PDA

View Full Version : Krackles



Charleville
12th December 2008, 02:46 PM
Here is my finished version of Krackles, the toddlers' rocking horse, which is a pattern from http://www.woodcraftplans.com/wmkra.htm


http://img.skitch.com/20081212-qd625xa6f6hrmpg5ca3wbw5sg4.preview.jpg (http://skitch.com/charleville2/6jbb/skitched-717)
Click for full size (http://skitch.com/charleville2/6jbb/skitched-717) - Uploaded with plasq (http://plasq.com)'s Skitch (http://skitch.com)


http://img.skitch.com/20081212-8s9tk2bggntqg1ds6yf96nufck.preview.jpg (http://skitch.com/charleville2/6jy6/skitched-718)
Click for full size (http://skitch.com/charleville2/6jy6/skitched-718) - Uploaded with plasq (http://plasq.com)'s Skitch (http://skitch.com)


http://img.skitch.com/20081212-873su4qdku2tfqwjqmdxe7kk17.preview.jpg (http://skitch.com/charleville2/6jy7/page-1)
Click for full size (http://skitch.com/charleville2/6jy7/page-1) - Uploaded with plasq (http://plasq.com)'s Skitch (http://skitch.com)


This was a learning curve project for me as, along the way, I acquired a bandsaw, drill press, pneumatic sanding drum and a bunch of other new tools with which to make a start into doing a little woodwork alongside my other regular recreational hobbies such as fishin'. (The weather has not been so great for fishin' lately.)

Anyway, the major parts of the horse were made from construction grade 40 mm thick pine which is that pink painted stuff which is comprised of finger jointed small pieces of wood. I used that stuff because when I went calling on timber yards for 31 mm thick pine in the late morning on Melbourne Cup day, I discovered that they were all closing down for their Melbourne Cup Day lunches even though it is not a public holiday here in Brisbane. Bugga 'em! So I just took my trailer to Bunnings and got the thicker finger jointed stuff.

The downside of using that material, of course, is that when the pink paint is sanded off, the finger joints can be seen here and there but it is not too bad as the outer layers of the horse use 19 mm pine which covers up most of the finger joints.

The other downside is that had I followed the plans exactly, the horse would have been excessively wide for a little kiddie and so I have used thinner material in the body overlays which still gives me the body width that is OK but then makes the legs look really chunky - which is an effect that I rather like. Us guys with big legs have gotta stick together! :D


To make the horse, I made a quick and dirty router table for my old router (ie a scrap bit of melamine coated chipboard between two saw horses) and using the bandsaw and palm belt sander, I made some templates from the plans out of scrap MDF. That was a smart thing to do as machining thin MDF to a pattern is a lot easier to do accurately than thick wood and by use of a long flush trimming router bit, it was pretty easy make multiple parts accurately and quickly.

There were lots of lessons for a mug beginner to learn, especially about finishing and painting - eg, I painted the green rockers in the shade in my garage and then in the intense heat of a very hot day, I thought that I would harden the paint by putting them in the sun before they had dried. The outcome was that the paint blistered and I had big bubbles all over the edges facing the sun. Damn! :no:

The original design entailed having a wooden mane but I always think that wooden manes on rocking horses look a bit harsh and are not much fun for little grand-daughters to pat so I substituted some furry material secured to the neck and head with double sided tape. Seems to work OK.

The saddle is made from Tasmanian Oak, with clear Estapol. The outer nose overlay is also Tasmanian Oak but stained in American Redwood and likewise for the centre pine parts of the nose. By repeated staining of the pine on the nose, a color was reached that made the whole nose reasonably homogeneous in colour despite being a mix of pine and Tasmanian Oak. Of course, by having soft pine alongside the harder Tassy Oak, when it came to sanding, the pine sanded faster than the Oak and so some very slight demarkation lines have appeared between the woods but what the heck, I am just a learner.

