The rocking chair is rightfully one of the favorite places to relax at home. There are many types and models of swinging structures made from various materials. One of the popular materials for making swinging chairs is metal. A metal rocking chair can be made at home if you have the necessary experience and tools.
Drawing up a drawing
A DIY rocking chair can be made with a supporting metal frame in the form of a frame or with a forged filling. Forged rocking chairs look much more beautiful, but are more complex to manufacture and require special equipment and skills.
Drawings of the frame metal structure are drawn up on graph paper at a convenient scale. They indicate all the dimensions of the future chair, the length and bending radius of the skis. The difference between the diagram for a forged chair is that all forged elements must be drawn in full size. These drawings will serve as a template for future elements of the chair.
When drawing up a drawing, it is necessary to take into account that the more fastening or welding points a metal rocking chair has, the lower its rigidity.
To start
Without any special pretensions, just to relax after work, a rocking chair on radius runners will help. Drawings of a simple sample, made, with the exception of the runners, only from straight parts, are given in Fig. This chair can be made for a dacha, veranda or garden in half a day, using only a jigsaw, a drill and a pair of wrenches (assembly is bolted). And having rocked to your heart’s content, you may already think about a home rocking chair for the more sophisticated; then you will need a more thorough tool and knowledge.
Drawings of a simple rocking chair
Selection of material
The frame of the swinging system is made of a metal rod with a diameter of 2 cm. To reduce the total weight of the structure, a steel pipe of the same diameter can be used instead of a rod. Blanks for the frame are cut into the following sizes:
- 4 rods measuring 64-66 cm - transverse upper and lower rods for the back and front walls of the chair;
- 2 rods measuring 25-30 cm - vertical posts of the front wall of the chair;
- 2 rods measuring 60-65 cm - vertical posts of the rear wall of the rocking chair;
- 2 rods measuring 85-90 cm - longitudinal upper beams for connecting the front and rear walls;
- 2 arcs measuring 80-100 cm - support skis.
The blanks made can be changed in size based on the preferences of the owner.
Manufacturing of support skis
The easiest way to bend an arc under a rocking chair is to use a pipe bender. If such a device is not available, then you can use any groove that is durable. This could be a vice, nearby pillars or tree trunks. To impart curvature, the pipe must be inserted into the groove. To increase the leverage, you can insert a rod into the pipe and bend it to a certain radius.
When making runners, it is necessary to achieve maximum coincidence of curvature. Finished runners can optionally be equipped with wooden overlays. This will reduce noise and add aesthetics to the entire structure.
Finishing
Plastic furniture items do not require finishing. The material itself is resistant to corrosion, high humidity and sudden temperature changes. To give a rocking chair a beautiful appearance, it must be decorated with a beautiful textile cover .
Tip : rocking chairs are also made of wood, metal and plywood. And next to it you can put a glass table, coffee table or laptop table.
Frame assembly
It is better to assemble a metal rocking chair from the sides. To assemble each side, vertical front and rear pillars, a longitudinal beam, and a support ski are laid on the floor. All side elements are welded together. The production of the second side is carried out using the same principle.
After the sides are ready, they are connected to each other by cross rods by welding.
When carrying out welding work, it is necessary to maintain an angle of 90 degrees in butt joints. To do this, it is recommended to use a magnetic square. After welding is completed, all seams must be cleaned.
Main stages of work
At the next stage, we cut off three blanks from the corner and weld the U-shaped frame. We drill mounting holes in it.
Next, we attach the U-shaped frame to one of the parts of the frame.
The result will be a stop with which you can adjust the angle of the back of the chair.
After this we connect all the parts of the frame together. The author welds the headrest frame to the upper part of the backrest.
Then all that remains is to make the seat and backrest. For this you will need wooden blocks.
We coat the seat and back with wood varnish and attach it to the metal frame with bolts, having previously drilled holes. Additionally, you can sew a soft cover for the chair.
The detailed process of making an outdoor folding chair can be seen in the author's video. Video source - YouTube channel WOOD DESIGN .
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Manufacturing of forged elements
A rocking chair from forged parts can be made independently, but its production is labor-intensive. A rocking chair, cold forged by hand, is highly durable. During cold forging, the material not only changes its shape, but also strengthens the structure. This occurs by pressing the metal during bending and deformation. To perform cold forging, devices such as a bender, a snail, a flashlight, a wave and a twister are used.
For manufacturing, the forged elements of the rocking chair are drawn in full size. The figure shows all dimensions and forging elements. Using available tools, it is necessary to produce forged parts. During manufacturing, parts must be applied to the sketch from time to time in order to achieve its accurate execution.
The elements are assembled into a single ensemble by welding, after which the structure is cleaned and painted.
What to make a soft seat from?
If desired, the seat can be upholstered, but sometimes it is replaced with cushions as an alternative. The filler can be used not only for the seat, but also for the back and armrests.
Pads will make the chair not only more comfortable, but also prettier.
For this purpose, the following materials are used:
- foam rubber - has a budget cost, but has a short service life;
- padding polyester - best retains the shape of the seat;
- felt is a durable and wear-resistant material obtained by felting wool;
- batting is a material consisting of a piece of fabric and cotton wool, the thickness of which is about 50 millimeters (a very comfortable option for a chair).
The upholstery should have an attractive appearance, so leather or textiles are attached to it as the top layer. It will be nice if the upholstery fabric duplicates or echoes other interior items. So, the upholstery can be matched to the color of curtains or upholstered furniture.
Table 3. Popular upholstery options
| Variant, illustration | Description |
| Jacquard | This is a fairly popular fabric that is used for upholstery of upholstered furniture. It consists of both natural and synthetic fibers. There are usually ornaments on its surface, which gives the upholstery an unusual look. The main advantage of the material is strength. It will be easy to care for such upholstery, because all recent stains can be easily removed with a damp cloth, and more difficult stains can be eliminated by washing. |
| Tapestry | This is one of the varieties of jacquard. The only difference is that the fabric consists of thicker fibers. Typically, such material has complex patterns, and you can match the pattern to the main interior motif. Tapestry is not cheap, so this fabric is often used for small items. It is also ideal for an elegant chair. |
| Chenille | This fabric also consists of both synthetic and natural threads, resulting in a fairly durable material that has good wear resistance. This is a pleasant-to-touch material that retains color saturation for a long time, does not rub off, and does not deform. |
| Velours | This is a fleecy material that is the best replacement for velvet. At the same time, it is incredibly pleasant to the skin, durable, and does not require special care. However, this upholstery option is not suitable if there are pets in the house - velor fabric is quickly damaged by the animal’s claws. |
| Flock | This is also a fleecy fabric that has an external resemblance to velor. The only difference is that the material contains more synthetics. Thanks to the combination of natural and synthetic threads, flock is very durable and does not allow water to pass through, so it is quite suitable for upholstering chairs, even if they are placed in the kitchen area. |
Final adjustment
The principle of adjusting the rocking chair is simple. If the tilt is very forward, then transverse decorative strips can be installed in the rear part behind the back of the structure. They can be made of wood or metal. The slats can act as an independent counterweight, but can also be used as a basis for additional weight.
If the rocking chair falls back too much, then a counterweight must be installed in front. As an option, you can install a footrest under which you can place additional cargo.
We looked at the easiest way to make a chair. We learned how to draw up drawings and assemble structural elements, and gained initial work experience. Once you have acquired a sufficient supply of knowledge and skills, you can move on to the manufacture of more complex structures, such as a pendulum.
