Woodworking Rocking Horse
Content
Another Do-It-Yourself Project from Georgia-Pacific
“Georgie” the Rocking Horse
Hardwood Plywood
Instructions 1. Trace a grid of 2 ؆ squares on lightweight cardboard. 2. Draw outlines of the shapes on the cardboard (as in the diagram) and cut them out. 3. Trace these shapes onto the plywood, clamping two pieces of wood together where identical shapes are to be cut out. Cut the shapes using a saber saw with a fine tooth blade. Fit a router with a 1⁄2 ؆ round over bit and rout all the edges. Sand the surfaces of each piece. 4. Position the head and tail pieces between the two body parts. Drive four screws through each side of the body into the head and tail sections. Make sure the screw heads are driven flush with the surface of the wood. 5. Place the front and back legs on the outside of the body section. Secure with wood clamps, being careful to use pads on the clamps to avoid marring the wood. Stand the horse up to be sure the hooves are level.
“Georgie” the Rocking Horse
This classic rocking horse is a durable toy children love—one that doesn’t need batteries! Pay careful attention while building it and “Georgie” just might last another couple of generations.
Materials Checklist • One 4 x 8 sheet of 3⁄4؆ hardwood plywood • #10—11⁄4 ؆ screws • Carpenter’s glue • Two feet of 1؆ dowel • Dowel plugs or filler (to mask screw heads) • Varnish or oil to finish Tools Checklist • Saber or band saw • Wood rasp • Assortment of wood clamps • Electric drill, plus a 1⁄4 ؆ spade bit (for countersinking), a 1؆ spade bit (for dowel pegs), and a 1⁄8 ؆ drill bit (to start screws) • Electric sander with coarse, medium and fine grade paper • Screwdriver • Straight edge
6. Drill pilot holes using a 1⁄ 8 ؆ drill bit into the legs. See photo and diagram for location of the three screws for each leg. Countersink the holes so that the screw heads will sink beneath the surface. Screw the horse together. Sand all the edges smooth. Attach the seat with three screws placed as shown on the diagram. 7. Sit the child on the horse and measure for hand and foot rests, mark positions, and take horse apart to drill 1؆ holes for the dowel inserts. 8. Now reassemble the horse using glue and screws, clamping where necessary. Insert the 1؆ dowel for hand and foot rests. Allow the glue to dry overnight. 9. Turn the horse upside down and center the cross bars on the front and back hooves and attach with two screws for each hoof driven through the cross bars into the hooves.
Georgia-Pacific Corporation makes no warranties expressed or implied, regarding this plan and specifically disclaims the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Check with an architect or a building expert to make sure that this plan is appropriate to your situation and meets local building codes.
• Pencil • Paint brush • Electric router with 1⁄2 ؆ rounding over bit
Page 1 of 2 (“Georgie” the Rocking Horse)
Did you know?
Hardwood plywood is much like traditional softwood plywood. Both kinds are made from layers of wood veneers that are bonded together, with the grain of each layer running perpendicular to the next. This cross-grain construction makes hardwood plywood stable and increases its strength and durability. The most noticeable difference between hardwood plywood and traditional plywood is in the two outer layers or veneers. The outer layers of traditional softwood plywood take paint well and are generally used for construction and structural purposes.Hardwood plywood allows the natural finish of the wood to be exposed and is usually used for decorative purposes. The most popular face veneers are oak, birch and maple.The veneer varies with the species, producing unique color and grain characteristics.This real wood veneer gives the appearance of solid wood without the cost. Hardwood plywood is a product well-suited for clear finish treatments which enhance the natural beauty of the wood grain. It is easily machined, is resistant to splitting and impact and can be scored and bent for special curved applications more readily than solid wood. 10. The cross bars sit on top of cross bar supports attached to the sides of each rocker. Before attaching supports, fit the horse between the rockers so that there is an equal distance from the back tips of the rockers to the back legs and from the front tips of the rockers to the front legs. 11. Cut two cross bar supports for each rocker. These 4 ؆ x 3 1⁄2 ؆ supports may be made from plywood or solid wood. Attach them to the rockers with glue and four screws for each support as shown in the photo and on the diagram. 12. Center the cross bars over the supports. The photo shows only one screw attaching each side of each cross bar, but two screws per side are recommended for active children. 13. Screw holes can be covered with dowel plugs or with wood filler. Check to make sure all edges and surfaces are sanded smooth. Stain and finish with polyurethane varnish.
Tail Body Head
Rocker
Seat
Front Legs
Rear Legs Crossbar
Cutting Pattern; Scale = 2 ؆
Georgia-Pacific Corporation Building Products 55 Park Place, N.E. Atlanta, GA 30303 1-800 BUILD GP www.gp.com/build
©2005 Georgia-Pacific Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. 8/05.
