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How to make a rocking chair from plywood with your own hands - drawings and assembly instructions attached

A comfortable and beautiful wooden rocking chair in the store is not cheap. However, you don’t have to buy such furniture, because everything can be done with your own hands. Read in this article about how to make a reliable and reliable one from plywood yourself. inexpensive furniture for a comfortable stay.

Advantages of a homemade plywood rocking chair

Using plywood as the main material for furniture assembly guarantees the following advantages:

• Manufacturing furniture with curved shapes. Plywood, unlike solid wood, can be bent into different directions, giving products complex curvilinear shapes.
• Ease of production. You can make most plywood furniture yourself using available tools from a home workshop.
• Affordable price. Finished products will cost less than similar, but solid wood products.
• Great appearance . Plywood is glued from veneer with a solid pattern, and therefore the finished furniture looks no worse, and sometimes even better, than similar products, entirely made of wood.
• Strength and durability. Due to the special arrangement of veneer in the board, plywood demonstrates higher fracture strength in comparison with similar indicators of solid wood.
• Environmental Safety. Multilayer plywood is a product made from natural raw materials - wood, and therefore this material is safe for humans.

Types of rocking chairs

What kind of chairs can be made from multi-layer plywood? There are many options, let’s consider only the most interesting.

How it swings

From the review it is clear that in terms of design, all rocking chairs come in 3 types, namely, models with bent runners, models with a pendulum and hanging models. But regardless of the modification, the principle of swinging of all rocking chairs is pendulum.

The seat in all of the listed models moves due to a forced shift of the center of gravity relative to its original position. Subsequent displacements occur by inertia. As it swings, the inertia weakens and the pendulum stops until you set it in motion again.

Drawings of a plywood rocking chair

Choosing a chair model for self-assembly, we give preference to those drawings that will be easier to translate into reality. I offer several such drawings.

Model on the drawing upholstered furniture, assembled on solid sidewalls, cut in the shape of curved runners, turning into armrests. To connect the sidewalls, you can use transverse inserts made of plywood or planed boards.

The supporting frame of this chair is assembled from plywood parts. There are cross slats on top of the frame. Bottom part the sidewalls are reinforced with a bent strip of runners. This design will be an excellent element of the surroundings country terrace or personal plot.

Puzzle Rocker translated from English means “rocking chair assembled from mosaic fragments.” 4 fragments shown in the diagram are cut from multilayer plywood. Then these fragments are put together without the use of fasteners and the chair is ready. If necessary, the rocking chair is easy to disassemble.

Design requirements and dimensions

The dimensions of plywood furniture are selected so that the overall dimensions correspond to the thickness of the material used. That is, the larger the chair, the thicker the plate from which the parts will be cut should be. The preferred option for any chairs is plywood with a thickness of 25 mm or more.

What you need for work

Most important tool for working with plywood - this is a jigsaw that will ensure sufficient accuracy of the cut

Required materials and tools:

• Multilayer plywood - thickness 30 mm.
• Fasteners, wood screws and other hardware for furniture assembly.
• Wood glue.
• Paints and varnishes for decorative and protective finishing of furniture.
• Jigsaw.
• Screwdriver with a set of drills and bits.
• Wood clamps.
• Sander or hand grater with replaceable sandpaper.

The process of creating a chair

Making furniture from plywood is not much different from making chairs from other board materials. The process is gradual and all stages are performed in the following sequence:

• Cutting the material in accordance with the selected drawing.
• Preparation of parts - chamfering, drilling holes, forming grooves, etc.
• Furniture assembly.
• Finishing, including sanding and paint treatment.

Let's consider the above points in more detail.

If the material is purchased for subsequent painting, simply select a sheet required thickness, without paying attention to the texture of the fibers. If ready-made furniture It is supposed to be varnished after the assembly is completed, so we don’t skimp and buy the plywood that initially looks good.

We try to purchase material that has been stored correctly - we're talking about about humidity and the absence of leaf curvature. The purchased material must be smooth and dry. Pay attention to the cut line; all layers must be tightly glued together without peeling.

