Splats

rocking chair splats on a dolly

The splats in our chairs are curved to fit your back.


  • The curved back of our rocking chair was found by testing and is proven by review.
  • We select so the growth rings are perpendicular to the edge that will become the face of a splat: the strongest orientation.
  • We choose two blocks of wood, end to end in the board, that will make at least four splats each.
  • We produce them with precision. Note the "run" of splats on the dolly in the photo above.
fixture and rocking chair splat blanks

We use a fixture to guide the splat blank over the pattern shaper and true its face to line and curve.

Autumn truing face of rocking chair splat

With the help of a marking gauge and a point guide clamped to the bandsaw table, we cut a splat from the block, at the same time making a rough cut for the face of the next splat.


And so on we go:
One of us truing the face of a splat at the shaper,
and one of us sawing the splat from the block at the bandsaw.

Aaron and Austin running rocking chair splats

We sand out the milling marks and fit the thickness of the splat at our shop-built chairback sander.


We round over the edges on the router table.

rounding over rocking chair splats

We sand to fit.

Audra sanding splats to fit

They fit.