Today’s project

Anyone with a new baby in the family – from new parents to great-grandparents – will enjoy the soothing to-and-fro motion of this glider rocker project. In fact, you don’t even need a new baby to appreciate the relaxing qualities of this cozy chair.

Unlike an ordinary rocking chair, a glider rocker has its seat suspended in its own frame, so the unit “glides” back and forth instead of rocking. As a result, the chair moves more smoothly than a traditional rocker while taking up less space.

What you do

This do-it-yourself version features an innovative mechanism to produce its gliding motion, using tee-nuts, bolts and washers instead of ball bearings. The design not only makes the project easier to build, but eliminates hard-to-find (and expensive) parts. In order to simplify construction even more, all of the chair’s curved cuts are traced from full-size patterns.

Materials for the glider rocker include oak plywood, dowels and spindles, tee-nuts, bolts and washers, screws, nails, wood buttons, stain and finish. Chair pads come in many colors and styles and are available at many furniture and department stores.

The completed chair measures 41 inches tall by 24 inches wide by 25 inches deep.

How to order the plan

The Glider Rocker plan, No. 853, is $9.95 and includes step-by-step instructions with photos, full-size traceable patterns, construction diagrams, a shopping list and cutting schedule and a toll-free help line for project questions.

A package of rocking chair plans, No. C162, is $24.95 and includes this project plus a traditional rocking chair, a porch rocker and an outdoor rocker. Please include $3 for postage and handling (except catalog-only orders) and allow about two weeks for delivery.

To order by mail, clip this article and send it with a check or money order to U-Bild Features, c/o The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2383, Van Nuys, CA 91409.

To order by credit card, call (800) 828-2453. Visit U-Bild on the Web at u-bild.com.