Preparation of plywood and general rules for working with it

Plywood is a board glued together from sheets of natural wood veneer. On the one hand, the layered structure of the material simplifies the work, since plywood can be bent.

On the other hand, this feature makes sawing difficult, since an incorrectly selected tool and unprofessional cutting lead to the veneer layers cracking and crumbling along the cutting line of the slab. That is why, when assembling furniture from multi-layer plywood, we follow the instructions and recommendations proposed in this article.

How to prepare material for subsequent sawing? You don't need to do anything special, just make sure the slab is dry enough and doesn't have any curvature. If there is curvature, lay the plywood on the bars so that the sheet bends in the direction opposite to the curvature.

Making patterns and transferring drawings

Once we have decided on the choice of drawing, all that remains is to mark the slab in accordance with it. That is, you need to transfer the drawing to plywood, while increasing the scale of the image to natural size. If the design of the furniture to be assembled does not have complex shapes, the drawing from the paper is transferred along a ruler and square.

If you plan to make furniture with complex shapes, for every detail from thick paper or cardboard, cut out patterns (templates), which are subsequently traced on a sheet of plywood.

Sawing plywood into parts

For curved cutting, it is preferable to use a jigsaw, since the tool is accessible. If possible, the blanks are cut into band saw, provided that a fine tooth blade is used.

Assembly of the structure

The chair is assembled in accordance with the drawing. The strength of the finished product largely depends on the choice of fastening hardware. To achieve maximum reliability, we use self-tapping screws only in unloaded connections. In areas with high degree loads, we use fasteners consisting of bolts and nuts.

Advantage bolted connection when assembling furniture, the nuts can be tightened as they are used and thus eliminate play and squeaking.

Final balancing

How to balance the runners for smooth rocking? Make sure there are no protrusions or flat areas on the runners that could prevent them from swinging. If there are such areas, round them using a sander and sandpaper.

In addition, to ensure smooth rocking without jamming, use the chair on flat, hard surfaces. If the furniture is to be used personal plot, it is preferable to make the runners wide so that they do not press into the ground.

How to bend plywood for a rocking chair

How to make curved parts from plywood without cutting out their outline from a single sheet, but by bending strips along a given radius?

Illustrations	How to bend
	Steaming and bending. This classic method, in which the part is soaked in boiling water, and then molded and fixed according to a template. After drying, the workpiece retains the specified radius. The method is relevant for thin plywood.
	Cutting and bending. By inside of the intended bend, cuts are made to ¾ of the thickness of the sheet. After this, the workpiece bends. To fix the radius, glue is poured into the cavity of the cuts and a strip of veneer is glued over the cuts. This method is preferred for materials with a thickness greater than 25 mm.

How to make chair covers

Right assembled furniture It looks good on its own, but soft padding will make it more comfortable. The simplest option is to make pads in the shape of the seat and back with ribbon ties. You can sew such overlays yourself, or you can buy them ready-made.

DIY collapsible chair

Let's sum it up

Now you know how to make a plywood rocking chair yourself. If, after watching the video on choosing a design and assembling furniture, you still have questions, ask them in the comments to the article.

If you want to express gratitude, add a clarification or objection, or ask the author something - add a comment or say thank you!

Some pieces of furniture can hardly be called necessary. But after a rocking chair made by yourself appears in the house, the inhabitants will be surprised how they could manage without such a pleasant device before.

Rocking chairs are made both from modern available materials: plastic, cardboard, and from traditional ones - wood, rattan, metal. Giving preference to metal corrugated pipes (i.e. steel pipes with oval, round or rectangular shape section), the master receives a product that has a number of advantages. Furniture made from such raw materials is lighter, stronger and, as a rule, inexpensive. After all, to create furnishings, remnants of materials that remain after other work are often used.

Simple rocking chair from the designer

This master class is for those who know how to weld metal. Minimalism has been in fashion for a long time. Try making a simple yet distinctive rocking chair. Pay attention to the work of Belgian designer Muller Vann Severen. His works are distinguished by geometry, simplicity and functionality.

