The Mezzotint Rocker Jig
How to use
  
                   
               
           
      - Bolts should go through the two holes with a washer at the head of the bolt.    
      - Rocker blade goes on first, with the teeth facing out.    
     

- Then put the weight onto the bolts.

    
      - Then put the other washer on against the weight followed by the lock washer and wing nut. Make sure to tighten wing nuts down before rocking (it may help to use a wrench to hold the head of the bolt in place while you tighten the wing nut).    
     

(I suggest taking the handle off of your rocker, but it is not necessary)

    
           
     

 

    
           
     

Rocking with the jig:

If you are used to hand rocking, rocking with the jig may feel awkward at first. It takes some getting used to, but you will never want to hand rock again! Rock with a forward and back motion while applying pressure both down and forward, but don’t try to rock too fast or push it forward too aggressively. This will cause inconsistent rocking and open spacing between rocked strokes. The rocker jig is designed to give your rocker blade the correct angle for rocking, which also helps the rocker to move itself forward. Once you get a feel for rocking with the jig, you will see that you can get tighter and much more consistent rocking. You will also be able to rock faster than hand rocking. This device is also much easier on the hand and wrist, but you will still get tired (it is mezzotint!). I usually put a piece of the anti-skid mat (rubber mat found with drawer/cabinet liner and contact paper in a hardware store) under the back end of the rocker to help keep it from moving or sliding while I am rocking.