A zigzag rocker

[David Dundas]

This is my first attempt at a zigzag rocker. Its miter joints are reinforced by twin 1/8"-thick maple keys set in slots cut using a shop-made tenoning jig (Photo 1). The keys are pinned by brass screws. I used an epoxy with a gel consistency to glue all the chair's joints. The chair's Z-assemblies are joined by two stretchers. The seat/back assembly is supported on the bevelled edge of the upper stretcher. The back stiles are glued, dowelled and screwed to the rear ends of the arms.

The wood used is Tasmanian blackwood, which has similar properties to American black walnut; the back-slats and 'heel' are maple. The rockers each have six 1/4" laminations, and the back-slats have two 5/32" laminations.

David Dundas

[Craig Thompson]

cool as hades....

[Don C Peterson]

That is a very cool chair. It looks like it's comfortable and looks great to boot.

Nice work.

Did you do any tests to try to figure out what the weight limit for a chair like that would be?

[Kyle Stiefel]

Nice stuff!

[David Dundas]

Did you do any tests to try to figure out what the weight limit for a chair like that would be?

Don,

Yes, I did; at a gtg of Australian Woodworking Forum members, a couple of years ago, we tested a joint made in this fashion; the miter joint was made in the Australian hardwood jarrah, with a cross section of 1 3/8" x 1 5/8". The joint was able to support the weigh of four men, weighing a total of 575 lbs, without damage. This chair has two similar joints with a larger cross-section, to support the weight of a single person, so I am confident that there is a wide safety margin.

David Dundas

[Dan Clark]

David,

That's lovely work. I've seen your work before, so the "Z" concept isn't new to me. One of the features I like about this chair is something that few woodworkers address - good lumbar support. Very nice!!!

Dan.

[Jim Becker]

Davie, that's a wonderful adaptation of the Z design!! Very nice!!!

[Mike Spanbauer]

That's a great looking chair! I really like the simplicity yet modern style. Lumbar support is also a nice addition!

mike

[Jason Tuinstra]

Very creative. Looks like a real comfortable rocker!

[Lou Morrissette]

Great design. Clean lines. Super wormanship.

Lou

[John Schreiber]

That really works for me. I've been impressed from an engineering point of view with your other "Z" shaped chairs, but this one really works for me aesthetically.

[Ed Garrett]

David,

That looks great. That's my kind of woodworking too.

I agree with everyone's accolades for this rocker. I believe the most interesting woodworking (for both the builder and user) is something that requires meticulous engineering. People are naturally attracted not only to unusual geometry, but to any configuration which challenges them to figure out how the physics works.

Sincerely,
Ed Garrett

[Dick Latshaw]

This is my first attempt at a zigzag rocker. Its miter joints are reinforced by twin 1/8"-thick maple keys set in slots cut using a shop-made tenoning jig (Photo 1). The keys are pinned by brass screws.

David -

Are you planning a Domino version? My armless Domino Z chair that I glued up with Titebond III is still doing fine, by the way.:)

[David Dundas]

David -

Are you planning a Domino version? My armless Domino Z chair that I glued up with Titebond III is still doing fine, by the way.:)

Dick,

No doubt the chair could have been built with locking tenons to reinforce the miters, but it seemed to me that miter keys were aesthetically more in keeping with the vertical back-slats. I did use dominoes for all the cross-rail joinery.

I am sure that your chair glued with Titebond III will be fine, since the brass pinning screws will prevent any tendency of the glue to creep; but I still prefer to use epoxy for this application.

David Dundas

[Justin Bukoski]

David,

Would you be willing to share your design drawings? I would love to make a few of those for my back porch but I'm not sure my design skills are up to the task.

Absolutely brilliant.

[David Dundas]

Justin,

PM me your e-mail address, and I will send them to you in a day or two; I need to tidy them up a bit.

Regards,

David Dundas