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
