Garden furniture has been popular since the early 1900s, and one of the most admired pieces is the Adirondack chair. Durable and valuable over time, an Adirondack chair can be built for less than $70. Secure an Adirondack chair pattern from a home center, hardware store or online site, such as www.diynet.com, and gather tools needed for this project, such as Delta Machinery's ShopMaster scroll saw, drill/driver, band saw and disc sander. Additional materials include four 1x2, one 1x3, three 1x4 and four 1x6 pieces of hardwood board, woodworker's glue, 11/4-inch galvanized screws, tape measure, wood clamps, a square and wood finish. Once the materials are gathered, follow these step-by-step instructions:
Legs and Front Assembly
- For the front legs, cut two 1x4 boards to be 21 inches long. Use a scroll saw to create notches 4 inches wide at 103/4 inches.
- Position a third 1x4 at 23 inches long in the notches to use as the front seat support and screw in place.
- Trace the leg pattern onto the wood and use a band saw to cut the legs.
- Drill holes into the back brace and legs.
- Add the back brace across the center of the legs and attach with screws.
Back Support and Arms
- Cut two, 29-inch-long arms from two pieces of 1x6 wood with a band saw.
- To create a bracket, measure 9 inches from the narrow edge and cut a square edge.
- Glue and clamp the bracket perpendicular to the front edge of the base assembly and repeat on the other side.
- Allow the arms to extend 3 inches from the edge of the leg and connect with screws after countersinking.
Back Assembly
- Cut all the back slats to the dimensions listed in the pattern.
- Use 1/4-inch thick scrap wood as spacers at the top and the bottom of each slat.
- Place a 1x3 at 20 inches long as the lower cleat across the bottom of the back.
- Countersink two holes into the cleat and center slat and one hole through the cleat and back slat. Affix with 11/4-inch galvanized crews.
- Remove the spacers after all the slats are screwed to the cleats.
- Position one 1x2 at 21 inches in length as an upper cleat 9 inches from the top edge.
- Countersink and drive screws into the cleat in the center of each slat.
- Flip back assembly over and cut the top arch with the scroll saw. Drill pilot holes into the front surface of the bottom of the slats for later assembly purposes.
Finishing the Chair
- Bevel the back brace at 33 degrees.
- Attach the back assembly to the base assembly with screws.
- To assemble the seat, cut the slats and drill two holes in the end of each to secure to the seat with screws.
- Sand all the exposed surface edges and apply your desired finish.
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