I’m planning to make some rocking horses for a folk-artist. She’s given me a fairly good plan, but is there a magic formula for the rockers? I’m uncertain as to the radius and length that will give me a fun but safe rocking motion.
Rob Johnstone: I am not aware of a magic formula. I have built several rocking horses in my life (the least successful was dubbed the “rocking doggy” by my wife), and simply tested the length and radius of the rockers with scrap lumber. This allowed me to address aesthetics and usability at the same time. One very practical way to approach this situation is to find a similarly sized rocking horse, and see how well its rockers work. This will give you a great starting point.