Page 2 of 2 (“Georgie” the Rocking Horse)
“Georgie” the Rocking Horse
Hardwood Plywood
Instructions 1. Trace a grid of 2 ؆ squares on lightweight cardboard. 2. Draw outlines of the shapes on the cardboard (as in the diagram) and cut them out. 3. Trace these shapes onto the plywood, clamping two pieces of wood together where identical shapes are to be cut out. Cut the shapes using a saber saw with a fine tooth blade. Fit a router with a 1⁄2 ؆ round over bit and rout all the edges. Sand the surfaces of each piece. 4. Position the head and tail pieces between the two body parts. Drive four screws through each side of the body into the head and tail sections. Make sure the screw heads are driven flush with the surface of the wood. 5. Place the front and back legs on the outside of the body section. Secure with wood clamps, being careful to use pads on the clamps to avoid marring the wood. Stand the horse up to be sure the hooves are level.
“Georgie” the Rocking Horse
This classic rocking horse is a durable toy children love—one that doesn’t need batteries! Pay careful attention while building it and “Georgie” just might last another couple of generations.
Materials Checklist • One 4 x 8 sheet of 3⁄4؆ hardwood plywood • #10—11⁄4 ؆ screws • Carpenter’s glue • Two feet of 1؆ dowel • Dowel plugs or filler (to mask screw heads) • Varnish or oil to finish Tools Checklist • Saber or band saw • Wood rasp • Assortment of wood clamps • Electric drill, plus a 1⁄4 ؆ spade bit (for countersinking), a 1؆ spade bit (for dowel pegs), and a 1⁄8 ؆ drill bit (to start screws) • Electric sander with coarse, medium and fine grade paper • Screwdriver • Straight edge
6. Drill pilot holes using a 1⁄ 8 ؆ drill bit into the legs. See photo and diagram for location of the three screws for each leg. Countersink the holes so that the screw heads will sink beneath the surface. Screw the horse together. Sand all the edges smooth. Attach the seat with three screws placed as shown on the diagram. 7. Sit the child on the horse and measure for hand and foot rests, mark positions, and take horse apart to drill 1؆ holes for the dowel inserts. 8. Now reassemble the horse using glue and screws, clamping where necessary. Insert the 1؆ dowel for hand and foot rests. Allow the glue to dry overnight. 9. Turn the horse upside down and center the cross bars on the front and back hooves and attach with two screws for each hoof driven through the cross bars into the hooves.
Georgia-Pacific Corporation makes no warranties expressed or implied, regarding this plan and specifically disclaims the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Check with an architect or a building expert to make sure that this plan is appropriate to your situation and meets local building codes.
• Pencil • Paint brush • Electric router with 1⁄2 ؆ rounding over bit
Page 1 of 2 (“Georgie” the Rocking Horse)
Did you know?
Hardwood plywood is much like traditional softwood plywood. Both kinds are made from layers of wood veneers that are bonded together, with the grain of each layer running perpendicular to the next. This cross-grain construction makes hardwood plywood stable and increases its strength and durability. The most noticeable difference between hardwood plywood and traditional plywood is in the two outer layers or veneers. The outer layers of traditional softwood plywood take paint well and are generally used for construction and structural purposes.Hardwood plywood allows the natural finish of the wood to be exposed and is usually used for decorative purposes. The most popular face veneers are oak, birch and maple.The veneer varies with the species, producing unique color and grain characteristics.This real wood veneer gives the appearance of solid wood without the cost. Hardwood plywood is a product well-suited for clear finish treatments which enhance the natural beauty of the wood grain. It is easily machined, is resistant to splitting and impact and can be scored and bent for special curved applications more readily than solid wood. 10. The cross bars sit on top of cross bar supports attached to the sides of each rocker. Before attaching supports, fit the horse between the rockers so that there is an equal distance from the back tips of the rockers to the back legs and from the front tips of the rockers to the front legs. 11. Cut two cross bar supports for each rocker. These 4 ؆ x 3 1⁄2 ؆ supports may be made from plywood or solid wood. Attach them to the rockers with glue and four screws for each support as shown in the photo and on the diagram. 12. Center the cross bars over the supports. The photo shows only one screw attaching each side of each cross bar, but two screws per side are recommended for active children. 13. Screw holes can be covered with dowel plugs or with wood filler. Check to make sure all edges and surfaces are sanded smooth. Stain and finish with polyurethane varnish.
Tail Body Head
Rocker
Seat
Front Legs
Rear Legs Crossbar
Cutting Pattern; Scale = 2 ؆
Georgia-Pacific Corporation Building Products 55 Park Place, N.E. Atlanta, GA 30303 1-800 BUILD GP www.gp.com/build
©2005 Georgia-Pacific Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. 8/05.
Page 2 of 2 (“Georgie” the Rocking Horse)
