Thread: Making Rocker's Rocker

Trend Mortise & Tenon Jig – that was a waste of $500 –

You are not alone.

Originally Posted by DPB

[font=Comic Sans MS][size=3]Last week, I commenced Rocker’s Rocker. There is no doubt; this is the hardest project that I’ve undertaken.

I cut all of the pieces according to the Cut List – easy. Easy, that is, after I learnt from Rocker that the two rear legs come from one piece. Damn – had to buy more timber. I have cut the rear legs to shape on my bandsaw and cut the mortises on Rocker’s Mortising Jig. Great jig, Rocker – much easier to use than my Trend Mortise & Tenon Jig – that was a waste of $500 – hope SWAMBO doesn’t read this. So far, so good.

Don,

It looks to me as though you are making excellent progress; once you have made the back legs and side rails, the rest is pretty much all plain sailing. I think you will be doing well if you can finish in a month; there is a fair amount of time-consuming hand shaping to be done, unless you have the confidence to use an angle-grinder with sanding discs on it to speed things up.

You make it sound as if the instructions did not tell you to cut both back legs from one 2-metre board - see the comment in the list of materials. As the computer people say, you have to RTFM - read the f****** manual.

I think that once you have got your head around the angled twisted tenon on the side rail, which should be easier, now that I have posted several views of it here
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...light=TurboCAD ,
the project is not that hard; in fact, I am hoping that some of those who have just joined, or will soon be joining, the ranks of the retirees will be tempted to have a go, once you have demonstrated that it can be done Driver? Reeves? Hmm?

Rocker

I think david's rocker looks much nicer and more comfortable than Mr. Peart's. Good on ya Don for bieng the first one to start the project that everyone wants to.
-Ryan

Originally Posted by Rocker

Don,


You make it sound as if the instructions did not tell you to cut both back legs from one 2-metre board - see the comment in the list of materials.
Rocker

Sorry, David, I did not mean to cast aspersions on your instructions, it was there - I just need to learn to "read the manual" to put it a little more delicately.

Today, I cut the rebates in the side rails for the front legs - for a moment I panicked and though I had cut them on the wrong faces - but not to worry I got it right. I also planed the facit on the outside faces of these parts. It's starting to look like things will fit now.

Can you guys elaborate on the Trend Jig? No slandering of the company, just your opinions.

Originally Posted by LineLefty

Can you guys elaborate on the Trend Jig? No slandering of the company, just your opinions.

It's fiddly, requires special router bits, router template guides and router base, has small ineffective clamps, and lacks adjustability to the extent I require. I purchased the plastic template guides, but these were quickly chewed up. The brass ones are prohibitively expensive.

It is less than intuitive, requiring frequent referencing to an instruction manual, which is something I have difficulty with as already admitted in this thread.

I've only used mine three times, so perhaps more practice would have improved my skills. If you want a good price on this including the bits and pieces, send me a PM.

Also, the size of stock is quite limited. I couldn't do a lump of pine 70mm x 35mm. I built Rockers Lite morticing jig and when I get time, I'll build the all singing, all dancing one.

I expect to see it completed this Sunday !

A few hours in my shed this afternoon yielded some satisfying results.

I finished the side rails of the Rocker including the mortises for the front cross piece. The legs are notched to fit into the side rails and when all is dry fitted together, it is starting to look like a chair.

Yes, that is carpet on the floor. Sure has saved damage to dropped tools, although admittedly, it is difficult to keep clean.

Don,

It looks as though you have done a good job with the trickiest part of making the rocker - the angled twisted tenons on the rear end of the side rails. The back legs seem to be splaying evenly, even without the back rails in place.

By the way, the instructions suggest that you rout the mortices for the back-slats in the back rails by using a curved fence on the router's edge-guide. You may find it easier to rout them on the morticing jig, but you will then need to do this after you have faired the curved backs of the rails. The rail can then be clamped onto the jig with the vertical support tangent to the curved back of the rail.

Rocker

Originally Posted by Rocker

Don,

The rail can then be clamped onto the jig with the vertical support tangent to the curved back of the rail.

Rocker

David, I assume that by vertical support you mean the vertical support on the jig. And by tangent do you mean that the curved rail sits tangent to the support, i.e. the curved surface of the rail is clamped against the flat surface of the vertical support? I could use the pieces I cut off the back rail with the bandsaw as support to keep the rail steady.

Your comment?

:eek: I give you a BUNCH of credit for even considering a project like this! Looking GOOD!!!

Don,

Yes, you interpreted what I meant exactly right, but you don't really need to fiddle with curved offcuts to give support - just clamping with the jaw of the clamp opposite to the centre of the mortice that you are cutting will do fine.

PoPnBug,

You have 20 years' woodworking experience; you should have no worries about making my rocker. Have a go - you know you want to

Rocker

No, I said I'd been poking around woodworking for 20 years....

I've done little that was worth a crap!!!

My "shop" (half a townhouse basement stuffed with camping/hunting/fishing gear) is hardly recognizable at the moment!

I've promised SWMBO that if I can get that side cleared out, I'll tackle the kitchen!:eek: (I'm actually looking forward to finally making some significant dust!)