Maloof style rocking chair plans???

[Brodie Brickey]

I'm looking for Sam Maloof style rocking chair plans. The only ones I've been able to find are from Hal Taylor. Unfortunately, I just won't be able to go off to a class for $5k to make a chair, so I'm dependent on the plans. Does anyone have any experience with the Hal Taylor plans?

Has anyone run across other plans in a Maloof style?

Thanks.

[Gary Keedwell]

I'm looking for Sam Maloof style rocking chair plans. The only ones I've been able to find are from Hal Taylor. Unfortunately, I just won't be able to go off to a class for $5k to make a chair, so I'm dependent on the plans. Does anyone have any experience with the Hal Taylor plans?

Has anyone run across other plans in a Maloof style?

Thanks.
Brodie....You might want to do a search. About a year or so ago somebody posted some pictures that were outstanding but the plans were $$$$. It might have been the same guy. The poster said the plans were fantastic and they were worth every penny if it is the same guy. At the time I thought it was too expensive for my taste, but I was tempted.;)
Gary

[Brian Penning]

You'll find info at the bottom of the attached page for the free instructions.
http://www.kappelusa.com/how_to_build.asp

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

David Dundas is a Creeker and he's got a DVD of plans he sells at a rather attractive price.

[Richard Wolf]

I have the plans from Hal. While they are not cheap, I feel they are very complete and of the nature that an experienced woodworker could complete they chair.

Richard

[Michael Ballent]

Brodie....You might want to do a search. About a year or so ago somebody posted some pictures that were outstanding but the plans were $$$$. It might have been the same guy. The poster said the plans were fantastic and they were worth every penny if it is the same guy. At the time I thought it was too expensive for my taste, but I was tempted.;)
Gary

The pictures may have been mine... but I have no plans :cool:

http://www.ballentphoto.com/gallery/1759033

[Steve Bagi]

I'm looking for Sam Maloof style rocking chair plans. The only ones I've been able to find are from Hal Taylor. Unfortunately, I just won't be able to go off to a class for $5k to make a chair, so I'm dependent on the plans. Does anyone have any experience with the Hal Taylor plans?

Has anyone run across other plans in a Maloof style?

Thanks.

I took a one week course with Hal and the cost was $800. It cost $5000 if you want to go home with (buy) the completed rocker. His manual is very well written and well worth the cost. I would expect anybody with intermediate skills to be able to build one from his plans. He also provides phone and email support with the purchase of his plans.

Steve

[Richard Dragin]

Did someone say "Rocking Chairs"? I have built five chairs from Hal's plans and here is a link to a thread with pictures of three of them....

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=69456&highlight=rocking+chair

I just started a website if you want to see some details but I must warn you the files are rather large, I have to resize them and add a bunch more content.

www.draginwoodworking.com

[John A. Williams]

Hey neighbor, nice to see a some one on here so close to me. Have you ever been to Cerritos College wood shop? They have great classes, not sure on a rocking chair class though. Fullerton college has a rocking chair class I'm fairly sure.
John

[John A. Williams]

Link to Cerritos Woodworking Dept.
http://www.cerritos.edu/wood/

[Richard Dragin]

Cerritos does have a rocking chair class but you will have to take prerequisite classes first. It is a great program and even the beginning classes would be good for any woodworker. William Ng teaches a class on Maloof style chairs at his school in Santa Ana, one week and you build a chair although I doubt you go home with a complete chair.

There is a differance between Hal's design and the Maloof style chairs in those programs, I am biased but I feel Hal's chair has several advantages in comfort over the Maloof chair and the instructions are a valuable tool to enable you to build chairs after the class is over.

[Mike Henderson]

Brodie - I see you're located in Long Beach. I'll be attempting a Maloof style rocker at Cerritos starting in January. I say "style" because it will be my own (and my wife's) design but will use Maloof elements, such as the joint between the legs and the seat, and the back supports. It'll have shorter rockers because of the space it will go into.

