I use several different tools for shaping out the seat on a rocking chair. First though I mark out the shape of the seat with a sharpie pen. Then I drill some holes to give me guidance as to how deep I should be shaping each part of the seat.
Then I take out the majority of the material with a Saburr Tooth grinding tool on my angle grinder. This is an extreme method of removing the wood and you have to be very careful not to remove too much! Also it is very dusty work, so quality breathing apparatus is essential.
Once the majority of the waste is removed, I move to less vicious tools like this travisher. This is a very rewarding and pleasurable tool to use.
Finally I use sandpaper and work up the grits.
You can see in this photo that I have at this point finished laminating all seven of the back braces and the back legs are ready to attach to the seat.
Time to attach the back legs to the seat. Pressure is applied in both directions to close up the maloof joint and ensure a tight fit. I also check the angles and ensure that everything is kept aligned.
Whilst the glue on the seat is drying I get on with laminating the rockers. Eight 3mm laminates glued together and clamped to this former.
There is never a quiet moment whilst making a rocker. Always something to get on with whilst glue is drying on one part.
Next job is the front legs. Here they are with the joints cut and shape cut using the band saw. It is really essential to have a good band saw with a sharp blade to make a rocking chair. Another good tool to have is a bobbin sander.
Onto shaping these tomorrow and attaching them to the arms.