Need some help

[jyreene]

Okay so a few have helped out on this thread:

http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=49280

So I have some pretty good ideas. Now I have a question regarding the handholds and footholds. The plans show that the hand hold is supposed to be one solid piece (1 handhold = 8" of 7/8" dowel) and the footrest is also one solid piece (1 footrest = 9" of 7/8" dowel ). I wanted my family to help a little with this since this is the first grandchild (and I'm the youngest!). My dad is a turned and was jazzed at the idea of helping and my wife (marinewife on here) will be 'knitting' the main and tail for it.

The problem is that I don't want the footrest, or the handhold that I turn, to just be a straight 7/8" piece of wood. I want my dad to be able to add a little of his own touch to it, as I want to for mine.

Basically I think if the "dowel" is cut in half and drilled down the center, as long as the drill hole is fairly deep, I should be able to re-enforce it with a metal or wood rod so that it is stable and sturdy and just glue it all together and assemble it to make it a "one" piece construction on the rocking horse. Plus any recomendations on wood type? I am going to ask my dad to choose something native to a place we lived as a family or his birth place so that would be either Colorado, Missouri, Nevada, or Kansas.

Let me know what you think and if that you think that would prove stable enough. I've attached a dazzling paintshop rendition of what I plan on doing.

 

[seawolf]

Osage orange or black locust. Both are extreamly hard solid wood. When used for fence posts they last twenty years longer than the hole.
Mark

 

[NewLondon88]

I'm not a carpenter, so take this for what it's worth. (which is probably less
than you're paying for it..)

I think that reinforcing the footrest is a good idea, but the idea of cutting it in half
doesn't seem 'right' to me. Seems like it would make it a weak spot.

What about drilling it out from the ends and inserting a piece of rebar or something,
then putting end caps on when you're done? that way the middle is one solid piece.
The end caps could be a contrasting color, (or not) you would easily cut a tenon on
your lathe to fit the ends of the drilled out dowel. After you put in the rebar, you
could fill it with polyurethane glue.. cap it off and voila .. no weak spot in the middle.

That's my $.02. Do you need change?

 

[Robert Taylor]

what newlondon88 said

 

[ed4copies]

If I were doing it, I would use one foot of 1" dowel and let six inches stick out on each side.

One inch dowel, one foot long will support half your family --- no kid is going to break it.

 

[NewLondon88]

One inch dowel, one foot long will support half your family --- no kid is going to break it.

OH .. this is for the kids?

nevermind..

 

[ed4copies]

Charlie,

The "goal" is to make a work of art to show off your talents to all your friends.

IF it falls short of your goal, "It was just something I knocked together one evening!!" --you know, for the kids!!!

 

[NewLondon88]

So then .. he's making it for half the family?

 

[jyreene]

No it's for the kids. The reason I was thinking of cutting the piece in half, or even having two separate pieces was so that my dad can turn it how he wants and it can be a little wider than 7/8". I'm sure with his skill though that he can get something nice that is under 7/8" though.

So yes Ed, while it is for the kid (I plan on making a separate one for each kid we have) it will be something to show off to the family. Although I am the LEAST skilled wood worker in the family. Stupid over achieving family!

 

[jyreene]

Shameless bump to get more input. :embarrassed::RockOn:

 

[Marc]

Just an idle thought here Ty, but I noticed some very nice pendants on this part of the forums (fori?). The antler scrimshaw is particularly nice.

Perhaps you could look at insetting or imbedding some of those peices in the body of the horse? It might be fun to just turn and polish some pen blanks and inlay them into the body of the horse.

Some of the wood I have seen the members post is just so awesome that it might be nice to add them into this project. Yes, that makes it more complex, but it might turn out to be a spectacular project.

Again, just thinking out loud here.

 

[jyreene]

I had thought of doing that Dad but I think for the first one I want it mostly clean with just foot and hand rests/holds being unique. I had thought of trying to put together a rocking horse with some wood from every state but that is a little...ambitious.