Adirondack Chair

Once the yard work and home repairs are done, you'll need a place to relax. Great-looking Adirondack chairs are comfortable as well as easy and affordable to make--much less than the hundreds of dollars you might pay for a manufactured Adirondack chair.

Materials:

• one 8' length of 1" x 6" pressure-treated lumber
• one 8' length of 2" x6" pressure-treated lumber
• two 8' lengths of 2" x 4" pressure-treated lumber
• one 8' length of 1" x 8" pressure-treated lumber
• four 8' lengths of 1" x 4" pressure-treated lumber
• three 8' lengths of 1" x 2" pressure-treated lumber
• 2" and 2-1/2" galvanized screws
• tablesaw
• router
• jigsaw
• yardstick
• string
• pencil
• exterior latex paint

Cut pieces to size

1. Out of 2x4 material, cut two 21" front legs and a 25-1/2" stretcher (the stretcher acts as a brace between the two front legs). Use a router or a table saw with a dado blade to cut a 1-1/2" wide by 1/2" deep notch, four inches from the bottom of each front leg. The stretcher will fit in the notches.
2. Next, cut the back braces from 2x4 material. The back braces will be 26-1/4" long and will have a 55-degree angle cut on one end. (figure A).
3. Then cut the back legs from 2x6 material. The back legs will be 36" long and have a 30-degree cut on one end and a curved cut on the other (figure B).

4. Cut an upper back support from a 2x6 (figure C). The back support is 21" long and will have an 19" radius curve, which you can create using a yardstick. Drive a nail through the yardstick at the 18" mark so that the yardstick can swivel. Then drill a hole at the 1" mark (for a total of 18 inches) that's large enough to accommodate a pencil. Start at one corner of the board and swivel the yardstick to make a curved mark from corner to corner (figure D).

5. Cut a lower back support and rear seat slat from a 1x6 board. The lower back support will be 25-1/2" long and will have an 11-1/4" radius curve. When marking your curve, make sure the top of the curve is no less than 1-1/2" from the edge of the board. After you mark the curve, mark a cutting line down the length of the board, 2" from the edge closest to the base of the curve. When making your cuts, start along the straight line and then proceed along the curved line. This will create both the lower back support and the rear seat slat (figure E).
6. Cut two arms from 1x8 boards. (You can attach the 1x8s together so that you can be sure the arms match one another.) The arms are 30" long, and the cutting lines can be drawn free-hand. Keep in mind that the curve of the arm will need to go toward the outside of the chair, and there will need to be a notch to accommodate the back brace at the inner rear of each arm (figure F). You should design your arms so that a 2" x 7" angled arm brace is produced from the trimmed- off wood.

7. Cut seven back seat slats from 1x4 boards. The seat slats will be 35-1/2" long and will be tapered from 3" at the top to 2" at the bottom.
8. Cut eight 25-1/2" seat slats from 1x2 boards.

Assemble the Chair

9. Assemble the two side supports. Using 2-1/2" galvanized screws, attach the back support 3-1/2" from the back of the chair on the back legs; then attach the back legs to the front legs (figure G). Do one side and then the other. Drilling pilot holes as you go makes the job go faster and prevents the wood from splitting. Counter-sinking the holes helps hide the screw heads.
10. Place the stretcher in the notches on the front legs, and attach it from the outside of the legs, using 2-1/2" screws.
11. Lay the upper back support on the top of the back braces, making sure they're flush on each end, and attach with 2-1/2" screws (figure H).

12. Center the arm braces on the outside top of the front legs, and attach them with 2-1/2" screws (figure I). You'll need to drill pilot holes through the edge of the braces to attach them.
13. Lay the arms in place on top of the support. Fasten the arm to the support first, using 2" screws (figure J). This will level the arm to determine where the back of the arm will fasten to the back support.

14. Drill pilot holes, and fasten the back of the arm to the back support, using 2" screws.
15. Fasten the lower-back support to the rear legs just above the curve in the seat (figure K).
16. Place the back slats on the upper and lower supports. Find the center of the top and bottom back supports, and place the middle slat first (figure L). Place the outer slats next, then evenly space the two middle supports on each side. Attach all slats with 2" screws.

17. Attach the rear seat slat so that it fits together with the back slats. Then, evenly space the seat slats along the seat, and attach them with 2" screws. Make sure the last slat on the front of the chair overhangs a bit so that it covers the sharp edge on the front of the back leg.
18. Drive a finishing nail into the center of the center slat. Attach a string to the nail, and attach a pencil to the other end of the string. Use it to mark a rounded contour across the top of the chair (figure M). Remove the nail. Use a jigsaw to cut along the contour, then sand the edges until smooth.

19. Finally, apply two to three coats of exterior latex paint.