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Thread: ply rocking horse

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Timmins, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    1,825

    Default ply rocking horse

    Back in 2012 when I purchased my Shopbot, I started drawing a rocking horse in Aspire, which I planned to build for my then 1 yr old son, Joseph.

    Well, as time carried on (Joe's now almost 5) I never did get to it.

    A few weeks ago, I found the file I started, and thought it was time to actually finish it up and make one for my other boy, Max, who's approaching 1 1/2.

    The whole rocking horse is cut from a 1/2 (48" by 48") sheet of 12mm (1/2") Baltic birch plywood. The rockers are two layers, the head is three, and the body is kerfed from underneath, with a 1/8" bit, to bend neatly around the radius. There is one other rectangular piece of ply set into a groove where the radius stops. The body is very strong.

    The only other part is a few lengths of maple dowel I turned on my big copy lathe.

    I have to make a few small tweaks to the file (want to move the placement of the holes in the body a wee bit to have the horse sit a bit more towards the rear at rest). But if anyone wants the file let me know, I'd be happy to share. I cut it out with a 1/4" bit and did the kerfs with a 1/8" bit. WHen you bend the ply the kerfs close up, and I got the spacing bang on.

    Here is my older son, Joe, testing the thing out before Christmas...






  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Clayton, NC
    Posts
    449

    Default

    Andrew

    Thats is fantastic! Looks great and lots of fun for the little ones. I've been thinking of doing something similar, would love the file to play with.
    Daniel E.
    ShopBot PRS 48x96 (2010 Model)
    Porter Cable Router
    Vacuum Table w/ 2 Fein vacs
    Aspire 9.0

    What I do when I don't mess up wood: http://www.pathhome.net

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Timmins, Ontario, Canada
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    Default

    Dan,
    Just send me a PM with your email. I will tidy up the file today if I can (just tweaking a few minor things) and send it out. I am also adding the tail, which I cut by hand on the band saw, but there is lots of room to put it onto the material as well.

    The main change I did is make the rocker slightly non- symmetrical - so make sure when you glue them up, they both face the same direction. And put the longer arm of the rocker to the front, to get the body back about an inch past the center of the arc. The horse rocks well.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Kennebunkport, Maine
    Posts
    4,419

    Default

    Andrew,
    Sorry to say that as good as the horse is it takes second stage to the smiles.
    I'd say it was a successful cut
    scott
    scott P.
    2013 Desktop/spindle/VCP 11.5**
    Maine

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Timmins, Ontario, Canada
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    1,825

    Default

    Scott,
    My little guy is a bit small yet to get up on it by himself - but it wont be long. Maybe another month or two by the way hes growing!

    I have the file cleaned up. Should have all parts necessary - except the dowel. I left about 3/32" material for the kerfed section, and ran the face ply across the width of the body. A little damping of the ply makes it easier to bend, and I eased mine little at a time until it curved around and the kerfs closed up.

    Again, just PM me your email, and I can send the Aspire file. I saved it in version 4, so you dont need the latest to open it.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    7,832

    Default

    I can't believe that is "Little Joe" already! Have you been feeding him a steady supply of sawdust in his oatmeal so he carries on the family business? What is fun about the pictures is that the kid is happy with a toy that is NOT electronic.
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  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
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    Timmins, Ontario, Canada
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by myxpykalix View Post
    I can't believe that is "Little Joe" already! Have you been feeding him a steady supply of sawdust in his oatmeal so he carries on the family business? What is fun about the pictures is that the kid is happy with a toy that is NOT electronic.
    Jack
    The only electronic thing we have is my old iPad. He gets to watch a few kids videos on YouTube once and a while. And a few kids apps.

    Mainly he does regular kid stuff like I did. Lego, hot wheels, other traditional boy toys like nerf guns etc. No sling shots yet lol. Maybe next summer. I did get him a cool slot car set for Christmas. Kind of for me too lol.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Delray Beach, FL
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    3,708

    Default

    I have always suspected that the Shopbot was developed due to a childhood fascination with Erector Sets.
    Bill (who obviously loved Tinker Toys when he was a kid) may admit that at some point but not sure Ted would!
    If you look at the first one with the cables and sliding door wheels there is a definite resemblance!
    I'd like to play with that but would need exported lines as my highest Vectric software is VCP.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
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    Timmins, Ontario, Canada
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by bleeth View Post
    I have always suspected that the Shopbot was developed due to a childhood fascination with Erector Sets.
    Bill (who obviously loved Tinker Toys when he was a kid) may admit that at some point but not sure Ted would!
    If you look at the first one with the cables and sliding door wheels there is a definite resemblance!
    I'd like to play with that but would need exported lines as my highest Vectric software is VCP.
    Dave,
    Although I appreciate being able to make things that make me $$, it is as much of a reward to make things just for fun, as you suspected! I only wish I had more free time in my working day/week to do more things like this.

    I can send you the .dxf file if you want, that should be able to be imported into VCP, no?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Delray Beach, FL
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    3,708

    Default

    That would work fine.
    Thanks.

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