Rob’s Rocking Horse

Rob’s Rocking Horse

This little rocking horse was my very first project with our magazine, which at that time was called Today’s Woodworker. It was designed by Dan Jacobson, who must have experienced a rush of endorphins whenever he read or heard the word “articulated,” as his designs often featured more moving parts than the space shuttle.

This rocking horse featured a hollowed-out body which hid a pivot point enhanced by a couple of springs – a contraption that theoretically allowed the horse to “rock.” I built the piece, and then we took it to the photo studio. Our model was a grandchild of a staff member. As the game little cowgirl hopped onto the horse, it pivoted all the way forward … and stayed there.

“Lean back, Honey! Pull back on the handles!” we encouraged.

After several minutes of extreme effort from the little wrangler, she said “I am pulling back …  and it doesn’t work.” Which turned out to be entirely accurate.

The photo shoot continued from there, and additional springs and engineering were employed to create a properly working version of the rocking horse before we went to press. It has actually turned out to be a reasonably popular and durable children’s project, despite its shaky beginning.

– Rob Johnstone, Editor in Chief

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