The frame of the rocking chair is made of steel tube, and thick textiles are used for the seat. The choice of color is limited only by your imagination. Such furniture can be placed in an ultra-modern apartment, put on a loggia, or create a comfortable corner for relaxation near a country house.

Prepare materials for work

First of all, you should prepare existing or specially purchase metal pipes that will become the base of the rocking chair. A round or oval profile with a diameter of at least 2 cm is best suited. In addition, you will need a piece of durable (preferably with a high cotton content) material 120x130 cm in order to sew the sling seat. You should also have on hand:

• Metal welding machine.
• Eye and hand protection.
• Grinder with cutting and grinding attachments.
• Bending device metal pipes(pipe bender).
• Primer for metal.
• Paint (color of your choice) on metal.
• Magnetic angle for welding.
• Tape measure, pencil.
• Sewing machine.

Before you start creating a chair, you will need to select or cut the necessary blanks from the pipe:

• 4 parts (A) 65 cm long;
• 2 elements (B) 26.8 cm each;
• 2 parts (C) 86.7 cm long;
• 2 elements (D) each 60 cm;
• 2 parts (E) 89.6 cm each.

Scheme with letter designations details will help to imagine the design and method of arrangement of all workpieces.

If necessary, you can change the given size of the chair to your own, proportionally increasing/decreasing all parameters. Be careful when creating a product bigger size, choose a profile pipe of a larger diameter so that the base can withstand a greater load.

Description of work

1. Prepare the ends of the steel pieces so that they fit snugly together when joined. Using a grinder and a sanding attachment, make rounded notches in the indicated places:

• on steel rods A, cut and sand both ends;
• on parts B, make notches on one side only;
• On each rod C, sand one end in this manner.

Attention! When welding parts, be sure to place them on flat surface(on big table or on the floor) to avoid misalignment of connections.

1. As indicated in the photo below, assemble the side parts of the chair first. Using a magnetic welding square, make sure all parts are 90 degrees to each other. When welding, so that the angle is not broken, you can also use any cinder block.
2. When the two sides are completely ready, attach two front and two back parts A to them.
3. Now you should give desired bend chair runner parts (E). If you have a pipe bender at your disposal, then the task seems simple. In case special equipment no, find a suitable device. You can find some clever ideas online. For example, the solution could be a forked tree trunk and an additional metal rod (thin and solid, not a pipe). Place the rod between the trunks, put the part on it, slowly pressing on the free end of the pipe, give it shape. Do the work carefully, the bend of both parts should be as similar as possible.
4. Solder the ends of the curved pieces (E) to the chair legs. That's it the hard part work is completed.
5. Use a grinder with a sanding attachment to clean the joints so that the joints are neat, smooth, and without dangerous sharp edges.
6. Clean the frame with a sponge soaked in soapy water.

For further processing, it would be good to hang the frame, then all metal parts will be processed equally.

1. First, cover a clean, dry frame with two or three coats of primer. Each subsequent layer should be applied only after 24 hours when the previous one has completely dried.
2. If desired, paint the metal base with the paint color of your choice or cover it with 1-2 layers of matte varnish.

Entrust the manufacture of the cover to a person who knows how to work on sewing machine. Instead of new fabric you can take an old blanket, then the fabric does not have to be folded in half.

1. Fold a piece of prepared fabric 120 cm wide and about 130 cm long to form a rectangle 60x130 cm. Sew the two long sides to make a sleeve. Turn it inside out. Fold the edges of the sleeve inward and sew them up as well. Such careful work will extend the life of the fabric part of the rocking chair.
2. If you can position the product as shown in the photo, machine sew the chair onto the frame. Otherwise, try to do this work manually as efficiently as possible.

That's all, your rocking chair made from pipes with your own hands turned out to be no worse than a designer one.

Chair made of polypropylene pipes

A rocking chair is easy to build from polypropylene pipes small diameter. If you pick everything up necessary details, then the work will not take too much time.

