Got a strange one. I’ve got two porch rockers sitting on a indoor/outdoor caprpeted porch. When you rock, the chair migrates forward about 1′ for every half hour of rocking. Gotta put my beer down, get up, pick the chair up, and move it back. The bottom of the rockers are smooth and painted. The carpet is low pile with no pad, just glued to the floor. Thought of maybe getting some of that slick plastic stuff and bradding it to the rocker bottoms, but I don’t know. Any suggestions?
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Replies
Dear Tom,
Most porches are built with a bit of pitch in them to shed rain water away from the house. Put a level on the porch, perpendicular to the house, it should lower, away from the house. If so, you are rocking on a slope and that could be the cause of the migration.
John
Built the porch myself, and included a 1" pitch for the 12' width. The rockers on the chair aren't paralell, but are narrower at the back and front, like most I've seen. Think I'll try the Slickit.
The rockers don't need to be parallel, but they should be at the same angle (reflected) relative to the centerline of the chair.
Course, if they're not, there's not a whole lot you can do to correct it really.
David C.
Wow... You have your priorities all wrong...
Don't EVER put your beer down! Stand up, take a slug then bump (with your calves) the chair back that inch, sit down and finish your beer!
Seriously though, one thing that will cause rockers to walk, shimmy or skate is if the rockers themselves are misaligned or not the same shape. Minor differences in their curvature will allow shifting back and forth , paticularly on a hard surface, and the rockers ratchet along. The pitch to the porch mentioned above will certainly accelerate things. Gravity...not just a good idea, it's the Law!
Long use may correct the problem...better buy tall-boys!
Regards,
David C.
Tom,
Try using one of those beer helmet things they use at football games. That way you won't have to set down the brewski to shove the rocker back!
Besides slope and misaligned rockers another possible cause is the nap of the carpet. If you turn the rocker around and face the wall and rock for half an hour, you can confirm that it is either the carpet or slope (you still creep in the original direction), or the rockers (you now creep towards the wall). Of course your neighbors will think you're strange.
OK, I'll give it a try. Might be dangerous though, the feral hogs might sneak up 'fore I can grab my shotgun...
THere is an actual reason for your rocker to migrate. I read an article on it and it has something to do with the shape of the rockers. I'll try and remember. But you might check some of the chair web sites or forums.
Ask on Drew Langsor(sp) forum
http://www.countryworkshops.org/forum.html
i was suprised to learn it when i did. It wasn't to long ago.
Here is one article
http://www.kappelusa.com/chairindex.asp
http://www.garyweeks.com/rocking_chair_walk.htm
http://www.rockingchairs-usa.com/page14.html
Edited 9/3/2005 9:19 pm ET by 8quarter
Edited 9/3/2005 9:22 pm ET by 8quarter
Tom,
Is there a catch to this? I am hepless with laughter....Obviously you have failed to tie her down.If you had a hitching rail running the length of yer porch you could then hitch several rockers to accommodate your buddies.
Bradding more carpet to the underside of the rockers would slow down the mean rate of rocking, Ah beleeive. Then again it may increase the rate of forward migration.
Yep, it's a nut scratcher, but do not despair, lots of talent on this forum. You may have to dismantle the rocker, as it may be found that the growth rings on the legs are incorrectly orientated.
Good luck.
Geez...laughter? This a serious, quality of life issue, and I get laughter. Cruel, cruel....:-)
The center of gravity is off a bit OR you got Ghosts movin' it on ya...
Screw it to the floor but may piss off the ghosts...
Looks like it shouldn't be a big deal to shim the porch up an inch or so- If that doesn't cure the problem, you might cut one of the rockers shorter than the other one which, theoretically, would have you migrating in circles, which is better than migrating straight off the edge of the porch- You might also consider a hammock- These and other solutions to common household dilemmas are treated in my forthcoming book, which you'll want to be sure to purchase at finer truck stops everywhere-
there has to be a solution and I'm sure it will involved duct tape as all of our studies using bailing wire on migratory rockers have proven fruitless. I wish I had a half hour to sit and rock with my iced tea. Then again I could get a laptop, go wireless and slap skeeters while i'm online.
r-p
Migrating rockers are no laughing matter- There was an article in Reader's Digest about a whole family being killed by one of them- It took a few years because it was a large family but, one by one, it got all of 'em- It's one of those unsolvable mysteries, like, who blew the bugle on Death Valley Days? Or, elyptical conclusions, where things look different than they really are- Personally, if my rocker migrated around I'd kill it with a hatchet- If it's me or the rocker, I'll go for the throat- Or whatever-
Migrating rockers - I thought this thread might have got summat to do with them Rollin Stones fellas but its not..........
