Fourteen years ago, the Hopper family passed another milestone in life’s journey. Our first grandson, Jon Grady Chapman celebrated his first birthday on June 13. He actually turned one on the seventeenth, but the thirteenth was a Saturday where family could attend.
It was rather big party.
Jon Grady’s uncle Andy, the interior designer, brought a cake covered
with a miniature circus tent. I really
thought with both extended families there that he should have brought a real
circus tent, but we won’t go there.
Jon Grady’s grandparents thought it would be nice to give
Jon Grady an heirloom rocking horse. We got
the idea after attending Friendship Baptist Church’s Sunday school get-together
at Harold Wayne and Charlotte Leonard’s cabin in Vineland, Alabama. When we saw it and asked what the horse cost,
I got the idea that I could make it out of better wood and build it cheaper
than the Gatlinburg price.
Remember, it was an heirloom horse. I love woodworking, but at the time I did not
have the place for my tools or the time to do much woodworking nowadays.
We asked Liz Thompson if she would take pictures of the
horse and e-mail them to me. Liz did and
I thought I could do it, but I realized that plans would be much better. Pam, our wonderful Associational secretary,
suggested that I look online for some plans.
I did and I ordered them from
I had the plans for several weeks before getting enough time
to undertake the project. I designated
one week of vacation to go back up home to Sugar Ridge and build an heirloom
rocking horse. My brother sells hardwood
and I got him to get me some cherry wood.
He handpicked me some beautiful cherry and sized it according to the dimensions
of the plan. He delivered it and I
immediately started to lay out the pieces from the patterns. I admit that I read the instructions several
times before starting. I know that is not
manly, but it is better to read instructions on some things before assembling
them.
I have a small band saw, but it is designed for thin small
horses and not heirloom rocking horses.
Cherry is hardwood, but it is a good wood to use. I decided to go to a Lowe’s and get a new
jigsaw. My old one has disappeared. I think an interior designer has it. While at Lowe’s I decided that I need a belt
sander achieve a more quality finish. I
am glad I got the cherry wood cheap, tool costs were rising, but nothing
compared to today’s prices. I thought a
trip to Gatlinburg for a purchase might be cheaper.
With new tools, I cut out the horse and sanded the pieces to
perfection. I started assembling some
pieces and I realized I needed a biscuit cutter, biscuits, and wood glue. No, I was not cooking, but in cabinet
building, biscuits, or oval shaped dowels, help to strengthen joints when
gluing wood together. I made another
trip to Lowe’s. Did you know that Lowe’s
stays open to
I returned to Linden where Uncle Aaron, and Poppy, that’s
me, started the process of creating an heirloom. The wood was too pink. I was convinced would turn dark but I stained
cherry wood with cherry stain and sealed it with three coats of floor grade polyurethane. It did look great. With the heirloom plans, I ordered a blond
mane and tail, saddle, bridle, and eyes, which made it more beautiful.
When Jon Grady sat on the horse, he made a clicking sound,
which brought smiles to everyone. I did
create a beautiful piece of artisanship and problems. Every kid at the party wanted a horse and
asked their dads if they could build one for them. It also means that when other Jon Gradys come
into the Hopper family that more heirloom horses will have to be created.
Gatlinburg sure looks nice in the fall of the year.
See, I have chosen
Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled
him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of
crafts-- to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut
and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship
(Exodus 31:1-4 NIV).
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