Materials and tools

To assemble the chair you will need:

• Polypropylene pipe with a diameter of 25 mm for load-bearing parts.
• Polypropylene pipe with a diameter of 20 mm for transverse elements.
• Drill with a thick drill bit.
• Apparatus for welding polypropylene pipes.
• Metal reinforcement with a cross-section of about 14-16 mm will be located inside the entire structure, giving it stability and rigidity.
• 8 fittings for triple connection of pipes of suitable diameter.
• 2 fittings for corner connection at 90 degrees.
• 6 fittings for 45 degree corner connection.
• Sand or construction hair dryer and a plug for a pipe with a diameter of 2 cm.
• Tape measure, pencil.

Cut a pipe with a diameter of 2.5 cm into pieces (2 identical) of each size:

• 5 cm – lower parts of the side support;
• 40 cm – parts of the side support;
• 51 cm – parts of the side support;
• 62 cm – parts of the side support;
• 18 cm – upper parts of the side support;
• 22 cm – parts of the side support that need to be given rounded shape;
• 220 cm - runners that need to be given a rounded shape.

From a pipe with a cross-section of 2 cm, prepare 18 blanks 60-65 cm long for the cross bars.

Description of work

1. First of all, it is necessary to give the runners and the upper parts of the base a rounded shape. When doing this work, you should try to make paired parts as similar as possible.

A plastic pipe can be given any shape by heating the bend. But when heated, the plastic releases toxic substances. Most in safe ways is the use of a special hair dryer or hot sand. Heat the sand in the oven to 95-130 degrees. Close one end of the pipe with a plug. Using a metal funnel, fill the tube with sand. Give the required form, leave to cool.

When performing work involving heating plastic, use respiratory protection and stay in a ventilated area!

1. Assemble the side parts of the chair, placing it inside metal fittings. The assembly procedure is shown in the diagram below.
2. On both parts, make markings for the crossbars.
3. Drill holes up to 2 cm in diameter in these places.
4. Place the reinforcement in the cross members so that the ends protrude 3-4 cm.
5. Having placed the ends of the reinforcement in the holes, attach the transverse parts and solder them using special equipment.
6. Insert the ends of large arcs into the outer tees and solder them.
7. Use the remains of the pipe to make additional reinforcements for the chair. Using a tape measure, determine the required length of the parts. Cut them off. Weld one end of each to the tee, the other to the arc.

All that remains is to sew a cover on the foam mattress and place it, securing it to the frame with ribbon ties.

Many of us are familiar with such a piece of furniture as a rocking chair, which can be found in many country houses. For most, it is one of their favorite places to relax, but not everyone knows that anyone can make such a chair. However, first you need to acquire certain knowledge, skills and prepare a tool.

IN last years The rocking chair has become a fairly common piece of furniture. There are many in stock furniture companies you can find a large number of models of rocking chairs designed for use in apartments and offices. Moreover, among them there are models made in classic version by weaving method, as well as modern products that fully satisfy the requirements of high-tech style.

Advantages of a wooden chair

Before you start manufacturing, you need to decide what material to use as a base. Although there are many options, the most common one is the wooden chair. Therefore further Let's list the advantages which this material has:

• environmental Safety. Wooden furniture has been very popular among consumers for many years, which has provided it with such qualities as natural origin, safety and hypoallergenicity. Therefore, owners of wooden chairs do not encounter any inconvenience when using it, since they are confident in the environmental friendliness of this material;
• strength and long service life. The tree is enough durable material, which was passed on to the furniture made from it. In addition, it perfectly withstands mechanical stress and demonstrates a long service life;
• attractive appearance and variety of shapes.

Rattan rocking chair

We repeat that rocking chairs today offered in large quantities the most various options. One of these products is a rattan rocking chair, which not only has a pleasant design, but can also harmonize perfectly with other elements of the cottage interior. The homeland of rattan is South America, and this plant itself is often called a flexible vine.

Among the features of this material, it should be noted its high strength, which it is capable of compete with willow twigs.

The technology for making chairs from this culture is characterized by the fact that instead of traditional connections based on screws and bolts, glue and skillful knitting are used. Alas, in our country it is impossible to buy this tree, so most owners country dachas It will not be possible to make such a chair with your own hands.

