Rocking Horses - Getting Started
by Anthony Dew
People often tell me they would like to have a go at making a rocking horse - it's such a lovely project - but are nervous at the prospect, especially if they haven't done any woodcarving before. They want to know whether they could do it. It's a tough question but I give them a simple answer: Yes. I know that is true because over the years I have helped literally thousands of people to succeed in making rocking horses. Often these have been people who may have done little woodworking before, and no carving. If it's a project that really appeals to you and you work at it, you will almost certainly succeed. I never tell people it's easy, but it's a project within the reach of anyone with a desire to do it, a few tools and a degree of persistence. It always seems to be the head that gives people the most concern. So how do you start?
To begin with you need a plan, and plans are available to suit woodworkers of all abilities. Some of the simpler plans are for horses with heads that involve no carving at all, they are merely a silhouette cut out of the wood, sometimes with the corners rounded over, but for a 'proper' rocking horse, i.e. the traditional Victorian style of thing like Granny used to ride, a carved head is the thing to do. Initially the shape of the head is transferred from paper to wood and cut out with a bandsaw or jigsaw or even, as one chap did who had a powerful aversion to electric power tools, by hand with a coping saw. On miniature or very small rocking horses such as the half size for dolls, the head and neck is a single piece of timber which could be a soft variety like Jelutong which is very easy to carve. But on larger versions the head and neck is often made from several pieces of wood glued together to achieve the necessary size and shape, and a tougher timber should be used.
At the present time my favourite timber for carving all types of rocking horses apart from models, is Tulipwood, otherwise known as North American Poplar (or Liriodendron Tulipifera). This is a plantation hardwood which carves well, is not too hard but tough enough to take the knocks, is stable and relatively fault free and is available in all the necessary dimensions (and some pretty big stuff is needed for larger rocking horses). It can be painted, but looks attractive and takes stain and varnish well for a natural finish. Other types of timber can be used, such as lime or sycamore, but whatever you use it is important to start with good quality well seasoned timber, otherwise you may run into cracking problems later.
As for tools, miniature and half size horses can be carved with a scalpel or a sharp penknife and coarse abrasive paper wrapped round a thin dowel. Tackling a larger rocking horse requires a few specialised carving gouges; my most favoured tool is a 1 inch (25mm) number 4 straight gouge with a shallow sweep. With this gouge most of the carving of the head can be accomplished, but a smaller one is needed for hollowing the nostrils and ears, and a small chisel for cutting the teeth. Before the carving proper commences, some guidelines are pencilled in, and some of the waste wood around the ears can be cut away with a coping saw.
It is necessary to work with the grain of the wood when carving, and to avoid the tool's cutting edge digging too far into the wood, which can result in a piece splitting off and ruining the work. If you take it steadily, only cutting away small slivers or pieces, you should be able to retain good control and see clearly how the work is progressing. This is three dimensional carving; the corners are to be removed (because a horse does not have corners) but the shape is constantly changing as you cut away the timber, so keep looking at it from different angles. If you find yourself becoming frustrated with it, do not bash away in the hope that your blows will make it come right. Rather, leave it alone for a while and then come back to it with a calm mind and a fresh eye, when it will begin to come right for you. Carving should not be rushed, it is more tortoise than hare activity, and should be enjoyable.
As with all things, a degree of preparation helps to ensure success. Some people find that making a model out of Plasticine or similar material helps them to get a better feel for the shapes involved. And of course you can easily carve bits off a Plasticine model without worrying that you cannot put them back. It can also be helpful to look at real horses, though the rocking horse traditionally is a very stylised form which in many respects does not look much like the real thing at all, though it is always instantly recognisable as a horse. Tackling a project like this is very much a process of leaning about how things you thought quite familiar really do look, and turning that perception into something tangible. As one new maker commented recently, 'I thought I knew what a horse looked like until I tried making one!' But when he finished it his rocking horse looked just brilliant, his own creation.
