Rocking Chair University

I started teaching folks how to make rocking chairs about two years after I commenced making them for sale. Persistent fellows would hang around the shop inquiring about the possibility until one day I thought "Why not?" The first couple students experienced such joy at the completion of their chairs that I knew this was very worth my time doing. The feeling of joy and satisfaction was palpable, I would go to bed that night glowing from the radiation they gave off as they were giving their chair that last coat of finish.

I recognized very quickly that I could, single handedly, increase the amount of joy in this very large world we live in. Although I knew the percentage total would not be much of an increase, I also knew that the world could use all it could get. Thus I embarked in a serious manner to make available, in shop mentoring along with materials I could send out to prospective builders, enabling them to make this rocking chair. Whether folks come to the shop or purchase the plans and make chairs at home, the joy is awesome. I get emails from fellows who have completed their chairs and I can almost see the glow from the computer when they arrive.

Thus it is that I am making my small contribution towards peace in this world we share, and I do not take my responsibility lightly! I stick with every student, through thick and thin, until they are rocking. I have never failed to respond to an email because the person was asking too many questions and I never will.

I did have one lawyer who pushed me very near to my limit however several years ago BUT I never gave up on him. Upon completion of his chair, he was probably the most joyous of all of my students, thus making the effort very worth while. BUT -- then a very interesting thing happened - another lawyer purchased the plans and guess what? The emails commenced again, sometimes three or four a day. Then the old light bulb came on in my head and in my next email to this lawyer I just happened to mention that another one of his brethren had just completed a chair and "here is his email if you are interested." I never heard from the fellow again, although I did hear from the first lawyer and how joyous he was at having helped another person make a rocking chair!

That is life in the fast lane I suppose, I guess the moral of the story is:

Come on out and make an exquisitely comfortable rocking chair!

I'll leave the light on for you!

Here is the most recent email as I write this:

1st Rocker

Mon 2/4/2013 6:06 PM

From: Gerard & Martha

To: rock@haltaylor.com

Hal, Hope all is well? I wanted to drop you a line to let you know I finished my first rocker! It is wonderful, looks great, and the wife and kids think its awesome!

Most of all I wanted to thank you for putting a program together so that guys like myself ( very little furniture exp, but have the desire) can  make and create a piece of furniture that will last a lifetime

and will become something special.

It took 2 years of viewing your web site, with support from my wife and telling myself I could make that, and finally pulling the trigger to buy the templates, video,book, and putting the tools together.

Attached are some photos, its tiger maple, I  matched the joints and all of the wood grains as best I could, I will tell you, that where ever there is a glue up, you can not see the seam ,thanks to the veritas low angle jack,

I will never leave home without it!! My wife and I decided to donate the chair to the NEO Natal Unit at the local Hospital(First Health Moore Regional) So the nurses and new moms have something to sit in and rock their babies.

Believe it or not the is the first and only rocker in the ward, it will get a lot of use! (attached are pictures of the first mom to use it, with her twins)

 

Thanks Again for all of you help!

Gerry Murray

Pinehurst NC