Do-it-yourself home rocking chair made of metal and wood: drawings and assembly

Tags:With your own hands

You used to look at a rocking chair in a store and think: it's expensive and it takes up a lot of space. And you sit in it and understand that it is simply impossible to refuse such a purchase. Unusual comfort and tranquility - I would sit and sit in it on the veranda of a country house, admiring the garden. Do not rush to spend money, because you can make this product yourself. A rocking chair from blueprints to assembly algorithm from available materials is the theme of this material from homemaster.techinfolux.com/en/. We have collected for you drawings and useful recommendations from craftsmen, as well as information on the cost of finished products.

Few things are as comfortable as a rocking chair

The content of the article

1 Types of rocking chairs and materials for manufacturing
2 DIY rocking chair: possible options
3 If there is no time, but there is a desire: prices for ready-made models of rocking chairs

Types of rocking chairs and materials for manufacturing

Rocking chairs can vary in design and material, but they all share common advantages:

beneficial effect on the muscular and nervous system of a person;
creating conditions for a comfortable stay;
the ability to use in closed and open spaces;
use for different age categories;
reliability and safety.

A home rocking chair is a great help for a nursing mother. Babies fall asleep quickly under light motion sickness, and mom can relax and rest

By the way, the opinion that a rocking chair takes up more space than an ordinary one is wrong. Modern rocking chairs are compact in terms of the volume of the occupied area and are in no way superior to ordinary furniture. Rocking chairs are universal, but if you are thinking about a garden chair, it is better to choose it taking into account the specifics of the installation.Soft seats should be removable so that they can be removed in case of rain. The chair cover should be selected from a material that is resistant to sunlight and atmospheric precipitation.

Note! Whatever the design of the rocker runners, they will get stuck in soft ground. Therefore, this furniture must be placed on a solid platform.

Types of rocking chairs

View	Main characteristics	Features:
On runners	Paired base; Lack of unnecessary details; Weight limit up to 100 kg; Inertial type of control.	The classic version, not intended for use on soft carpets and soil. Differs in extreme simplicity of design and sensitivity to irregularities. They can squeak if there are problems in joining parts.
Pendulum	Fixed base; The presence of hinges; They can be equipped with a swing mechanism.	The base of the glider is motionless; a pendulum mechanism is used for swinging. Installed on any floor, they provide a uniform rocking mode, are silent, indifferent to floor irregularities. They can be equipped with touch and electronic controls.
Spring loaded	Fixed base; Large spring mount; Load up to 150 kg.	They differ in inertial swing mode, have round and reclining seats, usually made of rattan.

Wood, plywood, metal or rattan are used as the basis for the frame. Exquisite models with bent elements are obtained from wood. Such products need protection of wood from moisture and insects. Budget rockers are made of thick plywood. It is better not to leave such chairs on the street, as plywood is afraid of moisture. The best base for garden tools is metal. Craftsmen can even offer you wrought-iron chairs, but they are very heavy.

Wicker chairs are classics of the genre. They are made of rattan, willow, bamboo and reed. Lightweight and comfortable, they are suitable for both home and garden

The seats and backs of such chairs are made soft or hard. Convenient if the soft mattress can be easily removed. They can be washed or removed for bad weather. The filling of pillows can be made of foam rubber, padding polyester, latex, coconut fiber or horsehair. The seats are upholstered with practical materials. You can find designs from tapestry or jacquard, cloth, flock.

Natural fabrics "breathe" well, but collect dust

Natural leather is more practical in this regard. If the material is well finished, it is soft and not afraid of moisture. But genuine leather is an expensive pleasure. An alternative can be eco-leather - durable and moisture-resistant. Its only drawback is that it will not be very comfortable to use such a chair on a hot day. The pictures below show the most comfortable rocking chairs that we have found for you as an example.

DIY rocking chair: possible options

On the Internet, you will find many options for how to make a rocking chair at home. Craftsmen sometimes use the most unexpected ideas and achieve tremendous success in this matter.

Natural wood remains the most popular material.

Quality wood will provide the product with durability and strength. And a minimal knowledge of the carpentry craft will allow you to build a completely attractive structure. If there are no carpentry skills at all, it is better to take plywood. It is easy to cut and handle, and you can find reliable furniture fasteners on sale. The most difficult thing is to make something from vines or rattan. It is difficult to make a wicker rocking chair with your own hands, here you cannot do without special knowledge. To work with metal you will need welding machine... If you know how to use it, there is nothing difficult. Some craftsmen suggest using plastic for structures, but such chairs will only withstand a child. For an adult, they are not suitable because of their fragility.

