How to make a rocker?

[ballin_n_shawlin]

can Any one tell me how 2 make a rocker?

i'm sure there are alot of different ways... My son is a fancy dancer. And he's earned his head roach.

any pictures. drawings.. or preferably a "connect the dots" way 2 make a rocker :P would be helpful...

(or even a link to where i can see how 2 make one)

Thanks in advance :D


(ps... i'm experimenting and trying right now but i don't want 2 do 2 much damage 2 his roach spreader :D)

[Tibiki Kinew]

Pow Wow Terminology


This site has lots of details to the idea you are searching for! Hope it helps!

[SoCalFancy]

Sorry its not pretty, but it gets the job done.

I've seen tons of different rockers. Each one different, but does the same thing. Some guys even try to make a rocker that has spinners on it, but I have yet to see it done well.

Essentially its simple you will need the following, materials or at least similar materials:

Tools:
-Drill + drill bits
-Hot glue gun + glue (Other types of glue would work too)
-Needle nose pliers

Materials:
-2 or 3 metal hangers, the kind you get when you have things dry cleaned
-A strong material for the base (I use strap leather, but metal and plastic are common too)
-Several rubber bands (I've tried elastic strands and scrunchies, but nothing works better than rubber bands)
-Two shoe laces
-A few pony beads (Optional)
-Color tape
- a piece of wood or plastic no bigger than 3 x 3 inch max

I'll post again when I figure out how to put pictures up.

[ballin_n_shawlin]

I've seen tons of different rockers. Each one different, but does the same thing. Some guys even try to make a rocker that has spinners on it, but I have yet to see it done well.

Essentially its simple you will need the following, materials or at least similar materials:

Tools:
-Drill + drill bits
-Hot glue gun + glue (Other types of glue would work too)
-Needle nose pliers

Materials:
-2 or 3 metal hangers, the kind you get when you have things dry cleaned
-A strong material for the base (I use strap leather, but metal and plastic are common too)
-Several rubber bands (I've tried elastic strands and scrunchies, but nothing works better than rubber bands)
-Two shoe laces
-A few pony beads (Optional)
-Color tape
- a piece of wood or plastic no bigger than 3 x 3 inch max

I'll post again when I figure out how to put pictures up.

Thanks! :D:D

I have most of the required material you have up there.... I'll get some hot glue 2day.... :D:D thanks for the list of materials.... When i'm in grand entry i try 2 scope out the men's rockers.

and got a sort of idea from that... but like you said they're all done different.... and i have asked 2 guys i know pretty well how they've done theirs... but they didn't make their own... so thanks

[SoCalFancy]

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[SoCalFancy]

I'll attach some drawings with my instructions, but I'm no Da Vinchi.

Drill six holes in the base. Two at the front, two in the middle, two at the back. Holes 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6 should all be equal distance from each other. All of these holes must be drilled in the space that sits on top of your head, if the holes are drilled too far back the rocker won't work.

Another two holes need to be made for the shoe laces. Put hole A so it lines up with the hole in your roach, put hole B near the back in the middle so that the rocker can be secured to the roach without flopping around, you can also use hole B to go through the yarn/ rope base and become the back neck tie for the roach.

[SoCalFancy]

Use the bottom of the hanger because it is already straight. Using your pliers you will have to make a few bends. You might need to use a vice or two sets of pliers. Basically the shape you are trying to make is that of a Y shape or a foot ball goal. Start by finding the center of your length of rod and bend in completely in half. From the bend, measure about 2 or 3 inches up and mark it. This is where you are going to make your next bend. Make a 90 degree bend or right angle. From here you want to make one more bend so that the wire points straight up. The distance you choose before you bend it up is your choice. Finally you want to trim the excess wire off the edges trim it short enough so that when the feather is attached it sits at about the same height as the top of the base piece.

[SoCalFancy]

Next lets talk about the center part that the rocker hinges on. In my picture its the blue part. Some guys use a square piece and others use a a tube shape its all about preference. Wood or plastic is ideal. You will need to drill a total of 3 holes. Drill a hole no more than half way through, this will allow you to put your hanger that you just bent inside it. The other two holes must be all the way through. Both of them will be drilled near the bottom. One hole must be drilled left to right and the other one front to back. They will be drilled in intersection directions, but one hole will be drilled higher than the other so they don't actually touch each other. Of these two holes, the higher one will be used to hold the rod that bangs back and forth on the rubber bands, the lower one will be used as the center point that holds the center piece while it rocks.

[ballin_n_shawlin]

Next lets talk about the center part that the rocker hinges on. In my picture its the blue part. Some guys use a square piece and others use a a tube shape its all about preference. Wood or plastic is ideal. You will need to drill a total of 3 holes. Drill a hole no more than half way through, this will allow you to put your hanger that you just bent inside it. The other two holes must be all the way through. Both of them will be drilled near the bottom. One hole must be drilled left to right and the other one front to back. They will be drilled in intersection directions, but one hole will be drilled higher than the other so they don't actually touch each other. Of these two holes, the higher one will be used to hold the rod that bangs back and forth on the rubber bands, the lower one will be used as the center point that holds the center piece while it rocks.

thanks for the help so far!! :D:D:D i'm with ya!! the pictures are a big help! :D

[SoCalFancy]

Sorry I've been lagging the last few days, but I have just been recovering from Ft. McDowell.

