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11K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  rtb 
#1 ·
The SketchUp Design

Refers to project posted here.

I've been designing this for almost eight months now. I planned to complete it before I got deployed in June but I got busy with other things and wasn't able to really start on it before I left. This allowed me to spend a lot more time thinking about the design and refining it while I was in Iraq. I'm currently home for a short leave so I decided the design is locked in and I'm trying to crank this out in about four days.

My niece is going to be one at the end of January so I thought that a rocking horse would be a good project to make for her. I decided that it's much better to make toys for new kids instead of things like cribs. That way you have a lot more time after they are born to work on it. I've found that kids can go for a while without toys but they need a crib pretty quickly after they get here.



I wasn't really satisfied with making a traditional rocking horse so I wanted to make something different. I looked at rocking tractors, zoo animals, motorcycles, etc and decided those weren't right. I also looked at gliding rocking horses but I didn't like the look of all the hardware that was required. I really liked some of the push car designs I saw but I figured that cars are not really the thing for a little girl.



So I came up with the Rockin' Ride. It's a horse that you can push around and steer but it also comes with a rocking base to place it into. I figure this will allow the toy to be used for a longer time than just a rocking horse.



I'm headed back to the workshop to try to get this completed.

As always: comments, suggestions, improvements, and random jokes are appreciated.
 
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#3 ·
Interesting idea.
I have three reservations. First, based on the drawing I think the rear wheel support will need more bracing. Possibly by curving down further and extending the stretcher. Second, when in the rocker mode I would make sure both units are securely fastened together. Finally, I am concerned about the pointy ear for obvious reasons. Maybe you could make two soft leather ears to attach on each side?
You don't show how the front will rotate but be sure to put in some stops so it doesn't over rotate and make it unstable or tippy.
Thanks for all you are doing in Iraq.
 
#5 ·
Comments and Suggestions

Refers to project posted here.

After my initial blog post I got some good suggestions and questions in the comments so I thought I would address those in a blog here.

LesB said he thought the rear leg would need more bracing. My dad and I were discussing what we thought the weak point would be and we both also thought it would be the rear leg. I'm using the Kreg Pocket Screw system to assemble this piece and I have four screws from the leg to the seat and two screws from the cross-brace to the leg. I'm confident this will hold for any children. I just have to figure out how to keep the adults off it.

JS333 said I should add a tail for aesthetic reasons and that got me thinking. If I added a tail it could also help support the rear leg. I realize the tail in the picture below is a little misshapen but I was just trying to show the idea.



LesB also wondered about how the horse is secured to the rocker portion. This is something I was wondering about also and decided to wait until it was built and see what I thought. I wondered about some sort of locking pegs but once I got it assembled I realized I don't need them. The wheels sit deep into the base and I also have routed slots which secure the wheel further and are not shown on the drawing.



LesB's other question was how the rotation was accomplished and if there were some type of stop. The rotation is accomplished with a lazy susan bearing and a steel rod connecting the head to the front leg.



In my original design I had planned for a rotation stop as shown in the pictures below. I got sort of lazy in the build and didn't include it. It is still quite stable however.





JS333 asked about rounding of the seat specifically. I did end up rounding over a lot of the edges for safety but I didn't show that in the SketchUp model. My plan is to start from scratch again and make an "as-built" SketchUp drawing with the proper techniques. The plan I used to build it was very much a working plan so I want to clean it up.

There were a lot of things that came up in the building of this that I said I would need to fix "next time." I guess I'll have to make at least one more of these.
 
#6 ·
Router Work

Refers to project posted here.

I started this project out with the SketchUp design so I printed full-size templates to make my pieces. My original idea was to use 1/4" hard board as a pattern for a pattern trimming bit. I cut out the hardboard on the scroll saw and then cleaned them up with my spindle sander.





I tried to use the pattern bit on a practice dog dish stand with some leftover wood and didn't have good results. I think my pattern bit is probably not the highest quality and I was having trouble with the hardboard as a template. I don't think it's stiff enough despite its name and it causes some gouges in the dog dish stand.

My friend suggested I use 1/2" MDF and offered the use of some scrap MDF he had along with his router table and pattern bit. I remade the patterns out of the MDF and things went really well. I found out that the 1/2" MDF was even easier to work and shape than the 1/4" hardboard.