There are plastic models that can be used by adults, some well-known companies produce similar models from a particularly durable material

Let's take a look at a few popular ideas on how to make a rocking chair.

Related article:

DIY wood furniture: for a garden, a nursery, a kitchen, a bath, a garden, a gazebo; how to restore pieces of furniture, useful tips and advice from experts - read our publication.

How to make a rocking chair from an old chair with your own hands

The easiest way to make your own rocking chair is to use an old chair or chair as a base. You will surely find a piece of furniture in your home that asks for rework. You can make a homemade rocking chair out of it in just a couple of hours. The only question is what to make the runners from. And you can make them from a pair of wide boards, plywood or bent pipe.

Rocking chair runners: drawings and dimensions

The most important thing about runners is their curvature. The range of motion depends on it. For this reason, you should not make too rounded parts. The easiest way is to use a thick and wide board - it is easier to fix it, and it is not difficult to make the element you need in size and curvature. A simple drawing with dimensions for a standard chair looks like this.

How to make chair runners

Option 1: made of plywood. For work, you need a thick sheet of plywood (at least 1.5 cm). Two curly strips are cut from the sheet according to a pattern 100 cm long.It is better to use a jigsaw for cutting. Holes are made in the side of the legs of the old chair for fastening the thorn-groove. You can, of course, go even easier and use ordinary self-tapping screws. It will not be very aesthetically pleasing, but fast.

Plywood can be dabbed with a stain to match the main frame of a chair or armchair and varnished

Option 2: curved beam. If you are not looking for easy ways, try to make runners from a curved bar. To do this, a piece of wood with a cross section of 45 × 45 mm must be soaked in hot water until elasticity is achieved. Then the bar is bent on a pre-prepared form and fixed until completely dry. Next, the skis are attached to the chair in the thorn-groove method.

Option 3: board. A semicircle is cut out of a wide board. In this case, the thickness of the wood must be at least 3 cm. The ends of the runners must be carefully sanded. You can fasten the runners with self-tapping screws or the thorn-groove method.

Features of fastening in a thorn-groove method

For this method of fastening, the legs of the chair must be drilled from the sides. After that, a groove is selected in the legs corresponding to the width of the runners. They are inserted into the grooves, a mark is made for the location of the hole in the leg, and they are drilled in the same place.

After that, a wooden spike is inserted into the leg of the chair, a ski is put on it

All parts are carefully processed with wood glue for a firm hold. After connecting, you need to tightly fix the place of contact and leave to dry completely. This mounting method guarantees a neat appearance and high reliability. The only caveat is that it is not suitable for chair models with thin legs.

Important! To balance the rocking chair from an old chair, use a counterweight system and crossbars.

Related article:

Pallet furniture: photos of the best ideas. What can be made from pallets for an apartment, office and summer cottage; rules for the selection and handling of pallets; master classes on making a table, sofa, bench, armchair and shelving - read our publication.

Do-it-yourself rocking chair made of wood: drawings and a master class

Wooden furniture has several advantages. It is environmentally friendly, durable and reliable.

Very exquisite products with original designs can be made from wood.

These rocking chairs look great in the country and in the apartment, they can be used by children and adults. For a wooden rocking chair, it is better to use coniferous wood: spruce, pine, larch.Such a tree is relatively light and has a low density, which means it can be easily processed at home. In addition, coniferous wood is inexpensive, which means that you can not be afraid to spoil some of the material if something goes wrong. Expensive woods such as ash, oak or beech are also suitable for making furniture, but it would be good to have at least some skills in carpentry to work with them.

Important! Furniture wood must be thoroughly dried, otherwise the finished product may deform over time.

Examples of drawings of wooden structures.

And now a master class on making rocking chairs with your own hands. Suitable for any drawings.

Illustration	Action Description
	All details of the future design must be carefully sanded before assembly.
	Mark all the connections. Use a vernier caliper or straight ruler for precise marking.
	Use a router or drill to make the grooves.
	Carefully peel off the mounting cleats. They must be free from irregularities and burrs.
	Check all connections before final assembly. The pins must be forced into the grooves. Use a rubber mallet.
	In the pre-assembly process, the chair is made first and the runners last. The straight legs of the chair must be rounded under the surface of the skis.
	To give the ends of the legs the desired shape, you must use a grinding wheel.
	Fix the batting or foam rubber with glue on the seat blank, cut it to shape.
	Cover the seat with upholstery. Use a construction stapler to secure fabric or leather.
	The final assembly is done with wood glue. All joints are carefully coated with glue. You need to give the product some time to dry out and gain a foothold.
	Finally, fix the runners with the countersunk fasteners.