As I go along, I'd be happy to show you what I'm doing.

Unfortunately, I don't have a nice set of plans. I usually work from sketches and very rough drawings - certainly not full size drawings - and change a lot as I come to the fabrication point. I often just decide, "I don't like the way that's coming out. I'm going to change it."

You might already be way beyond my very limited capabilities so I don't know how much help I can provide, but I'm willing to offer any that I can. PM or e-mail me if you'd like to connect.

Mike

[John A. Williams]

Richard, your chairs are beautiful!

[Brodie Brickey]

I'd like to thank all of you for the information provided. I have to say, when you come to the Creek with a question, you get answers.

Mike & John: I've taken classes at Cerritos. They are great and thorough. They also have a good wood turning program for those that desire the vortex. Their facilities are fantastic and I can't recommend them enough.

Cerritos College unfortunately isn't offering WMT-246 the rocking chair class this semester, and I'm on a tight schedule to deliver by early March at the latest. I also haven't had the hand tool class there which is a requirement of WMT-246.

With good plans, I think I can get it done just in time. Fortunately I do have a pretty decent shop with most of the necessary tools, except enough clamps and space.

While I can always hope for a better deal out there, sometimes paying for it ensures you care about it. You run across so many sites nowadays that I just wanted to make sure that if I was putting that much money down I was going to get my money's worth. I think of plans as software, once the wrapper is off there are no returns. It is apparent from here and other places that woodworkers have used his plans, and received the support they needed.

Now if I could just find some Tiger Maple at a reasonable price...

[Fred Floyd]

I purchased the book and templates from Hal. The book is really a pdf, which can be printed. The pictures and there are lots of them are VERY HIGH QUALITY and can easily be blown up to 400% to see the detail.

I am about 80% completed with the chair and am very happy with the results. I did not have time to take two weeks for a class, but this book has been much like a university extension course. If there are problems, I just email or call Hal.

Last week Hal made a video of his work available. It is an 8-hour long video and covers nearly everything you need to know. There are a few discrepancies between the book and video, but that is due to his efforts at constant improvement.

So, for about $300 for the plans and video, plus the cost of the wood, I am going to have a $3500 chair and the expertise to build more of them for daughters-in-law and for myself. Yes, it takes a long time to learn how to build the Maloof-Style rocker. But $300 was a good investment. Without the trial and error that would have occurred otherwise.

I have a decent set of woodworking equipment but still had to purchase the obligatory bits and pieces. There isn't a straight line in that chair, so there was a lot of learning on my part. The time spent has been well worth it.

[John Harden]

William Ng school of Woodworking in Anaheim has a class on building a Maloof style rocker. I've taken one of William's classes and he is amazingly talented at figuring out how to make extremely difficult pieces and showing students how to break it down into manageable parts.

Very laid back and unassuming style. William's a great guy.

In the class I took, we made a Blacker House arm/dining room chair. 8 days of 10+ hours, but in the end, we completed them.

I highly recommend William's classes. Here's a link to his website where you'll find a class schedule. They call the Maloof rocker a "sculptural rocking chair".

http://www.wnwoodworks.com/index.php

Regards,

John

[Michael Flores]

Try this guy, i think i got this off the creek.


http://www.finewoodworker.com/

[Gregg Feldstone]

I get emails from this company all the time:

http://www.americanfurnituredsgn.com/Maloof_influenced_rocker.htm

Has anyone used their plans?

[Fred Child]

I think the only plans needed to build a nice rocker are the basic dimensions involved, since the final product is so sculpted and individual.

Lots of info out there from people who have built rockers and been kind enough to post it online (bunches here included!). A few of my favourites:

http://shootingboard.net/woodworking/maloof-rocker/ (this guy doesn't do splayed back legs, but otherwise good info - see the two below on how to splay legs without special router bits).

http://www.woodgen.com/woodwork/rocking_chair/chair.htm

http://thecraftsmanspath.com/category/projects/page/2/ (this one is still in progress, beginning with "Sculpted Rocking Chair: Stock Prep, Layout and Rear Legs").

