Doll's Rocking Chair
Robert Meleiseā
Remuera Intermediate School
Year 8 Hard Materials
Teacher: Geoff MacCulloch
Student workbook (.pdf file, 1Mb)
Robert was asked to develop a gift, something meaningful that his stakeholder would cherish, and decided to make a toy for his one-year-old niece. He first thought about creating a mini drum set on a platform but realised that this would be too difficult to construct in 12 two-hour lessons, he then considered other toys suitable for a young child. Remembering how much his sister had enjoyed a rocking chair their grandfather had made for her, Robert chose to make a rocking chair for his niece's favourite doll as a Christmas present.
Robert decided that size was an important factor, so measured the doll and looked at other examples of rocking chairs to decide how big his one should be. He found the planning stage of his project a bit tricky, but it helped him realise the links between the different steps in developing an outcome; for example, that size might determine which materials are chosen and how they will be joined.
Robert realised that he needed to make paper templates of each section to ensure they were the correct size and shape and that they fitted together well. He says that using templates helped him ensure the measurements were accurate and that he got the proportions of each section right as well as helping with drawing cutting lines on the wood.
The chair was constructed in custom-board. Robert commented that the hardest part of the project was drilling the holes for the dowel at the bottom and setting the drill press at the correct angle for the dowel pieces. One problem that arose was that the chair tipped back too far when rocked – he resolved this by adding a shaped piece of timber which added weight at the front of the chair.
The wood Robert used was quite pale "and looked a bit boring", so to give it the "old fashioned" look he wanted, Robert chose a suitable colour and painted the chair.
Robert enjoyed the challenge involved in his project and says that he liked the Gift unit because it is "real" and each person can choose what suits them and their stakeholder. If making the chair again, he would make it a bit bigger and curve the back to give a more "professional" look, but Robert would look to do something more challenging if developing another gift.
Teacher comment
Robert chose a challenging outcome to create for his stakeholder. He used templates to ensure the size and shape were accurate and in proportion and also for the angles for the dowel pieces to ensure they lined up.
Having a real stakeholder helped Robert to stay focussed, and he kept referring back to his stakeholder's needs. The detail in his planning is exceptional and his plan of action was a working document that he regularly referred to.
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