I did have a small problem on the last piece I was trimming down. I think there was some strange grain or something because I was trimming along just like every other board and a whole piece went flying off. I figured that was a good stopping point for the day so I glued it back together and left it overnight. I finished cleaning up that piece with the spindle sander.



I finished up on my router table with a half inch round-over bit. I was only planning on doing that for the seat and neck pieces but once I did those I really liked it. I rounded over most of the pieces with either a 1/2" or 3/8" round-over.



At this point I had all the pieces shaped and sanded initially. You can see them displayed on my assembly/finishing table.



And as you can see, I had lots of assistance from my shop helper.



Assembly pictures coming soon.
 
#9 ·
Assembly Process

Refers to project posted here.

I used the Kreg screw system for most of the joinery on this project. This is my second major project (first one here) using this system and I have found them to be very strong. It's also very quick to join pieces with this system which helped me do this project in only 4 days exclusive of some of the finishing. This was also my first time using the Kreg plugs which I've started a forum topic on here.



I always get to the end of the build and wish I had taken more pictures during it but what can you do. The picture below shows most of the horse assembled. I got the wheels from Grainger. They have a huge selection of what they call caster wheels and I think they were a few bucks each. The axle is a 1/2" steel shaft with stop nuts on the end. I used a 1/2" core box bit to make a slot for the axle and sandwiched it between two pieces of wood.



The next challenging part of the assembly was the rocker base. I had it drawn in SketcUp but I wasn't exactly sure of the placement of the pieces and figured I would "wing it." I also had to cut precise slots in the rockers to accept the stop nuts so I didn't want to machine those until I had most of the horse assembled. As you can see in the picture below, my dad and I sort of assembled it on its side and placed the pieces by sight. This is also when we decided to add some foot boards that are not shown in the SketchUp model.



The head is connected to the front leg with a 1/2" steel shaft that goes through the lazy susan bearing. My other challenge was drilling the holes for that shaft straight and true. I do have a drill press (reviewed here) which helped me out a ton but it was still difficult to get everything aligned correctly. With lots of clamps, some "adjustment taps," and some reaming I got the holes straight and true.



This next picture is the dry fit of the head. I had already secured the shaft into the front leg.



I cross-drilled through the shaft in two places and put a 8d nail through. As you can imagine there isn't a lot of material left when you put a 1/2" hole in a 3/4" board so the side supports on the front feet line up with the shaft. They also cover up the pin holes. For extra security I also put two part epoxy in the shaft hole and holding the pins in. I attached the head using the same method but I didn't attach it just yet so it would be easier to finish.



Next blog is finishing and attaching the head.
 
#10 ·
Finishing and final assembly

Refers to project posted here.

The dry fit passed inspection from my quality inspector so it was time to move on to finishing.



I disassembled it to three major components and put on Minwax Dark Walnut Stain. Of course I did this on my finishing/pool table.



You can see the unstained head sitting on the table also. I installed the handle in the head with glue and two finish nails through the edge to hold it steady.

I am using Waterlox Original Medium as a sealer and it's my first time using it although I have heard a lot about it. I was talking to the woman at the Woodcraft store and she said she had often heard about it also but never used it until recently and she was really impressed. She showed me some coasters she finished with it and I really liked the look. I put one coat of Waterlox on the body of the horse and the rocking base and put the stain on the head and the "neck."

Once I got to that point I installed the head with the pins and epoxy. Then I clamped the "neck" pieces on to cover the pin holes and add support to the sides of the head.



At this point I had to leave again so I took lots of pictures and my dad promised to finish the rest of the coats of Waterlox. This pictures is with one coat of Waterlox on the main part and only stain on the head.



Project is posted here.
 
#11 ·
Kyle,
This is a great project. My wife and I are foster parents, and I love the idea of projects for our kids. This is the type of project that will pass on to kids and grandkids

rockin ride in the side pocket

Dan
 
#13 ·
Customer Approval

EDIT: It seems like these pictures have disappeared somehow. I'll try to track them down and update this post.

As with any project you don't really know if the customer is going to like it until you deliver it.



I think she likes it.



She has learned to get onto it like you would get on a Sea Doo.



And get off of it by herself too.



She still needs a little leg length to be able to push herself around on it.



But I think she likes it.

 
#14 ·
Kyle, it looks like you have a very satisfied customer here. It won't be long before she is vaulting onto the back of the horse and racing around the house.
 
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