structural elements with dimensions. To make a simple rocking chair with your own hands from wood, 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 a right angle and there is no need to cut additional parts. The basis for the whole structure is the size of the seat and the height of the legs. Under these dimensions, connecting elements will be cut. The next step in the manufacture of rocking chairs, according to the drawing and the required dimensions, we cut wood parts.

A square seat 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 bar with a section of 4.5x4.5 cm is used. The rear legs are cut with a height of 105-110 cm, the front ones - 55-60 cm. length, height and thickness 57x4x1.5 cm, respectively.

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

Another drawing example

Tool

Making a chair requires a tool. To complete the work you will need:

• fine-toothed wood saw or electric jigsaw for cutting blanks;
• a simple or electric planer for processing structural details;
• grinding or tape machine for grinding parts;
• manual milling machine for grooving and processing connecting rails;
• right angle or building plumb;
• screwdriver;
• a hammer;
• tape measure and pencil;
• clamp or rubber band;
• brush or spatula to fill the mounting holes.

Given that the structural elements will not be attached to nails, a hammer will be needed to fit the parts to each other.

Connection of parts

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

1. spike fastening;
2. connection with glue.

When fastening into a spike, markings are applied to the wooden elements of the rocking chair. According to it, grooves are cut out in the legs, 2.0x1.5 cm in size, 2 cm deep. The shape of the connecting rails is prepared for the grooves. Before fastening the parts, the groove and ends of the rails are treated with building glue.

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In the second version, the attachment points are treated with glue and interconnected. For reliability, epoxy glue is often used. The joints are reinforced with self-tapping screws. The seat is mounted on transverse rails and is also fixed with self-tapping screws.

In both versions, a clamp and gaskets are used to finally fasten all elements of a rocking chair made of wood. The gasket material is installed between the clamp and the rocking chair. After installation, the clamp is tightened and the swinging 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 hard rubber band.

Mounting skids

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

First way

Differs in simplicity and speed of execution. It is as follows:

• For the manufacture of skids, a sheet of plywood, 1.5 cm thick, is used.
• According to the template, two blanks of the same curvature are cut out of plywood, about 1 m long.
• Slots are made in the legs of the chair, 1.5 cm wide under the thickness of the plywood skids. The depth of the slots can be 7-10 cm.
• The runners are ground along the edge and installed in the slot. During installation, it is necessary to achieve the most uniform level of their installation.
• At the landing sites of the skids, a through hole is made, with a diameter of 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 must:

1. In a wooden bar, with a section of 4.5x4.5 cm and a length of about 1 meter, cut grooves.
2. Process the ends of the legs of the chairs for landing in the grooves of the runners.
3. Place the skid bars in boiling water or hot water until the wood becomes pliable.
4. Using a tool, bend the skis to a certain radius and leave in this state until completely dry.
5. Install the dried runners on the legs, pre-treating 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

Rocking chair made of wood, can cause inconvenience when landing or getting up. This arises as a result of the difference in the weight of the structural elements that are in its front and rear parts. To avoid discomfort, it is necessary to balance the swinging structure.

With a significant inclination of the structure forward, cross bars can be mounted on the skids behind the back. If necessary, the weight on the slats can be increased by installing decorative elements.

Balanced Rocking Chair

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

Treatment

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. This will save the processing of the material.

Before assembling the structure, the tree can be stained. Due to its concentration, the rocking chair can take on any shade.

Armchair varnished in 3 layers

To prevent diseases, the tree must be covered with a special antifungal liquid, as well as an agent 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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At the end, the entire structure must be covered with two layers of varnish.

Conclusion

The presented version of the manufacture of 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.