Rocking Horse Wood

[jyreene]

Like some may know from previous posts, I will be building a rocking horse for my first born (due in October :biggrin while I am attending a military course about 6 1/2 hours away from my wife.

This will be the first time, in a long time, I have done any major wood working. The closest thing other than turning some pens was a wooden bathroom scale with a digital display I had to make for Mech E in college (some plywood and particle board woohoo). The advice I am looking for is related to the wood to use. I would like a good sturdy wood that looks nice and is fairly easy to work with. I will most likely be finishing it even if it is just a clear type of stain. Any suggestions? While I could probably just go to Home Depot or some such place I would be more than willing and want to buy the wood from someone on this forum since you guys and gals are always so helpful. I woudn't be buying it until mid-August since I won't have a shipping address until then. It would be nice if it was some native Texan wood since that is where the baby will be born, though not live.

Second, for the handles I would like to do something special. I know we have a lot of people on here that do castings of wood. I don't have the dimensions on me but I can't imagine it would be any bigger than an medium sized closet dowel but would anyone (Curtis and the like) be able and willing to cast some special Texas wood or cactus skeleton for something like that? Would it be too cost prohibitive or difficult?

I don't want to spend thousands on the rocking horse but I do want it to last and am willing to spend a little extra, especially since I already have the pre-ok to do all this from the wife!

 

[TomW]

Ty,

In my mind, the following woods apply:

Good for horse, and easy to get: Oak and Ash
Good for horse, and easy to work with: Cherry and walnut
Hard to work with but native Texas: Mesquite

All of the horses I've made had Ash rockers.

Good luck with the little one (and the horse).

Tom

 

[jyreene]

Tom

Thanks for the wish of good luck (first baby is kind of scary but I am excited!!). How hard is walnut to get? I know I've seen it all sorts of places but it would most likely need to be shipped since San Angelo isn't exactly a bustling metropolis. While it has been 8 years since I was last there I don't even remember a Home Depot, though I was going through a divorce then and grandpa's medicine was constantly at hand for that.

 

[TomW]

San Angelo is a LONG way from me, perhaps some of the West Texans can chime in.

Don't worry, the scariest part is when he/she asks for the car keys.

Tom

 

[jyreene]

Yes, it is quite the trek. I will be going back an forth on the two or three long weekends so I could possibly pick something up in Houston when I visit the wife (though I would like to have it done by the end of October since the baby is "due" on the 22nd).

Yup and I know it will be my car since my wife won't let anyone drive her Audi...stupid expensive car.

 

[TomW]

Dude!

Go to M&G Sawmill in Huntsville! http://www.mgsawmill.com/ Great folk.

Tom

 

[THarvey]

My dad made one of these for my children.

A neat touch he added was to use cedar balls (like you buy for closets and chests) for the eyes. He oriented the grain pattern of the cedar to look like pupils. It was more three diamential than just drilling a shallow hole and painting it black.

 

[jyreene]

Tom

That's a decent idea. I could pop up there on the way to or from Houston. I'll keep that in mind.

Tim

I'll take a look at the plans and see if that would work. Nice touch your father put on them.

 

[Rifleman1776]

My reccomendation would be maple. But any of the other mentioned woods would work.
The availability of walnut is regional. I have a friend who lives just a few miles west of Arkansas in Oklahoma. He had 18 big walnut trees come down during our January ice storm. They are destined to become firewood.
Fancy cast handles would be unique, indeed.
But, I would go with fancy turned handles myself.

 

[alamocdc]

Ty, there is a Home Depot and a Lowe's in San Angelo. But their hardwood selection will likely be limited to Red Oak. I used to be able to get some hardwoods at McCoys there, but I don't know what they carry anymore... but they are still open. There is also City Lumber and they do carry hardwoods, but their prices may reflect a premium.

 

[jyreene]

Frank, I do agree that some fancy turned handles would be good but that was what I planned on doing with the cast handles. I wanted them to be wood, so something like the Worthless Wood that people cast or the Pear Cactus Skeleton as well, it's just that I don't know if they are easily cast into something bigger. I still need to actually look at the...wait I'll call my wife and have her look at it...

Billy, thanks for the info. I will check all those places out once I get there. I wouldn't normally say this but I am willing to pay a premium for my first try at this kind of thing.

 

[wood-of-1kind]

Made two(2) rocking horses for my kids. Used solid cedar throughout with the exception of the handles (oak dowel). I laminated (glued) 2"x12" cedar planks to get the effect that I wanted. Very easy wood to cut and router. Used 'sisal' twine for the mane and tail. Your are bringing back memories. My eldest is now 23.

 

[jyreene]

Here it is

Okay thanks to my wife here is the list of materials:

6 feet of 1.5" x 11.25" board [from that, the (1) body = 18.5" x 8", (1) head = 10.5" x 10.75", (2) front legs = 16.5" x 5.5", (2) rear legs = 15.25" x 8", (1) stirrup spacer = 1.5" x 1.5" x 3.25", (18) leg wedges = 9 1/8" x 1 1/8"].

8 feet of 1" x 12" board [from that, the (2) rockers = 10.25" x 46", (5) supports = 3.5" x 12", (2) stirrups = 3.25" x 9 7/8", (1) saddle = 9.75" x 6.5"].

(1) handhold = 8" of 7/8" dowel
(1) footrest = 9" of 7/8" dowel (optional)
(1) 36" of 3/8" dowel for neck joint and screw plugs
(1) 1.5" of 1/4" dowel to secure handhold
(1) 1.5" unfinished round furniture knob for eyelid
(1) 1" round wooden bead or unfinished knob for iris
(2) pieces of 3.5" x 2" leather for ears
(12) flat top screws #10 x 2.5" for legs/body joints
(32) flat top screws #8 x 1.5" for supports/legs/rockers/saddle
(4) flat top screws #8 x 1.25" for stirrups
(1) flat top screw #6 x 5/8" for securing footrest/stirrups

wood glue
epoxy glue for ears
masking tape
stain if desired
varnish if desired
black paint - small amount for eye
urethane varnish
yarn for mane and tail (on the model, Coats and clark Red Heart Heavy Rug Yarn, 3 ply Dacron Polyester was used. It required between 2-3 skeins - one for tail and about 1.5 for mane. These skeins are 70 yards (net weight = 1.6 oz).

These two are what I'm referring to:
(1) handhold = 8" of 7/8" dowel
(1) footrest = 9" of 7/8" dowel (optional)
I would like the handholds to be some kind of Worthless Wood cast, and since I don't and won't get into casting I will need to buy that from someone on here. Is something that size feesable?

The footrest I'm not sure if I would want to match the handhold or not. What do you think?

 

[pianomanpj]

My dad made one of these for my children.

A neat touch he added was to use cedar balls (like you buy for closets and chests) for the eyes. He oriented the grain pattern of the cedar to look like pupils. It was more three diamential than just drilling a shallow hole and painting it black.

Of course, I was laughing my butt off until I got to the other side of the parentheses... :biggrin::redface:

 

[jyreene]

Anyone else?

 

[jyreene]

I've added a new question here:

http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?p=882834#post882834

Any other ideas for the handhold and wood type (or people in Texas that do casting or stabilizing that would be able to make and sell me 8" of some Texas wood (well probably 2 pieces since I might mess up)? I think I may end up heading to the shops Billy mentioned and see what they have. And I also like Tim's idea for the eyes (although the blueprints do mention using something like that).