The Adirondack Chairs Project
Adirondack chairs are an attractive addition to any outdoor setting and is pretty easy to build. These chairs are comfortable and very durable for use outside on the lawn, porch, or poolside.
Wood Types
Whatever type of wood you choose to use for your project be sure that you select boards that are as free of knots as possible.
Pine is good to use if you are going to paint the chair once you’re finished building it. Use quality exterior gloss enamel paint for best results.
- Cedar is better to use if you want a more natural wood finish. When the building process is complete coat the chair with a clear exterior wood sealer. This type of wood is also naturally resistant to rot and insect damage.
MATERIALS LIST Key No. Size and description (use) A 2 1-1/16 x 5 x 33-7/8-in. white cedar (rear leg) B 1 1-1/16 x 5-3/8 x 23-5/8-in. white cedar (rail) C 1 1-1/16 x 4-1/4 x 20-7/16-in. white cedar (stretcher) D 2 1-1/16 x 4-1/4 x 20-7/16-in. white cedar (front leg) E 2 1-1/16 x 2-1/2 x 6-in. white cedar (bracket) F 2 1-1/16 x 5-1/2 x 28-1/2-in. white cedar (arm) G 1 1-1/16 x 2-1/2 x 27-in. white cedar (stretcher) H 5 1-1/16 x 4 x 32-1/2-in. white cedar (slat) I 1 1-1/16 x 1-1/2 x 18-in. white cedar (support) J 5 1-1/16 x 3-3/8 x 23-5/8-in. white cedar (hinge block) K 1-1/2-in. No. 10 galvanized fh screw L 2-in. No. 10 galvanized fh screw M 2-1/2-in. No. 10 galvanized fh screw N 1/2-in.-dia. wood plug Misc.: Polyurethane glue, primer and paint. Joinery – You will be using galvanized deck screws to attach the joints together.
The screws are set into counter-bored holes and then covered with cedar plugs that are then glued in place. You will be using polyurethane glue in addition to the screws to give it added strength, especially in the end grain joints.1. Making the Pattern
- Using heavy cardboard or thick plywood make a pattern for the sides of the chair. Trace the shape on the pattern material and cut it out.
- Take the completed pattern and trace it on the side blanks.
- Using a miter saw or its equivalent to make the angled cuts on the ends of the side blanks.
- Using a sabre saw cut the work piece to shape.
- Cut to the waste side of the line and then work down to the line using a block plane and sandpaper. You want a really smooth finish free of saw marks.
2. Making Front Rail
- Rip it to width making it slightly bigger than you will need.
- Using a table saw cut beveled edges on the front seat support rail. (Use a feather board to prevent the work piece from kicking back.)
- Using a combination drill and countersink bit chucked in a drill press, bore and counter bore pilot holes in the front rail for fastening it to the sides. (This can also be done with a portable drill, or a drill and a drill stand. The counter board portion of the hold shouldn’t be more than ¼ inch deep.)
- Clamp one of the sides in a workbench vise with the front end facing up.
- Place the front rail over the side and bore pilot holes into the end grain of the side. (Do not forget to use a little glue bond to achieve a good joint.)
- Apply polyurethane glue to the end of the chair side applying again after a few minutes.
- Clamp the chair sides and rail in a vise, and drive the deck screws that fasten together the rail and chair sides.
- Repeat on the other side.
3. Cut the back stretcher to size
- Rip the angle on its front edge.
- Bore and counter bore the pilot holes applying glue to the joints.
- Fasten the stretcher to the chair sides.
- Rip and crosscut the front legs to size and then bore the pilot holes in them.
- Apply glue to the joint surfaces, and use clamps to temporarily hold the legs to the chair side assembly while you drive the screws to fasten the legs.
- Use a sabre saw to cut the arm brackets, and remove any saw marks with a pass from a block plane.
- Apply glue to the brackets clamping them to the front legs.
- Drill pilot holes for the screws.
- Drive the screws through each leg and into a bracket.
4. Making the Arms
- Using your sabre saw, transfer the arm profile to the arm blanks, and cut the arms to shape. (Stay to the waste side of the line and refine the shape after cutting. Sharp corners can be removed using a router and a 5/16-in.-rad. rounding-over bit.)
- Cut the arm stretcher slightly oversize, and use the table saw to rip the angle on its front edge.
- After tracing the radius profile on either end of the stretcher use the sabre saw to cut the shape.
- Use the router and rounding-over bit to round over the edges of the piece.
- Fasten the stretcher to the underside of the arms with screws and glue. (These do not need plugs because they are not directly exposed to moisture. Simply countersink the screw heads slightly below the surface of the wood. Check that the arms are square before fastening.)
- Temporarily place the arm assembly over the chair base using a cut piece of scrap stick to support the back.
- Bore pilot holes through the arms and into the end grain of the leg and arm bracket.
- Remove arms and apply glue to the joint, position and attach with screws.
5. Making the Back
- Rip the stock for the back slats to have width leaving it over length. (These pieces will be cut to a finished length later on.)
- Clamp the three center slats together with a 3/8-in.-thick spacer between each using a large compass to mark the curved profile.
- Cut out the curve with a sabre saw.
- Mark the curve on the two outer slats and cut them to shape.
- Use a 5/16-in.-rad. rounding-over bit in the router to cut a curved edge on the front and back of each slat. Crosscut them to finished length.
- Lay them out and bore the pilot holes in the slats to fasten them to the base of the chair.
- Holding the first slat in position on the chair you will fasten it to the stretchers with screws.
- Clamp the second slat to the first with 3/8-in. spacers between them, and screw that slat in place.
- Proceed across the chair back driving four screws through the front of each slat into each stretcher.
- Cut and install the upper back support stretcher to the back of the slats. (Clamps should always be used to hold the part into place to drive screws in accurately).
6. Seat Slats, Plugs and Finish
- First install the plugs in the back slats before installing the seat slats.
- Using a plug cutter in a drill press cut all the plugs you will need.
- Spread a little polyurethane with a small brush into each screw hole and then install the plugs.
- Plug all existing holes when the glue has dried and saw them nearly flush.
- Pare off the excess material using a chisel.
- Cut the seat slats to size and bore and counter bore pilot holes in them rounding top edges.
- Plane a bevel on the back bottom edge of the first seat slat to create a drainage space where the slat meets the chair back.
- Install the seat slats by screwing them to the chair sides with 3/8-in. spacers between them.
- Plug the screw holes.
7. Sanding the chair
- Sand with a120-grit sandpaper to remove rough spots and machine marks from the face of the lumber.
- Dust off the chair thoroughly, and apply an oil-based primer and two coats of oil-based gloss exterior paint to all the chair's surfaces, including the leg bottoms.
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