Adirondack chair plans

[marcros]

Does anybody have any plans for an Adirondack chair? Ideally one that somebody has made and can confirm that it is comfortable!

 

[Cordy]

So far I have made nine Adirondacks based on this article
LINK
Yes they are very comfortable indeed
I enlarged the plans to full size and made templates
In fact; next week a member of this forum is coming to collect a set that I made for him from my templates

This is made from Sapele and Oak

These two are made from Redwood

 

[sunnybob]

Cordy;s plans even work across international borders :lol: =D>

I've made 3 chairs and the love seat, all gone to happy customers.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

I've put it on the list, but somehow I don't think mine will look quite as stupendous as yours. I think I need 12 of them, so I should be reasonably proficient by the end of it.

However, bathroom cabinet, window frames, and everything else comes first. Sigh.

What is also outstanding in your pictures is the lawn! 400 years and a flock of sheep lawn. Capability Brown would weep crystal tears of salty joy to see such a lawn. Probably.

 

[Cordy]

Brown may well gyrate in his grave at the very thought of

Artificial grass

 

[sunnybob]

you beat me, I was just about to mention how well they can make the stuff nowadays.
Theres an open air beach side restaurant here that bought an entire container load from china and covered all their outdoor seating area with the stuff. Must be well over a couple hundred square metres.I can bet over half the preople sitting there dont realise. 8) 8)

 

[DrDerrick]

Once you get the basic idea of the Adirondak, have some fun varying the design and the woods you use. Here's a couple I made a few years ago. The one on the left is made with Western Red Cedar, and has brass fitting, while the one on the right is made with Elm. It looks yellow because I used a yacht varnish on it that had a yellowing effect - big mistake!

 

[Steve Maskery]

I made a pair years ago. They are still going strong (though not at my house). They were on the front cover of Good Woodworking. Pete Martin took the photo while I posed in a Panama hat sipping a cocktail. It all looked very summery. In fact it was as black as the night and raining. That man was a genius with a camera.

But I digress.

My contribution to all this is that it is very easy to make an Adirondack chair.

Badly.

The risks are, in no particular order:
* Seat being too deep, so that the front edge cuts into the back of your knee
* That front edge being too sharp - a rounded one is more comfortable.
* The seat angle being too steep.
* The back being too laid back.
* The double whammy of both the above.
* The seat being too wide.

I really should have another go, there is room for a couple under the workshop overhang.

 

[marcros]

I particularly like these, but the points you make are equally valid, particularly about the angles.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/5291216 ... ch_click=1

 

[Cordy]

Maskery wrote

* Seat being too deep, so that the front edge cuts into the back of your knee
* That front edge being too sharp - a rounded one is more comfortable.
* The seat angle being too steep.
* The back being too laid back.
* The double whammy of both the above.
* The seat being too wide.

Steve, is this your observation about the chair you made yourself ?

 

[Steve Maskery]

Partly yes, mine is a bit deep and a bit wide. The seat angle is good, but these chairs put you leaning back anyway, so you don't really need much of an angle between the seat and back. I think I had mine at 5 degrees, and it was too much, given the already steep angle of the seat. I reckon you could go back square to the seat and it would be very comfortable.

I gave mine a nice rounded front and that was good, as well as wide arms for a glass of wine. I also made the back fan hollow across its width, rather than flat, and that was very comfortable.

 

[Cordy]

On Monday Mrs Cordy received a text from neighbour; they have one of my A/Cs
They are on holiday
"...…. sitting on Adirondack chairs here on Vancouver Island, they are good but not as comfortable as your John's..... "

stock photo

Cheers
John

 

[sunnybob]

I can vouch for John's plans comfort. I have a friend who was interested but believed he would have to pile cushions on. he is late 70's and was worried about getting in and out of it.
I had to almost force him to sit in it. After about 5 minutes he ordered two from me.
=D> =D> =D> =D>
The only reason I've sold my set is because the mrs is on a new garden jag and has sold off all our old furniture so she can buy new furniture ( apparently its a woman thing?) :roll: :roll: :roll: (hammer) (hammer) (hammer) (hammer)

 

[marcros]

has he got up from it yet?

 

[sunnybob]

To be honest, i havent seen him for a couple months, maybe I should call round and check :shock:

 

[sunnybob]

3 stages of the chairs manufacture

https://pbase.com/john_cooper/image/167683932

https://pbase.com/john_cooper/image/167683933

https://pbase.com/john_cooper/image/167683935

 

[rafezetter]

Once you get the basic idea of the Adirondak, have some fun varying the design and the woods you use. Here's a couple I made a few years ago. The one on the left is made with Western Red Cedar, and has brass fitting, while the one on the right is made with Elm. It looks yellow because I used a yacht varnish on it that had a yellowing effect - big mistake!

I really like the art deco style of the the yellow one, but isn't the front edge a little harsh on the backs of the legs?

 

[sunnybob]

Only if youre 5ft or less tall, in which case a pad at your back solves the problem. The seat and back lengths and angles have perfect symmetry.
Dont you relise this a is a New Yankee Workshop design? (hammer) :roll: =D>

 

[marcros]

I hope you used a few pins to hold it together whilst the glue dried?

I haven't seen norm on TV for a few years now. Is it still being shown/repeated?

 

[Fidget]

Some of his shows are on YouTube.

Here is the one about Adirondack chairs