I drilled big holes in the head and neck main frame so as to stop the horse being too front heavy. He has a very big head and I thought that there might be a tendency for the horse to tilt excessively forward if I did not do something about taking out some of that weight. So it is true that Krackles is an airhead. :D

http://img.skitch.com/20081212-ebxr72jr3hbu7kbeghetuafux4.preview.jpg (http://skitch.com/charleville2/6jrc/skitched-20081212-140256)
Click for full size (http://skitch.com/charleville2/6jrc/skitched-20081212-140256) - Uploaded with plasq (http://plasq.com)'s Skitch (http://skitch.com)


I think that the design is great because it is such a fun animal to look at but I would choose to take some short-cuts with the component pieces if I were doing it again. The designer has used multiple pieces to do what a couple of long pieces would have easily done a lot more accurately and quickly.

Nonetheless, it has been a project which I have enjoyed immensely. Gotta watch him though - he likes to lurk in the dark in my garage ...

http://img.skitch.com/20081212-xue3py55yrxm2kwb5cidesxayx.preview.jpg (http://skitch.com/charleville2/6jr4/skitched-720-2)
Click for full size (http://skitch.com/charleville2/6jr4/skitched-720-2) - Uploaded with plasq (http://plasq.com)'s Skitch (http://skitch.com)

Skew ChiDAMN!!
12th December 2008, 03:44 PM
I drilled big holes in the head and neck main frame so as to stop the horse being too front heavy. He has a very big head and I thought that there might be a tendency for the horse to tilt excessively forward if I did not do something about taking out some of that weight. So it is true that Krackles is an airhead. :D

Still looks a little head-heavy (going by the way it tilts forward in most pix) although in the final silhouette he seems to sit square. Chocked for that one? :;

Great job, you should be proud of yerself. I reckon the changes you've made (thinner body, furry mane, etc.) are all for the better and the kids will love him. :2tsup:

Charleville
12th December 2008, 03:56 PM
Still looks a little head-heavy (going by the way it tilts forward in most pix) although in the final silhouette he seems to sit square. Chocked for that one? :;


Yup. Chocked him a bit with a pencil. I have noticed in every picture of a Krackles elsewhere on the web that he is head heavy. http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=84375


However, I shall see if I need to make adjustments once the weight of a little kid is applied to the saddle. He sits quiet forward on the rockers so that his thick tail can also be screwed to the last slat but if the forward bias is too much, I might shift him back until I reach a level equilibrium.

Thanks for the supportive comments. :)

Ruddy
12th December 2008, 06:55 PM
Wow....very impressive and a great post. The kids will love that. The fringe benefit of gaining a band saw, drill press, pneumatic drum sander.....etc etc.....Now that gives me an idea.....:yippee::yippee:

Ruddy

keju
12th December 2008, 08:36 PM
If this is what you come up with as a "learner" I can't wait to see what you'll do 6 months from now!
I love that you made changes to the design, it's what makes things really special.

I'm glad you left the horse in natural wood tones, I usually don't like putting paint on wood... but the green rockers make it pop a bit and kids do love colour. This will surly become a treasured family heirloom!

Juvy

Charleville
12th December 2008, 11:04 PM
Thanks for the nice comments, fellas.

I have been learning watching lots of online video podcasts, especially the lectures in the auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa which are really awesome for the mug beginner. http://www.woodworkingonline.com/


Of course, I watch all of Stu's Shed Vodcasts as well and some of the others but there is just so much basic tuition to be found in the woodworkingonline videos. I watch them several times over and especially like those related to bandsaws and routers but there are also interesting ones on topics like finishing which opened my eyes to all sorts of things.

I would give myself seven out of ten for my rocking horse but I would be an easy marker if I were a teacher. :D nonetheless, I am happy with the final product.

I never did any serious woodwork after a little bit in my last year in primary school and I have to admit that when I did it then I was in that half of the class that made the top half possible. :D

However, we did not have things like routers and bandsaws way back then. We did have chisels though and I have been thinking about buying myself a good set of chisels for Christmas and maybe making a mallet out of an old hardwood fence post. 'tis nice to have a hobby even though I am as slow as buggery with it.

artme
14th December 2008, 06:35 AM
Bloody marvelous!! :2tsup::2tsup::2tsup: