Designed and built by Fred Sneath of Stony Lake, Ontario, the swinging horse shown at left can be set up indoors or out. The two ropes at the front and the one at the back have rings at the end and can clip onto hooks screwed into ceiling joists. SneatWs version features interchangeable heads. |
3 /.-inch diameter, ‘/-inch thick |
SIDE VIEW |
Footrest /-inch dowel stock; 12 inches long |
Head Horse head can be made as for a stand-mounted rocking horse (page 67); a through mortise is then cut across the bottom end (page £4) |
Tenon Sized to accommo date a mortise in the animal’s head |
beat 2" x 10" x 11 A” |
Hole for seat locking pin |
Handle/suspension rail -A-inch dowel stock, 30 inches long, with a turned knob at each end |
Horizontal frame piect 1A"x3/"x |
Seat bracket sA"x 1 sA"x 9" |
Vertical frame pieces Two 36-inch-long 2-by – 4s locked together with through dowels; the pieces sandwich the head support at the top and the horizontal frame piece at the middle |
Supporting rope Features a metal clip at the top end that attaches to an eye hook threaded into a joist |
Seat locking pin Metal pin secures seat bracket to horizontal frame piece; corks pressed onto ends serve as a protective cover |
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1 Cutting the parts to size
Refer to the anatomy illustrations of the horse on page 78 to size the parts. Make the head from a 2-by-12 as you would for a stand-mounted horse, then cut a through mortise through the bottom end (page 84). Curve the bottom ends of the head support and one end of the frame pieces on your band saw. For the seat, you can use a bicycle seat as a template. To make the spacer disks, use a compass to outline the 314-inch circles on your blank and cut them out on the band saw (above).
Preparing the frame pieces for assembly
Mark holes for the dowels that will join the frame pieces together. On the vertical pieces, mark a hole about 114 inch from the top, and four more at 8-inch intervals. You will also need to drill a hole about 1/г inch below the top one for the handle. On the horizontal piece, mark the hole 1V* inch from the front end. Clamp a backup board to your drill press table and set the vertical pieces on top, aligning the edges and ends of the boards. Install a spade bit the same diameter as your dowel stock, then drill the top and bottom holes first so you can use the handle and footrest to keep the boards aligned as you bore the remaining holes (left). To avoid tearout, drill the holes from both sides of the stock. Next, bore the holes in the horizontal piece and the head support, making sure the holes in the support piece and the vertical pieces line up. Use a smaller bit to drill the holes in the horizontal piece for the seat locking pins; refer to the anatomy illustration for the location of these holes. Finally, drill a hole through the edge of the horizontal piece near the back end for the supporting rope.
1 Joining the head to the head support
Cut a tenon at the top of the head support to fit the through mortise in the bottom of the head. Then spread glue on the contacting surfaces of the pieces, fit the tenon into the mortise, and use a handscrew to hold the joint together on a flat work surface (left).
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1 Assembling the frame pieces
Before assembling the horse, cut the ‘/a-inch hardboard washers for the joints between the two vertical pieces. Then set one of the vertical pieces on a work surfaces and insert the handle and dowels in their respective holes. Slip a washer around each dowel, then install the head support, the horizontal frame piece, and the circular spacer disks. Add another set of washers and slip the second vertical piece in place (above). Use metal washers for the joint between the vertical and horizontal frame pieces, since this connection must stand up to considerable friction. Once all the pieces are in place, drive a finishing nail through each dowel and into the vertical frame pieces to secure the framework.
Installing the seat
Once you have cut the seat and seat brackets to size, drill clearance holes through the brackets for attaching them to both the seat and the horizontal frame piece. Screw the brackets to the underside of the seat (left), then use the locking pin to secure the seat to the framework. To cover the sharp ends of the pin, glue a wooden pad to one end and push a cork onto the other end once the seat in in place.