How To Build Rocking Chair Legs

A rhythmic rocking motion both relaxes and helps alleviate stress for many people. Rocking chairs are aesthetically pleasing as well as therapeutic. You can purchase a rocking chair from a number of furniture stores, second-hand outlets or flea markets. If you enjoy woodworking, however, you can make a rocking chair yourself. The legs of the rocking chair must be in a symmetrical relationship to ensure the chair sits and moves evenly on the floor.

13-inch piece of wood
Pencil
Band saw
Safety gloves and goggles
T-bevel sliding square
Power drill
Table clamps
Fine sandpaper
Thickness planer
Rag
Stain or varnish

Instructions

- 1
  Trace with a pencil the pattern of your rocking chair leg onto a piece of wood large enough to accommodate it. This gives you enough room to shape the leg to your specifications. The pattern helps you customize the leg to a particular style. Do this on a piece of scrap wood first to help prevent mistakes on your working piece. Use the same pattern on both legs, front and back, to ensure equal sizing.
- 2
  Use a band saw to cut the design out of your source wood.
- 3
  Line up the legs with the rockers you'll be sliding them into. Set the angle at which the leg goes into the rocker using a t-bevel sliding square, and saw the angle into the end of the legs as needed.
- 4
  Drill holes into the legs where the other chair parts fit in, using a power drill. Clamp the legs to your work table while doing this to prevent movement that hampers the drilling process.
- 5
  Sand the legs, using fine sandpaper, to smooth out any roughness in the texture and to round off any edges that need it. Use a thickness planer if necessary to reduce the leg's thickness while smoothing it out. Wipe away any sand or dust with a rag.
- 6
  Apply a stain or varnish to the legs to give them both color and a durable finish.

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