A Maloof Style Rocking Chair - Making Templates

My first step was to go to a copy shop and have the plans duplicated so I could keep the original and use the copy for making the templates.  With three exceptions I used thin plywood underlayment for the base.  The exceptions were for jigs to cut dados, the form to laminate the rockers on and the back slats template.  The jigs had to be thicker (¾”) to provide support and registration for the dado.  The rocker form needed to be thicker (1½”) and solid enough to allow clamping of the laminating plies that form the rockers while gluing.  The back slat template needed more flexibility, so I used thin plastic laminate.

Building Jig Blank for Rockers

To make the templates I cut the paper copy apart leaving an inch or so beyond the finish size and glued it to base material with the same spray adhesive I use for mounting photos to foam core.  

Paper Pattern Mounted on Backer

Once glued I cut close to the line with the bandsaw then used an oscillating drum sander, disk sander, files, and hand sanding to fair the curves and match the paper pattern.  

Bandsawn Template

Finished Template

One thing that I noticed on the paper templates is that whatever CADD program the templates were developed on the large curves were not completely smooth.  By that I mean on close inspection you could see the individual straight segments that made up the curve.  It was not a big item as I cleaned them up when going from the bandsaw cut to finished template.  Also, it probably won’t make a real difference in the final sculpting as that is done by eye and to touch.

Completed Templates

Next up – Seat Mockup, Part 1 Rough Cutting