dolly rocker WIP and some advice needed

[SteveMcM]

Hi All

I thought I would share this with you.

I am making a dolly rocker for our friend's child. They (the friends) could only find crappy plastic ones.

So here goes. I copied pic 1 but made it bigger pic 2 (large favourite doll).

The only new wood I bought for the project was the dowel for the spats in the sides and some 3mm ply to make the base thicker (now about 8mm). The rails and posts are from an old futon base from the tip, the base and the rockers are from an old wardrobe with she-oak veneer. The joints are all M&T. The bottom tenons have a 45 deg trim to allow them to meet inside.

What you see is a dry fit.

I got the knobs from the specials bin at Lee Valley tools some time ago and I think they give a carnival feel.

The base is rebated in all around (by router). You can see in pic 3 how the drill bits from the recent Colt group buy cut such clean holes for the dowels.

I used this spokeshave (pic 4) from my grandfather's tools to remove a layer of ply from inside the rockers (running in the wrong direction and would have looked strange) and to shape the ends. What a tool! I was gifted with it for this job. I like the way the hand shaping reveals the ply layers in a unique pattern on each end (example pic 5).

Now for the tricky bit.

I made a strategic error and made the rockers last. I need to attach them to the posts (see pic 6). I was thinking that it would be good to through mortice them for strength. Now, when I said 'dry fit' that is not strictly true. The dowels are glued in forming four 'panels'. The posts are glued to the head and foot of the bed (if that makes sense). This means that if I stuff it up I will lose a quite a bit of time and effort (the strategic error).

So, I wonder whether the collective wisdom of the forum has any suggestions about how to get a good strong join on these rockers?

I fully expect kids to stand inside the cot and I have some concerns about the strength of the support under the base. It is a bit narrow and represents a weakness in the design. I am unsure whether to glue in the base or not.

Would it be more likely to hold if I don't glue in the base and allow it to slide over the supporting edge rather than pulling on it when it flexes?

I propose to finish the cot with wipe on poly. That is what I have used on the base. It should be pretty robust.

Thanks for any help and I hope you enjoy this piece of work. Obviously it is going to look a lot better when the whole thing has a finish on it. I am hoping that the finish won't reveal too much contrast between the wood in the dowels and the rails.

Steve

[crowie]

G'Day Steve,
I'm not sure if I am reading your question correctly, but you want to join the upright dowel into the formed rocker leg which is ply?
I'd drill a hole in the ply to accept the dowel, glue it in place then add a screw through the bottom of the ply into the dowel to secure them together.
To hide the screw laminate/glue a strip of 20mm x 3mm Tassie Oak along the bottom edge of the ply rocker leg, then when it's dry use the trim router to get the Tassie Oak flush with the outer & inner edge of the ply.
This gives a hard edge for the ply rocker leg & a strong post joint.
I hope that makes sense & it what you are asking.
Sorry if I'm up the wrong gum tree.
Cheers, crowie

[SteveMcM]

Hi Crowie

Thanks for the reply.

The upright bed post is about 19mm x19mm and I was thinking that I would mortice that into the formed ply.

I did think off using dowel to join the two.

The trick would be in aligning the two and drilling the holes straight. The bed post won't fit under my drill press (too small and crappy).

With the morticing I need to cut the tenon with curved shoulders and I was hoping for some ideas about how that might be done.

Steve

[Chipman]

A dowell sounds good.

Try doining it horizontally.

Clamp the leg piece with some packing above the bench
Use a hardwood block to make a drilling jig
Get everything lined up and then drill away with a battery or electric drill.

Sometimes with small bench drill presses you can rotate the base plate around the back and clamp it to the bench so that it lines up with the front of your bench allowing you to drill much longer pieces (I have a cheap lever one bought from Aldi that I do some of these things with)

To drill the ply straight you can use a similar system making a hardwood drilling template.

Good luck

Chipman

[mick59wests]

Stephen,
I am not knowledgeable enough to help with the questions but that is one great looking rocker. Glad to see you are trying to make it stong enough for kids to stand in. From my experience with a 3 year old grand-son I'd say make it strong enough for them to jump up and down in it!
cheers
Mick

[SteveMcM]

Thanks for the advice. There's a couple of ways of tackling it there. I'll see whether I can twist the base of the drill press. It might be easier to secure horizontally though. Ill try setting that up too and see.

The rocker is for a child with Down's syndrome and those kids can be really hard on stuff. They get strong before they will be careful. I hope the joints will hold. In hindsight perhaps I should have through morticed the whole thing. There's a lot of leverage on the sides as they are over 500mm. Once I get the rockers on I can glue it all up and put on the finish on and I am one.

Steve

[Chipman]

You are right about the way kids use them

I made some doll's beds (non rocking) and the little kids sit in it! (3yr old)

Mine are 1/4 scale (approx 50cm long 25cm wide) but the timber members are always 1/2 scale. I usually use mortice and tenon joints.

Yours are really nice by the way


Regards,

Chipman

[SteveMcM]

Thanks Chipman.

I still haven't had any views on whether to glue in the base of the cot.

Still wondering whether it would be better to leave it floating like a paneled door.

Steve

[crowie]

G'Day Steve.
For my money I'd glue & then even fix a few ribs across the base to add additional strength, if I read your concerns correctly about "child proof".
One can never do too much to add strength were children & toys are concerned.
Just my 2bobs worth,
Cheers, crowie