# Rocking 'Horse' - Help needed



## Rob_H (Mar 17, 2014)

Hi,

I'm in the process of building a rocking elephant for my niece based on the design in the Haynes Wooden Toy manual but I'm having a bit of trouble with the rockers. Unfortunately instructions / plans are somewhat lacking, cut out rockers with jigsaw. Has anyone here built a rocking horse (or any rocking animal) before? If so could you shed some advise on what radius you need on the rockers (I'm guess about 10ft) and how best to mark out & accurately cut out the rockers, as I'm stumped.

Below is a picture of my first attempt at making a pair of rockers but they're nowhere near curved enough for it to rock properly.


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## bladeburner (Jun 8, 2013)

Here's one suggestion: I can't tell the size of your rocker, but what I'd do is to open up a cardboard box and draw your project on it. Then swing a long stick across and look for a nice gentle arc. 40 years ago, when I went through my rocking horse phase, I'm pretty sure I used a 42" radius. But I could be lying!


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## Alchymist (Jan 2, 2011)

Just made a set of rockers for a rocking chair/cradle combination I'm working on. I just used a rocker from an existing rocking chair for a pattern. Cut on band saw, finished on spindle sander.


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

Here is a page discussing rocker radius to lower leg length (seat height). It may give you some help in determining a rocker radius that will work for that low seat. http://www.rockingchairuniversity.com/rocker-radius.html


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## Steven W. (Dec 27, 2012)

My buddy and i have been making some rocking motorcycles. I attached a photo. Can't give you a measurement for radius but this might give you an idea what you're looking for.


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## Rob_H (Mar 17, 2014)

Thanks for your replies, especially Tim for the link, and Steven the motorbike look amazing


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## Civilian (Jul 6, 2013)

Steven W. said:


> My buddy and i have been making some rocking motorcycles. I attached a photo. Can't give you a measurement for radius but this might give you an idea what you're looking for.


Steven, How about measuring the length of the rocker from the bottom of the balls/bumps. All also measure the height from the floor to the bottom of the bumps/balls. I think the OP could then use those numbers to compare to his rockers.

Just a thought.

Jon
Northern Michigan


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## Adillo303 (Dec 20, 2010)

I built this one for my wife's grandson.

http://www.rockler.com/classic-pony-rocker-plan

It works and rocks great. I took the plans to kinko and made full size copies and cut the templates out from there.

The only deviation was that I cut the body out in one piece. Their plan called for two pieces.


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## Steven W. (Dec 27, 2012)

Civilian said:


> Steven, How about measuring the length of the rocker from the bottom of the balls/bumps. All also measure the height from the floor to the bottom of the bumps/balls. I think the OP could then use those numbers to compare to his rockers.
> 
> Just a thought.
> 
> ...


Thanks Jon, I would love to but I dont have the plans in my shop and all the rockers have been given away.


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## geltz61 (May 2, 2013)

Rob_H said:


> Hi, I'm in the process of building a rocking elephant for my niece based on the design in the Haynes Wooden Toy manual but I'm having a bit of trouble with the rockers. Unfortunately instructions / plans are somewhat lacking, cut out rockers with jigsaw. Has anyone here built a rocking horse (or any rocking animal) before? If so could you shed some advise on what radius you need on the rockers (I'm guess about 10ft) and how best to mark out & accurately cut out the rockers, as I'm stumped. Below is a picture of my first attempt at making a pair of rockers but they're nowhere near curved enough for it to rock properly.



If you still haven't figured out the radius I can get you dimensions from my rocking horses that would work, let me know.


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## Alchymist (Jan 2, 2011)

FWIW- the chord on the rockers I copied for my rocking chair/cradle is 31", and the end points set 2-3/4" off the horizontal.


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## RogerInColorado (Jan 16, 2013)

This link will calculate the radius if you have the height and width of the arc, which you do since you have the template. http://www.mathopenref.com/arcradius.html


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## Alchymist (Jan 2, 2011)

RogerInColorado said:


> This link will calculate the radius if you have the height and width of the arc, which you do since you have the template. http://www.mathopenref.com/arcradius.html


Calculator says mine is 45" radius.


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## 4DThinker (Mar 13, 2013)

I teach furniture design, and for a good rocking chair we usually end up using 39" as the rocker radius. Make the radius shorter and each rocking cycle will take longer. Make it longer and the cycle is shorter. The math wants the radius LONGER than the occupant of the chair's (or horse's) center of gravity (COG) above the floor. Make them the same length and the chair will roll over. Make the radius just a bit longer than the COG and the ride on a rocker will still be scary. For a small rocking horse I'd shoot for a radius 11 to 13 inches longer than where the kid's belly button is off the floor when mounted. 

Your 10' radius would barely rock, although I've seen kids work up plenty of motion on kid chairs that weren't even intended to rock.


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## RogerInColorado (Jan 16, 2013)

This is the one I modified the upper on from a "Rocking Iron Horse" U-Build plan, but not the rockers. It has a 42 inch radius. I think all the links point to roughly the same results using different formulas to get there.


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## Masterofnone (Aug 24, 2010)

I don't have the radius on mine either, but here's an idea. I copied mine off another horse. I didn't do a radius... just knew I wanted the runners about 30" long and each end about three inches off the ground. I free handed the curve. The big problem on mine is I didn't distribute the weight properly. My niece has never taken it over backwards, but she sure has come close a few times.


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## Civilian (Jul 6, 2013)

Masterofnone said:


> I don't have the radius on mine either, but here's an idea. I copied mine off another horse. I didn't do a radius... just knew I wanted the runners about 30" long and each end about three inches off the ground. I free handed the curve. The big problem on mine is I didn't distribute the weight properly. My niece has never taken it over backwards, but she sure has come close a few times.


Same horse? Or 2 different ones? Why I ask is the unstained one looks like the 4 flat boards are a bit more forward. But it could be an optical illusion. Either way, for better balance and not tipping over backwards, can you easily on the stained one, move the 4 flat boards forward more?

JOn
Northern Michigan


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## Masterofnone (Aug 24, 2010)

Civilian said:


> Same horse? Or 2 different ones? Why I ask is the unstained one looks like the 4 flat boards are a bit more forward. But it could be an optical illusion. Either way, for better balance and not tipping over backwards, can you easily on the stained one, move the 4 flat boards forward more?
> 
> JOn
> Northern Michigan


Same horse. Must be an optical illusion! Actually the furthest rear board is where it should be but because I didn't angle the legs like I should have it put it too far back. Yes I could move it forward but it was made for my niece's first birthday. She's almost 5 now. It's nothing but a display piece now!


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## feralfreak (Nov 17, 2013)

just cut the rockers from 1x8s, about 2 and a half wide and bend a stick to get a good arc on it like someone else said, I think I have my rocker pattern handy from when I made those before, they have a 1x1 inch grid it might help, ill see if I got it handy and take a pic and upload it, and edit it into this post

edit: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/loganadam/IMG_20140324_001450_zps0871bb50.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/loganadam/IMG_20140324_001433_zpsdaf52150.jpg
let me know if this helps.


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## geltz61 (May 2, 2013)

Okay, here's how I made my rocking horses. To copy the arc measure out on the floor and mark the 3 dimensions from the drawing. Put a pencil on a string and have someone hold the string on the floor and keep unwinding it til you get the arc length to rotate to all 3 points. Then you do what you want for stops or design. Hope this helps and is not confusing.


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## Rob_H (Mar 17, 2014)

Thanks for everyone comments, I'm halfway through building a second pair of rockers and so far the one I've built looks like it'll work a lot better than my first attempt.


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