Adirondack Chair Build – Fine Woodworking Plans

I promised my wife years ago that I would make her some Adirondack chairs and I am finally getting around to it.  I bought some red cedar from a mill close by my house and unfortunately, I don’t think that I have enough to finish two chairs, so I will need to go back sometime soon.

Finding a plan that I liked was my biggest issue with starting this build.  I happened across a plan found in an old edition of Fine Woodworking that I liked and luckily it is online for free, so the link is right below if you want to check it out.

http://www.finewoodworking.com/assets/downloads/FW_OUTDOOR_MEM_APR2014.pdf

As of now, I have all of the pieces cut out.  I created the two patterns by copying the page by 400% and then attaching the paper to some 1/4″ plywood and cutting them out on the bandsaw.

All of the pieces excluding the back slats, have been rounded over on the router table.

To create the arches, I followed the directions for creating a compass….super simple.

I need to round up the hardware and then I will start assembling it next weekend.

More to come.

Looks good !! Can’t wait to see it all together 

I got some much needed shop time this weekend and I was able to finish my Adirondack Chair.

It seemed like the majority of this project was sanding….probably because that takes the most time.  Assembly only took a couple of hours and it only took that long because the plans left some important information out and I had to figure it out myself.

After connecting the lower section, it was time to add the front legs.  The plans were pretty good for this part and they went on really easily.  I clamped both back sections to the assembly table to make sure they stayed the same distance from the ground (no twisting of the frame).  Spring clamps keep the legs in place while you are drilling.

Next it was time for the back legs and upper cradle.  There was no information to tell you what angle you should cut the tops of the back legs….just total height.  After a few minutes of cussing, I figured this angle had to be the same as the angle found at the lower cradle.  I was able to find this angle by taking a piece of scrap and cutting it until it was the same as where the lower cradle rests (25 degrees).  It doesn’t seem like the type of information you should leave out of a plan.

The arm rests are pretty simple to put on, but there is no mention as to where the arm rests should sit on the front legs.  I tried to position the arm rests with about 1.5″ of over hang to the inside of the front legs.  The next chair I will make will most likely only have a half of an inch overhang.  For my fat butt, it is a little bit of a tight squeeze right now.

Next the addition of the back slats.  This part was fun, but the plans fell short a little here as well.  When cutting the slats out, the curve is constructed by adding a 1/4″ wedge between the bottom parts of the slats and a 3/8″ wedge near the middle.  When attaching the back slats, the plans say to install the middle slat and then the two outside slats and then space the others out evenly.  I don’t like just eyeballing these spaces so I followed the same spacer setup for cutting the arch.  Worked like a dream.

Here is the final product before adding my exterior oil type coating to it.  It is extremely light weight and my wife just loves it.  She is calling it her “drinking margaritas and reading a book by the pool chair”.  It seems like a mouthful, but what the hell do I care.

Came out great !!!!

awesome….I love those craftsman clamps too sears were clearing them and I bought a bunch different lengths had I known I liked them so much would have bought all they had …shortly after I got them they sold out…..

Foneguy wrote:

31 minutes ago, Foneguy said:

Came out great !!!!

Thanks foneguy.  I still need to make another chair and then finish them.  

comp56 wrote:

10 minutes ago, comp56 said:

awesome….I love those craftsman clamps too sears were clearing them and I bought a bunch different lengths had I known I liked them so much would have bought all they had …shortly after I got them they sold out…..

I should look into buying a few more as well.  I do have one clamp that won’t tighten when it hits a certain area of the bar.  For some reason, it will advance when it is squeezed and then when you release, it goes right back to the starting spot.  It is annoying.

tugnut1 wrote:

21 minutes ago, tugnut1 said:

 

I should look into buying a few more as well.  I do have one clamp that won’t tighten when it hits a certain area of the bar.  For some reason, it will advance when it is squeezed and then when you release, it goes right back to the starting spot.  It is annoying.

actually I had one do the same I cleaned the bar seemed to help 

comp56 wrote:

1 minute ago, comp56 said:

actually I had one do the same I cleaned the bar seemed to help 

 

Cool.  I’ll try it.

John you did a great job on it.  Not sure how I missed the first post.

Bet the house smelled great 🙂

I did not know you had a Paulk bench. Guess I am behind!

And you have a nice wife, so let her call them whatever she wants. LOL

looks good john, id like to make a set at some point and time, nice build!

rrmccabe wrote:

22 hours ago, rrmccabe said:

 

I did not know you had a Paulk bench. Guess I am behind!

 

I built my hybrid workbench late fall.  I liked the ron paul design, but wanted it smaller, mobile, more permanent and with storage.  I’ve always liked your workbench that you built, so I had to try to make something nearly as nice.  

Here is the link to the build thread.

http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/power-tool-forum/index.php?/topic/10808-hybrid-workbench-build/#comment-146964

JimboS1ice wrote:

12 hours ago, JimboS1ice said:

looks good john, id like to make a set at some point and time, nice build!

Thanks Jimbo.  I just went and bought some more cedar last night to build another chair.  I got two 12 foot board that are 10 inches wide and two 9 foot board that are 6 inches wide and all of the boards are 5/4 thick.  I also added on two pieces of walnut that are 8/4 thick by 18 inches wide and about 20 inches long.  All of this cost me just $65.  I was one happy camper driving home.

Thanks for link John. That looks FANTASTIC. Did you have to do anything special to drill the dog holes? Assume they are .75″ ?

I was reading along and all of a sudden it had holes and I backed up but did not see where you mentioned it. The Festool guys are always talking about doing the holes as they are always trying to copy the MFT system. Looks like quite a task.

Still liking the epoxy?

I bet that thing its great to work on.

rrmccabe wrote:

1 hour ago, rrmccabe said:

Thanks for link John. That looks FANTASTIC. Did you have to do anything special to drill the dog holes? Assume they are .75″ ?

 

I was reading along and all of a sudden it had holes and I backed up but did not see where you mentioned it. The Festool guys are always talking about doing the holes as they are always trying to copy the MFT system. Looks like quite a task.

 

Still liking the epoxy?

 

I bet that thing its great to work on.

I just used a 3/4″ auger bit with a Wolfcraft Drill Guide Attachment for the dog holes.  I don’t think that I need the accuracy of the MFT system, so this worked okay.  Its not the best setup for dead nuts straight holes.  The attachment has a little movement in it, but not enough to affect the dogs.  

I love the epoxy.  It is a little bit soft, so it can be dented, but the nice thing is, once it gets beat up, I can just sand it and add another coat or two.  I needed it to strengthen the plywood.  Pulling dogs out can make the dog hole edges snap off.  It would have been better to make it out of solid wood and then there wouldn’t have been an issue.  

Great job John.  That came out great. 

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