How to make a simple rocking chair from a profile pipe with your own hands

For a metal structure, a round profile with a cross section of 20-25 mm is required. To make a seat, you need to buy a piece of sturdy awning fabric.

Drawing of a rocking chair made of metal for making with your own hands and a master class

The design of this chair is very primitive. You just need to weld the frame of the appropriate size and pull the fabric strip of the seat over it. The drawing looks like this.

Working with metal will require the use of a welding machine and a primitive pipe bending device. If you have difficulties with bending, take the blanks to the master in advance. The photo shows a simple algorithm for making a rocking chair made of metal with your own hands, consider all the steps in turn.

Illustration	Action Description
	Bend the runner tubes slightly. If there is no pipe bender, this can be done manually with the simplest device.
	For a snug fit of the pipes at the joints, you need to slightly sharpen the ends.
	Weld the sides of the seat as shown in the photo.
	Secure the runners. Pay attention to the reliability of the fastening. All welding points must be subsequently sanded.
	Assemble the structure into one piece by welding the transverse strips.
	Open the seating fabric. It is best to do this directly on the welded structure to adjust the depth and comfort of the fit.
	Paint the frame with corrosion resistant paint.
	Secure the seat by sewing the seams directly onto the frame. Make double or even triple stitches for security.
	A simple and comfortable chair will delight you every day.

We have given you the simplest example of a metal structure. If you are ready for more serious work, watch the video on making a pendulum rocking chair with your own hands, it is very interesting.

Diy plywood rocking chair: drawings and recommendations

Plywood is a lightweight and pleasant material to work with. Making a rocking chair out of it is not at all difficult. It is easy to "fit" such a product to any interior by painting and decoration.For a chair, it is better to look for oak plywood, it is characterized by increased strength and resistance to a humid atmosphere. The optimum thickness of the plywood sheet is 1.5 cm. If you could not find such a material, you can buy thinner sheets and glue them together with wood glue.

Use a jigsaw or grinder to cut parts

What is important to consider when working with plywood:

plywood sheets are very large - prepare a convenient place for cutting, where you can turn the material without problems;
all parts must be coated with a protective compound before assembly: paint or varnish, stain;
all end parts must be carefully sanded. Ideally, hide them with a plastic or metal edging;
remember that plywood is not cut across the grain;
nails cannot be driven into plywood parts, all fastenings are made only into drilled holes;
if there is a need to make a part with a bend, plywood is soaked in hot water and, after soaking, is fixed in the desired position until dry;
for strong gluing, the plywood surface must be sanded with sandpaper and only then the adhesive should be applied parallel to the wood fibers. The parts to be glued are pressed with a press.

We suggest looking at an example of assembling a plywood product of the most primitive design in the step-by-step instructions.

Illustration	Action Description
	Mark the runners using the templates.
	Sand the cut out parts at the ends with sandpaper.
	Cut the seating slats to the same size.
	Attach rectangular pieces of plywood to the inside of the runners as shown in the photo. Use screws and wood glue for fasteners.
	Attach the crossbars to the runners.
	Cover the structure with wood stain and varnish.
	Stretch fabric or leather over the back of the chair. You don't have to, but it looks more aesthetically pleasing.
	Place a foam cushion covered in fabric or leather on the chair. The chair is ready.

Result in half an hour: video instructions for making a rocking chair from a car seat

Car seats are extremely comfortable, as they are designed by the engineers of the automotive industry, taking into account the human anatomical features. It's a pity to throw out such a chair, but what if you decide to update the car interior? Use the driver's seat to create a cozy rocking chair.

If there is no time, but there is a desire: prices for ready-made models of rocking chairs

Any amateur performance requires time and effort. You need to look for suitable material, fasteners, assemble and design. Does not work? You can always follow the path of least resistance and just buy or order such a chair. There are a lot of ready-made products for every taste and budget. You can buy a rocking chair inexpensively in large stores like Ikea at a price of 5,000 rubles. Products made from natural wood with luxurious decoration have already cost tens of thousands.

The author's works of famous designers are estimated much more expensive

There is an option to order similar furniture. Almost any furniture workshop will accept your order. An uncomplicated design will cost you about 10,000-12,000 rubles. So decide for yourself what is more convenient and profitable for you. If you have experience in making a rocking chair with your own hands and are ready to share it with our readers, write in the comments!

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