Wicker rocking chair

A photo of the options available today for this piece of furniture allows us to judge that a wicker rocking chair is quite in demand today. It can be found in dachas and even in apartments in many regions of our country. The material used for it is willow vine, and itself ready chair fits well into the interior garden house, cottages and even garden greenery. Consumer rocking chair from willow vine attracts primarily because of its low weight and high strength. However, such furniture has one serious drawback: excess humidity has a negative effect on the material, so it is not recommended to keep such chairs outdoors in wet weather.

Materials for manufacturing

Regardless of what type of wood you decide to use to make a wicker chair, you must have certain skills. Wood is accessible and easy to process, so many owners who are thinking about making a rocking chair with their own hands most often consider the option of using wood as the basis for it. But first it is necessary prepare certain tools for making furniture:

• electric jigsaw with a set of blades;
• disc sander with a set of coarse and fine-grained attachments;
• screwdriver with drills;
• tape measure and angle with ruler;
• hammer and spatula;
• brush and pencil.

Execution of the drawing

Even before you start work, you should take into account that to make a high-quality rocking chair with your own hands, a drawing is required.

Having a sketch in hand, you can avoid serious errors regarding the dimensions of the product and correctly determine the quantity of materials that you will need for manufacturing.

First you need to take metal mesh, each cell of which corresponds to 1 cm, and mark a template for the side of the chair on it. To make it more convenient to work further, it is recommended to transfer the created chair template onto plain paper. This will make it easier for you to mark the outline of the chair on the plywood itself. Don't worry if there are minor errors. Here it is important to maintain the symmetry of the sidewalls and avoid protruding corner elements on the outer rolling part.

To complete this work we will need plywood 3 cm thick, from which three drawers are cut dimensions 120 x 800 mm. Sidewalls are manufactured using electric jigsaw exactly according to the pattern. After this, you need to take a beam 50 mm wide and 25 mm thick and cut out 35 fragments from it, the length of each of which should be 120 cm. The finished beams will subsequently serve as a seat and backrest.

Try to purchase enough timber at the very beginning to minimize waste. This will be quite easy to do, given that you will be able to calculate the total length of the beam before purchasing. Let's say, if it has a length of 2.3 m, then it is better to make the chair narrower. As a result, its width will decrease to 115 cm, however, this will allow you to avoid waste. The given dimensions of the rocking chair do not require their exact observance. Therefore, if during the work it becomes clear to you that it would be better to increase or decrease the size to minimize waste, then you can do it without fear.

Workpiece processing

Surface treatment of workpieces is carried out using grinder. When performing an operation, it is necessary Special attention give them to the ends. If during work wood fibers appear on them, then you need to use a hammer and level them, and then treat them with hot drying oil. This way you will make the ends of your furniture more resistant to moisture, which will have a positive effect on its service life. When the drying oil dries, it is necessary to re-process it to consolidate the result.

The chair is assembled based on the drawing of the rocking chair. Need to fasten two sides, drawers are used. But first you need to mark the places where they will connect.

According to common schemes for making rocking chairs, it is recommended to fix them in the head area, in the middle and in the legs. When you have to attach the tension strips to the sidewall, use confirmat for this. This name is given to a special screw tie with which the wood materials. First, before fastening, it is necessary to create 8 mm holes in the sidewall and 5 mm in the end of the drawer.

Next, we begin work on creating the seat and attaching it to the base. Take earlier prepared 35 pieces of timber, in which you need to make four holes for two on each side. After this, the bars must be fixed to the sidewalls. Considering the number of holes present, it is recommended to fix the bars using 3 or 4 mm self-tapping screws. When attaching the boards, constantly check that they are installed horizontally.

Processing of the finished product

If we turn to the experience of ordinary owners making rocking chairs from wood and plywood with their own hands, we can identify a number of serious mistakes, admitted after assembly. Among them, I would especially like to focus on low-quality finishing or its absence. To do everything correctly and ensure the chair has the longest possible service life, you need to do the following:

• treat the hole above the screws with putty;
• cover with a layer of antiseptic;
• Apply waterproof varnish in two or three layers.