Anyways, lets talk about the center piece a little more. You want to cut a piece of hanger that will catch on the rubber bands and bounce back and forth. The length should be a little bit longer than the distance between the two rubber band catchers. You want to make sure the rod isn't so short that it misses the rubber bands, but not so long that the rod might hit the base of the rocker. File down the ends or put tape on them so that they aren't sharp. Then stick the rod all the way through the top 1 of the 2 holes. Maker sure the rod is even on both sides of the centerpiece. Then glue it in place.

Next take the football goal shaped rod you bent earlier and stick it in the top hole you drilled. Glue it in place. Make sure that both the football goal shaped rod and the rubber band catcher rod point front to back on the roach not left and right. But you would realize that mistake as soon as you did it.

[SoCalFancy]

Now for the hard part. Its a little tricky to explain but hopefully some of the drawings that I posted earlier can help. If not I can put some more up.

You need to make the actually rubber band catchers. You are not making two identical catchers. They will be similar but not identical.

Cut two pieces of hanger as long and straight as you can. The longer the piece the more options you will have on how you want to finish it. Take the first piece of rod and stick it through the lowest hole on the center piece. Make it so that there is a equal amount of rod on either side of the center piece. Now bend the rod downward to make a right angle on each side. The key here is to have the rod go down through holes 3 and 4 that you made in the base. So if holes 3 and 4 are 2 1/2 inches from each other, make sure that there is a 2 1/2 inch distance between the two bends you just made. The most important part though is that there isn't a large gap on either side of the center piece before the bends otherwise the center piece will slide back and forth instead of going straight forwards and backwards.

Once you bend the rod downwards and put it through holes 3 and 4, make another right angle bend on each side so that the rods point in the direction of holes 1 and 2. The idea is you want to now bend the wire up and stick them through holes 1 and 2. I know, its easier said than done. It take some effort to get the wire up through those holes but once you do you're on your way. You can put some pony beads on the wire to decorate them or leave them blank. Make the catcher at a level that is slightly lower than where the rod that bangs against sits when it is completely level. If the catchers are two low it will take a lot of hard head shaking to move it back and forth and if the catchers are too high it won't rock very much either. I would recommend that the catchers sit somewhere around 1/2 inch lower than the rod that bangs against them. One way or another though you need to put the rubber bands on there. You can finish the catcher off by bending the ends into a loop, or by just bending it at an angle (That's what I did). Its all about preference.

You have to make one more catcher for the back now. This one is much easier to make. Find the center of the second length of hanger you cut and make two right angle bends that will cause the wire to look like a "U" shape. The distance between the bends should be the same as that of holes 5 and 6. This part is a little tough to explain so I will use the hands of a clock to help. When the bent rod is lying flat on the table the rod's ends should point at 3 o'clock (9 o'clock works too) measure about 1 inch from those bends and then bend the rod ends up towards 12 o'clock. Push the rod ends up through holes 5 and 6. Put the rubber bands on and finish the rod ends however you please (Loops, bends, whatever you like). Now you have to glue the wire under the base or it will wobble around when the catcher is hit. Now you are pretty much done, all that is left is to put the shoe laces in holes A and B. Then decorate to your liking. You will need to change rubber bands on a regular basis so look at them after every dance to see how they are holding up. One rubber band won't work on one catcher, you need a few. The more you put on the better its going to rock,but don't go overboard.

[SoCalFancy]

There are slight variations you can make to the design, but that is how a rocker is made. You can bend the wires a little different or make the base a little different but the design should essentially remain the same.

I've only seen one rocker with any beadwork around it, it was peyote beaded around the center piece. Most people just use colored tape and pony beads to jazz it up. Over all though its not about beauty for a rocker, its about function, if the rocker can keep up with a bullet song then nothing else matters.

[ballin_n_shawlin]

Awesome!!

There are slight variations you can make to the design, but that is how a rocker is made. You can bend the wires a little different or make the base a little different but the design should essentially remain the same.

I've only seen one rocker with any beadwork around it, it was peyote beaded around the center piece. Most people just use colored tape and pony beads to jazz it up. Over all though its not about beauty for a rocker, its about function, if the rocker can keep up with a bullet song then nothing else matters.

This is all very good info!! and i get what your talking about!!! I guess it's kind of what i was thinking how they were made... but not really... i had questions about the "catchers"s i guess... i have the rocker center piece made just how u described... and now i can get 2 work on the rest of it!! :D::D:D:D:D


thank you so much !

Now someone should take this thread and turn it into a tutorial *hint hint* n give socal all credit and future royalties :P:P i'll see what i can do about posting pics after i'm done!! again!! thanks alot!

[SoCalFancy]

Cool, best of luck. Don't be afraid to think outside the box.