Free build a rocking horse book (revised)

[John]

Fellow woodworkers,

I have posted a new version of my book, "How to Build an Heirloom Rocking Horse" at

Some of you gave me valuable advice after reading the original version last year. So, if any of you are willing I would love to hear your ideas. Do my intructions make sense? Are my descriptions clear? Any tips to make a better horse?

As before, the book is free but I do sell plans. If my need to earn a living offends any of you please enjoy the book but don't purchase the plans.

The new book includes dozens of color photos and is in html, avoiding the previous large pdf download.

Thanks for taking a look,

John the toymaker

www. woodentoy .com

The one grand stage where he enacted all his various parts so manifold was his vice bench; a long rude ponderous table furnished with several vices, of different sizes, and both of iron and wood....A belaying pin is found too large to be easily inserted into its hole: the carpenter claps it into one of his ever­ready vices, and straightway files it smaller...A sailor takes a fancy to wear shark­bone earrings: the carpenter drills his ears. Another has the toothache: the carpenter out pincers...whirling round the handle of his wooden vice, the carpenter signs him to clap his jaw in that, if he would have him draw his tooth. Thus, this carpenter was prepared at all points.

Herman Melville

Moby Dick ­ 1851

[Geoff Beale]

You're kidding, right?

Why would anyone with an ounce of common sense need to buy plans for something as basic as this?

-- Geoff Beale

[Jim McLaughlin]

Nice book.

If the plans are equal to the book layout, you will do well with them.

[Andy Dingley]

No idea. But empirical evidence is that people _do_ want plans, and plans for the strangest of things (including tricky stuff, like pointy sticks). If there's a demand for them, why shouldn't the OP offer them?

I could probably work out the joinery to make the whole horse beautifully, with a mixture of Sam Maloof patent joints and some Japanese temple building joint you can't pronounce. But I'g need a template for bandsawing the head out, or else you'd never know which end was which.

[Geoff Beale]

Strange.

To me much of the enjoyment in a project is in the planning, design, and even learning from my own mistakes. I'll look at other people's plans or work and even borrow ideas or techniques, but then go it alone. Each to their own.

Oh, and I don't believe you about the head template, Andy.

Your modesty is becoming, but I'm sure you are skilled enough to copy an outline shape from a suitable horse picture!

-- Geoff Beale Extract digit to email

[WConner]

As nearly as I can remember, the only plans I ever tried to follow exactly turned out to be a very bad design and I immediately set the child's rocking chair aside and built one modified to correct the errors in design. Plans from Wood Magazine.

Walt Conner