If you carry out all the work described above exactly, you can be sure that a rocking chair made by yourself will be able to please you for many years.

If you are going to start making a rocking chair with your own hands for the first time, then it will be useful for you read the recommendations experienced craftsmen who have performed this work more than once:

Other types

One of the varieties of this piece of furniture is wooden Baby chair . It is made according to the same scheme as described above, but you need to adjust the size to the age of the child. This also applies to the tilt of the backrest and arms. Quite often, children's chairs are made in the shape of a horse.

Of particular interest is the rocking chair for the office. The peculiarity of its production is that leather is used for cladding, as a result of which the product acquires a respectable and solid appearance. Having such a chair at hand, a person will have the opportunity to relax and unwind during the working day.

Conclusion

Although furniture manufacturing offers enough big choice furniture, one of the things desired by many cottage owners is a rocking chair. Having settled down in it, you can relax and allow yourself to forget about everyday affairs for a while.

Moreover, in order to personal experience To feel all the benefits of having such a piece of furniture, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on buying a rocking chair. You can always make it yourself. Considering that for this you can use available materials and tools, this task can be completed by anyone who has at least once held a hammer and saw in their hands. There are many ready-made ones on the Internet manufacturing plans for similar furniture, therefore, if you strictly follow the rocking chair manufacturing technology, you can create a fairly elegant and reliable product that can serve you for many years.

There are many models available on the Internet and in various stores. various chairs this type - their color, material and style are different and successfully combined in such a way that everyone can choose for themselves successful model, which will satisfy him in all respects.

It’s not difficult to create a rocking chair out of wood with your own hands. It takes effort and skill to ensure that your homemade rocking chair will delight your entire family in their relaxing corner.

Scroll necessary materials and tools for a rocking chair cannot be limited due to the fact that the choice of frame, backing options and some other little things are different. But there is mandatory list necessary tools:

• hammer;
• screws and screwdriver;
• pencil for marking and brushes for painting;
• jigsaw and files (in case of using a wooden frame);
• level (a successful option would be right angle with a long ruler and a built-in level - these can be found in specialized stores).

Step-by-step instructions for creating

Option one - standard wooden rocking chair

A wooden frame is the most common in creating such projects - it is reliable, practical and easy to process.

When creating a rocking chair with your own hands, the drawings are important element for subsequent project development.

A rocking chair made of wood is durable, environmentally friendly and attractive

In the case of using wood as the main material, you can find many options for templates and drawings with detailed explanations and calculations of small details.

To create such a chair, you need to use a jigsaw and a sander to cut out the parts for the chair.

In the future, you can simply lay a blanket on the chair, or attach sewn pillows - this will add originality and uniqueness to your rocking chair.

The second option is the atmosphere of nature

Using wood as a frame, you can also use small branches as “upholstery”. They can be collected in the forest in April or October.

Having made all the wooden parts and fastened them together, you need to carefully place all the collected branches into the empty space.

Such a system can be connected and strengthened using glue or liquid nails.

It is important to remember that it is necessary to fill all the space allocated for the branches - if there are large gaps in the structure, it may break.

The third option is an eternal classic

The most popular material in creating a rocking chair is plywood.

Cut two side panels in the shape of a boomerang from a sheet of plywood

It is necessary to cut a number of narrow long strips of plywood and nail them to the two base parts on which the chair will roll.

Regarding the distance between the “strips”, it is customary to use the rule of the golden mean - the elements should not be close to each other, but a large gap between each element is undesirable.

Do not skimp on screws or other material with which you nail the plywood to the base - it should be nailed in two places on each side, for a total of four attachment points.

The shape of a plywood swing chair can vary, the decor depends on your imagination

The fourth option is part of the soul

Having asked the question of how to make a rocking chair with your own hands, a person wants to make a unique, unique project.

You can make the parts on which the chair will swing from wood, support system- from metal frame. The seat itself is made of wool - knitted.

The pattern and technique of embroidery can be different, the main thing is to accurately measure the space for embroidery and leave loops for attaching to the frame.

Such a chair will look natural both at home and on the street - you will really put your soul into it.