Hell retro, I figured (all by myself) that it's gonna take about 60 hours rockin to fall off the edge of your porch - get back into your shop & make something you idle ratbag!
I am appalled at the unproductivity of this thread. I have recieved no assistance...only ridicule on the level of a Vaudville act.
I have decided to amputate the rockers from the chairs turning them into eunuchers. To provide the rocking motion, I will switch to vast quantities of Jack Daniels.
Now to figure out how to get back into the house....
<<<"...I am appalled at the unproductivity of this thread. I have recieved no assistance...only ridicule on the level of a Vaudville act...">>>
Well, I know I've done my best-
<<<"...I have decided to amputate the rockers from the chairs turning them into eunuchers. To provide the rocking motion, I will switch to vast quantities of Jack Daniels...">>>
Great- Now we have a drunk eunucker driver to contend with- See how a victimless crime like migrating rockers can eventually involve the family and, ultimately, the community at large?
<<<"...Now to figure out how to get back into the house....">>>
I dunno how you do it- I have a map in my wallet that says, "You are here"- Then I just go with that-
Did you buy that rocker in Juarez? Lot of 'Migratin' goin' on these parts
Those chairs are known as wet backs (From spilt Coronas)
Steinmetz.Edited 9/5/2005 9:50 pm ET by Steinmetz
Edited 9/5/2005 9:51 pm ET by Steinmetz
Tom, Tom ... the answer was provided - go look at the Gary Weeks site someone pointed you to - he has an explanation!
Here http://www.garyweeks.com/rocking_chair_walk.htm
Malcolm
http://www.macpherson.co.nz
Edited 9/5/2005 10:15 pm ET by Malcolm
I am appalled at the unproductivity of this thread. I have recieved no assistance...only ridicule on the level of a Vaudville act.DANG! We just sort of funnin' ya because there are NO easy answers to making the 'PERFECT' rocking chair...The center of gravity is off a bit .. I said that and thinks it is correct.. One leg or both legs...I really do not think you can correct without experimentation on building MANY rockers...
This idea has merit, rocking in circles. If you were to adjust the speed and circle diameter accurately, you could place a refridgerator at the apex of the circle and get another beer as you passed...
Always thinking!
DavidC
"Off yer rocker". Funny, My wife says that to me often?
Have you thought of an anchor? Or... a tandem rocker where two can rock side by each (Like a love seat?
I GOT IT! Rack and pinion meshing teeth both in the deck and on the runners.
CORRECTION.... Rack and Rack(no pinions I M O)
Steinmetz
Edited 9/5/2005 5:21 am ET by Steinmetz
Edited 9/5/2005 11:45 am ET by Steinmetz
I'm not sure why you'd think attaching the SlikTape to the bottom would improve things. With reduced friction, I think you'd be moving the chair a foot every 10 minutes instead of 30 minutes. It might make a pretty good entry in a Luge race though:-). I'd think you'd want some sort of non-skid material on the rocker bottoms instead. Or is the tape just to make it easier to slide back into position?
Waddaya mean it wont fit through the door?
Seems to me that the SlickIt would reduce traction on the nap of the carpet. Reduced traction would equal less or no movement.
The equation should read
T= Traction N= Nap R= Rocker S= SlcikIt B= Beer M= Speed of Migration
T+R=M-N/S=-M/T=B-S=<MB=B(squared)
It all becomes very clear when you approach it logically and provide an equation.
Look for an article on this breakthrough in Scientific American...
Ahhh. Now it all makes sense. At least up until M (Speed of Migration) starts to approach Mach1. At that point, you'll be unsure of where the sonic boom came from and probably start questioning your choice of beer.
Waddaya mean it wont fit through the door?
I can't quite see the problem here. I have to get up every half hour to get another beer anyway... and to pass along the previous one... No reason to set down your beer.
"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler." A. Einstein
http://www.albionworks.net
Tom; I've got it= Velcro!!! If you can deal with the sound of the Velcro being done and undone while you rock it will absolutely keep the chair from migrating. Also inexpensive. Good luck, Duke
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