Build an Adirondack Chair: the Ultimate Outdoor Furniture
(Page 2 of 7)
June/July 1997
By John Vivian
IMPORTANT: The difference between a satisfying project and one that looks shoddy is the squareness of cuts and alignment of joints. Pick the best #1 grade lumber you can find—without twists or bows. Cut carefully and perfectly square.
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However, unless you use seasoned hardwoods and dress all sides plumb and square, many joints won't mate tightly. You can cheat. Get some 2-part epoxy. Mix enough to fill in the fault that makes your joint cranky. Smear it in the fault zone. Fasten as tightly as you can without creating the kink ...and let the epoxy correct the problem. Just don't use it till you are ready for the final fastening. It won't let go once set up.
Building the Chair
Most building plans assume you are an experienced cabinetmaker with a shop full of professional woodcraft tools that can joint and mill and surface-plane and rout and dado and miter and scarf and all that good-sounding pro-woodworker stuff. We assume that you (like us) are an average woodbutcher with a few power hand tools who doesn't know a dado from a kerf unless you look it up in one of those beautifully photographed woodworking books you never consult. We also assume you're working with wood that can vary as much as a ½" in any dimension. (That is, a 2x4 is a 2x4 in name only—its nominal size. A mill run can range from 1 5/8 to 1 7/16 in thickness and just as much in width. Size varies between boards as well.) So these directions assume you are eyeballing most of your joints, spacings, lengths, and cutting angles, and you will use common sense and Will's illustrations rather than a fixed set of micron-accurate directions. Making an Adirondack chair is closer to fence building than cabinet-making.
Ease, Sand, and Prefinish: Round edges of arms, seat, and back slats. Also sand all parts before assembly. Use a piece of sandpaper stapled to a block of wood to sand edges sharply—and move it in a straight line; don't rock it at the ends of each stroke. In the process you'll get to know each piece and be able to smooth off those irregular surfaces that make for sloppy joints and out-of-plumb alignment. For a painted finish, apply a good deck preservative over all surfaces and prime before assembly. For an oiled finish, apply all but the final coat of finish before assembly. This will get preservatives onto surfaces that are hidden under joints.
Fastening. Pilot drill and countersink all screw holes. Always fasten from thinner wood into thicker wood. Fasten 2-by to 2by with 2½" screws. Fasten 1" boards to 2x4s with 2" screws—where possible screwing from both sides of the joint, or using three screws in a triangle pattern for strength. Fasten 1" to 1" boards with 1" well-countersunk screws.
For strongest joints into (relatively weak-holding) end-grain of cross-braces you can: insert screws at an angle to cut ends. Or drill a pair of ½" wide, 1" long holes side-by-side and 1" apart in each cut end; glue in 1"-long hardwood dowels; pilot-drill holes and insert screws. Or score sides of legs where end grain will butt, attach with screws and liberal coats of epoxy glue.
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