These are just a few of the many types of chairs that exist. I would like to note that under seat there may be, for example, a place for your animal. Complement the rocking chair made with my own hands, you can use any elements - it all depends on the person’s imagination and priorities.

A successful invention for those who value the opportunity to relax and unwind without leaving home is a rocking chair. And if you put it in the garden, you can enjoy it twice as much.

The traditional material for such chairs is willow and its analogue, rattan. Products made from this material weigh little, are distinguished by elegant lines and a respectable price.

Modern materials can also be used in the manufacture of wicker chairs - there are options made from synthetic wicker. They are no worse than natural ones, are not at all afraid of moisture and have very long term services.

Metal chairs, despite the reliability and plasticity of the material, are too heavy. A wrought iron chair will look great in the garden, but you will have to make a platform for it. In addition, working with metal requires certain skills, a beginner metal chair difficult to do.

Rocking chair made from pipe scraps

Rocking chair made of metal profile

Plastic chairs are affordable and attractive in appearance. To these advantages we can add resistance to wet weather, durability, and bright, non-fading color. In addition, they do not have to be repainted or processed.

For self-made Wood is best suited - an inexpensive, easy-to-work material. Upon completion of work wooden chair You can give it any color or keep its texture. For those who are thinking about making their own furniture for the first time, wood is best suited.

There are many models for home craftsmen, the simplest ones are presented below.

When designing a homemade rocking chair, the main thing is that it does not tip over when the sitter leans back. It is also important that the rocking process itself, for which the chair was made, does not force the person to strain too much.

Types of rocking chairs

The simplest type is chairs built according to the radius principle. These are the most affordable products for self-production; they are distinguished by the simplicity of manufacturing technology and design. The model presented below has a somewhat heavy and awkward appearance; this chair is suitable for the garden.

Chairs of this type are designed with a fairly low seating position, which ensures smooth rocking and safety for the seated person. If the seat is installed at a normal height, then the chair runners are equipped with bumpers - limiters of the swing amplitude. To get up from such a chair, you need to make a physical effort. And the swing itself requires some tension.

Much more stable than chairs on runners of variable curvature; they do not tip over.

Nirvana chairs are very comfortable; if you lean forward a little, it will gently “land” a person on his feet. Rockers on elliptical runners, despite their comfort, can tip over, so they are equipped with bump stops; the front one usually serves as a footrest.

There is no possibility of tipping over when rocking on reclining chairs with awnings or on elliptical runners.

Where to begin

Below is a rocking chair for the garden, which even a beginner can make with some effort. On
You can try your hand at such a model before moving on to a complex home version.

In any case, the drawing should be as simple as possible so that it can be reproduced even without much experience.

This compact chair will look great in the garden and can be placed at home without taking up much space. This simple model will be used to describe the process.

You should start with a drawing

The drawing is made on a scale grid, on which each cell corresponds to 10 cm. All markings on the cut parts must be made in accordance with the drawing, taking into account the scale.

What can a chair be made from?

Euro plywood 3 cm thick is suitable for work.

• You need to cut out the sidewalls exactly according to the pattern, three parts for each side;
• The remaining parts are made of timber 50 mm wide and 25 mm thick. For the seat and backrest you need 35 elements made of timber, each length 120 mm;
• In order to correctly calculate how much timber you will need, you must first visit the store and see what beams are available and what their length is. Knowing the initial size of the material, it will be possible to minimize waste by varying the width of the chair;
• For example, if bars of the required thickness, 2.3 meters long, are available for sale, then you can make the chair a little narrower - cut the bars for the back and seat to 115 mm each. If the beams are slightly wider, then the chair can be made a little wider so that there are not a lot of scraps left;
• You will also need three crossbars made of timber; when making them, you should proceed from the width of the chair - that is, the length of the bars for the back and seat.

Small fluctuations in the width will not affect the stability of the chair, so you can do this without worrying about the result.

When the parts are ready

After the parts are cut, they will need to be processed. There should be no roughness on them.

In addition, carefully processed surfaces will give the product a finished look and facilitate finishing.

