| Project by CalgaryBill | posted 4 days ago | 199 views | 0 times favorited | 21 comments | ![]() |
I’ve just completed a project that I began working on in late January. It’s a rocker in the style of Sam Maloof built from templates and plans by Hal Taylor. It’s made of solid cherry with laminated back braces and rockers, and sculpted seat, arms, legs and joints. This is the most challenging project that I’ve done to date. It has some very precise joinery and required lots of work with the table saw, angle grinder, bandsaw, router and sanders.
Hal’s plans and instructions were excellent. The book of instructions that he has produced is almost 140 pages.
Now I’m ready to sit down and rock for a while.
Bill
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21 comments so far
GaryK
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7033 posts in 323 days
posted 4 days ago
Very nice. Great job! I want to try to make one of those one of these days.
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
Woodhacker
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86 posts in 58 days
posted 4 days ago
Bill, what a beautiful rocker! The joinery looks great and I love the cherry you used. You every reason to be very proud of this piece!
Thanks for posting.
-- Martin, Kansas
trifern
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725 posts in 102 days
posted 4 days ago
Gorgeous rocking chair. You have earned a well deserved rest.
-- Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit.
John Fry
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35 posts in 35 days
posted 4 days ago
Nice job Bill,
I’ve never built one, but everybody I know that has gone through the experience with Hal’s plans seems to have been very successful, and very complimentary about his excellent plans.
You should be very proud.
-- John, Chisel and Bit Custom Crafted Furniture, www.chiselandbit.com
gator9t9
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138 posts in 39 days
posted 4 days ago
Thanks so much for sharing …..WOW a most beautiful Rocker …So what part of this project was the most challenge for you ???
Thanks again ..
-- Mike in Bonney Lake "I love the smell of freshly cut sawdust in the morn ..."
gator9t9
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138 posts in 39 days
posted 4 days ago
Oh Yeah ….
ROCK ON!
-- Mike in Bonney Lake "I love the smell of freshly cut sawdust in the morn ..."
Scott Bryan
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6482 posts in 156 days
posted 4 days ago
This is a beautiful rocker. You did a wonderful job with this piece. And what is not to like about your wood selection!!! Cherry is my personal favorite.
Thanks for the post.
-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.
motthunter
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879 posts in 133 days
posted 4 days ago
a thing of beauty. I plan to make one this year
-- making sawdust....
smitty1
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23 posts in 33 days
posted 4 days ago
Excellent Work and one of my favorites on my to-do list in fact I just finished purchasing some curry maple to use for this purpose. Did you find anything in particular that was more difficult in taking on this project?
The Cherry sure looks great and will age to a beautiful patina. Sure to be an heirloom!
Have a Good One,
Smitty
-- Smitty, Alabama, http://www.firstdesignwoodworking.com/
Les Hastings
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352 posts in 108 days
posted 4 days ago
Excellent Job Bill!
-- Les, Wichita, Ks. (I'd rather be covered in saw dust!)
Dick Cain
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4159 posts in 634 days
posted 4 days ago
A beautiful piece of craftsmanship.
Take it easy, & rock awhile.
-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1
TedM
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103 posts in 67 days
posted 4 days ago
Simply beautiful! Well, obviously not ‘simply’, I’m sure it was a lot of work and well worth the effort. It looks great!
-- I'm a wood magician... I can turn fine lumber into firewood before your very eyes! - http://www.woodworkersguide.com
jjohn
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317 posts in 48 days
posted 4 days ago
Great job, well done.
-- JJohn
mjlauro
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179 posts in 95 days
posted 4 days ago
Beautiful work. I want to try this someday, but I need to aquire a lot more skill. Great stuff and thanks for sharing.
Todd A. Clippinger
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2047 posts in 434 days
posted 4 days ago
Nice start to LJ! Fantastic work!
I always wondered about the Hal Taylor plans. Interesting to see someone use them.
That is the great thing about LJ, you can always find someone that has bought or tried something that you may be curious about.
-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com
Dominic Vanacora
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265 posts in 204 days
posted 4 days ago
This is a work of art. You have mastered you skills and the rocker shows how well. This will be in your family forever. Great workmenship.
-- Dominic, Trinity, Florida
thetimberkid
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165 posts in 38 days
posted 4 days ago
Great work!
Thanks for the post
Callum
-- There is no such thing as a mistake....just a design modification
stanley2
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49 posts in 130 days
posted 4 days ago
Bill – very nice family heirloom you have there. Based on my own pace I’m thinking January to May is pretty impressive
-- Phil
CalgaryBill
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3 posts in 4 days
posted 4 days ago
Thanks for the comments, folks. To answer Mike in Bonney Lake and Smitty, I think the most challenging part of the project was working up the courage to cut into those 36 BF of 8/4 cherry that ended up being the chair. Seriously, sculpting the leg/seat joints was probably the most challenging. I roughed out the seat with an angle grinder equipped with a supercut blade (like a round chainsaw) and that was a little scarey too.
I just found that taking it slow and easy was the key, stopping to carefully read and study Hal Taylor’s instructions. I spent well over 100 hours on the project. Now that I have the forms made for the rockers and back braces and all the other jigs that are required for the job and the experience of having done it once, the next one should be easier.
Bill
kjwoodworking
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85 posts in 221 days
posted 4 days ago
Beautiful rocker.
Like many other posters here, I hope to build one of these one day also.
Great work.
-- Kirk H. -- http://www.kjwoodworking.com
jockmike2
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2906 posts in 581 days
posted 3 days ago
Beautiful rocker Bill, now you can set in it a spell and rock. That is one gorgeous piece of work. mike
-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com