Some basic dimensions from Gary Weeks:

http://www.garyweeks.com/rocking_chair_dimensions.htm

These dimensions can be varied somewhat, however are a good basis to work from to make your own design.

Here is some interesting info on rockers:

http://www.rockingchairs.net/Pages/RockerRadiusExplanation.htm





(http://thecraftsmanspath.com/2009/02/16/sculpted-rocking-chair-stock-prep-layout-and-rear-legs/)

[Richard Dragin]

Fred,
Have you built a rocking chair?

[Fred Child]

Fred,
Have you built a rocking chair?

Of the Maloof style? No, however I have the beginnings of one in my workshop. Stay tuned and I will post in a new thread within this next week.

[Jacob Mac]

I get emails from this company all the time:

http://www.americanfurnituredsgn.com/Maloof_influenced_rocker.htm

Has anyone used their plans?


Not a rocker, but other plans. The last plan I bought was riddled with errors and inconsistencies. I had to email the original designer several times asking what in the heck was going on with the plans.

Fortunately, he was very nice, and extremely helpful. But I don't think I should have had to go through the lost time, wood, and trouble. YMMV

[Richard Dragin]

.............. I have the beginnings of one in my workshop.

Well I'm interested to see your progress and look forward to the thread. Another resource for those that want to figure it out on their own is the Yahoo Group "Rocking Chairs". Many of the members are mainly interested in building a Maloof style chair without the benefit of purchased plans.

[Fred Child]

Thanks for the tip Richard!

For me both the research and figuring the design aspects is all part of the creative process, something I enjoy almost as much as working with the wood itself. The info needed is definitely "out there", it just takes a little time and patience to bring it all together.

Last year I built a drop side crib for my new boy who was born in June. That involved the same process. With this I came across the inevitable info on the dangers of drop side cribs. With this in mind I came up with my own design, no purchased hardware, and a far more stable crib (traditional drop sides are notoriously shaky) and one that has no possibility of ever having the side come loose. I'd like to post that somewhere also, however I am going to try and make some money from the unique design so its kind of a secret at present :p

In the end I built the crib from scratch, with only the mattress measurements at hand and nothing drawn on paper. It came together surprisingly well. I guess I have a knack for just letting something grow from things I can see in my head. In this respect building a Maloof style rocker is particularly attractive.

I am not particularly happy with the traditional butt/dowel joints used to join the arms to the back and front legs. Tonight I am researching alternatives. I have a picture in my mind of the joint I want, however thus far I have not found any like it done by others.

I have decided to do the seat as Sam did them in his later years rather than from a flat slab. More when I begin my own thread!

[Henry Hewitt]

I know this reply is pretty late but another place to get good plans is
www.mesquiterocker.com (http://www.mesquiterocker.com).
I have built a few chairs from these plans and they have all come extremely nice.
The plans are very detailed with good photos and full size template patterns.

cheers

[Tim Mahoney]

Brodie,

I build Maloof style chairs with scuptured front legs instead of turned. I also "twist" the arms. I learned from a top notch woodworker in Montana how to make this type of chair. Making the templates and forms take some time. I'm not too far from you so you are welcome to visit and check out my templates and forms. I spent an afternoon visiting Sam Maloofs workshop and home back in June before he died. What a wonderful and helpful person he was. He believed in giving back and that's what I try to do.

[Mike Thomas]

Brodie,

I am sure that there are many ways to accomplish what you want to do out there. I have built a Hal Taylor chair from his first set of plans and have to say they are top notch. I was intimidated at first, but I would say if you are an average woodworker with a decently equiped shop it should be no problem. You don't need to attend his class to build one of his chairs.

I think the real decision is which of the chairs in the Maloof style do you want to build or do you want to do your own version.

Mike Thomas