Surfaces are treated using grinding machine, each part must be sanded on both sides with sandpaper of different grains. If you have the skill, you can use a router attachment to soften and round the sides of each part. If this is not possible, you can simply process the cuts with a grinder or sand them manually.

Treatment with hot drying oil should be carried out in at least two layers. This is one of the most unmodern methods, but after this the product can be painted oil paint and use even outdoors, without losing its qualities and appearance.

Small parts can be dipped entirely into boiling drying oil, but you should not hold them with your hands. It's better to make improvised tongs from wooden slats. Larger parts should be generously coated with a brush, laying them out on cardboard, each side in turn, and dry the remaining parts in the same way. Working with hot drying oil requires great care; this should be kept in mind during the impregnation process. You must not bend over a container with a boiling substance; you must wear thick work gloves.

Alternatively, the parts can be treated with antiseptics, stains, and other impregnations, of which there are a great variety in stores. They should be selected based on the intended purpose of the item: where it will be used.

At the end of the work, you can go through it with fine sandpaper again by hand, bringing it to complete smoothness.

Assembly

• Be sure to mark the connection points cross beams– these places are marked on the drawing; their location on the finished parts should be calculated based on the scale grid step.
• Having assembled the sides, you can begin to attach the seat and back parts. The back will be attached to the stand, the seat to the drawers.

We need to pay attention to this again. that the drawers must be fixed strictly symmetrically, and the assembled side parts, if placed on top of each other, must completely coincide, without the slightest deviation.

• Now the side parts are fastened together by crossbars; they should be attached at the legs, in the middle and at the top of the chair. For attachment, it is better to use confirmats (a type of connecting fastener);
• To attach the back and seat parts, four holes should be drilled in each block, two on each side. To ensure that the heads of the screws are not visible, each hole must be slightly widened from above with a drill of a larger diameter (it must be selected according to the diameter of the heads). When screwed on, the caps will end up in recesses, which can then be masked with furniture putty.

Such careful completion of the first part of the work will ensure the fulfillment of the following indispensable condition - all parts of the seat and back, all 35 bars must be positioned strictly horizontally.

Final processing

After assembly, the product must be processed again to give it a finished look. In addition, this will significantly extend its service life and maintain its aesthetic appearance.

If the parts were treated with drying oil, then after assembly the chair should be coated with oil paint, thin layers in two or three layers.

If you want the product to have the natural texture of wood, it should be treated with stain of the desired shade and varnished.

The varnish should be waterproof, just like the stain. There are varnishes that create special durable coating resistant to abrasion and cracking. If the chair will be placed outside, it is better to take yacht varnish or something else with increased durability. In any case, it is better to keep the product under a canopy, this will extend its functionality, or at least bring it into the house during precipitation.

• For the chair you need to use strong types of wood. These are oak, larch, conifers;
• Europlywood, a 3 cm thick laminated wood material, also has sufficient strength to make the chair reliable;
• Sheets of plywood must be carefully inspected before purchasing to ensure there are no surface damage or cracks. This will eliminate difficulties when cutting the product and its subsequent processing;
• The more time is spent on processing the product and impregnating it with drying oil or compounds, the longer its service life will be;
• The chair does not need to be upholstered with foam rubber and dense fabrics, this will contribute to the accumulation of moisture under the upholstery, which will quickly render it unusable. It is better to get removable pillows for the seat and backrest;
• If ready product It leans too far back or, conversely, is oriented forward; after finishing the work, it will have to be balanced. To do this, an additional cross member is installed at the rear ends of the sidewalls. Previously, recesses are cut into it, where weights are attached according to the inclination. Also, if necessary, the front part of the chair is loaded. By adding and subtracting them, trying to sit and rock in a chair, you can achieve the ideal balance of the product.

Making a rocking chair is a rather complicated process, but quite doable. If you carry out all the steps correctly and carefully, following the drawing and tips outlined in the article, the result will be a beautiful and functional product that will last a long time.

For inspiration, you can watch the video at the link below. The video contains incredibly simple models that you can make yourself, using affordable materials.