|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Build this adirondack chair
|
 |
|
This twist on a classic cottage chair improves on perfection
|
|
|
By Paul Lewis, photos by Roger Yip, illlustration by Len Churchill
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Use a router to round off the edges of all your parts. If you plan to make more than one chair, it's a good idea to make plywood templates for all the curved parts, such as the arm brace.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coming Together
Assembly starts with the main legs, front legs and seat slats. Predrill and countersink all the screw holes to prevent splitting.
Attach the rearmost seat slat (the one that the back slats attach to) into the pockets on the main legs by using a couple of #8 x 13/4" screws and a weatherproof adhesive. I like Type II PVA glue, but a polyurethane glue would work well too. Just be sure to dampen the mating surfaces prior to assembly if you are using polyurethane glue. It needs a bit of moisture to cure properly.
Attach the next seat slat to the main legs. Continue assembly by positioning and attaching the front legs. Secure them with screws through the inside faces to avoid having visible fasteners on the outside. The angle cut on the back of the main legs helps to locate the correct spot for the front legs. Don't forget that the legs (and arms) are offset and non-symmetrical.
Finally, fasten the arm blocks to the top of the arm braces and then attach the arm braces to the front legs by driving screws through the inside faces of the legs.
Take your Time
The next few assembly steps are a bit tricky because the parts have to hang in mid-air before you join them together. It's important to follow the correct assembly procedure so that everything lines up properly.
Start by attaching the bottom end of the back slats to the rear seat slat. I like to measure and mark each screw location carefully when they'll be visible in the final project. This leads to a more pleasing look in the end.
It's easier to attach the rest of the seat slats now, rather than when the arms are in the way. The slats are best spaced by eye, since the undulating surface of the main legs makes using a fixed space difficult. Lay out all the remaining seat slats now. Make sure to leave a gap between the back's slats and last seat slat to allow water and debris to fall through and not get trapped. When you're happy with part positioning, screw all the slats in place.
Next, rip a 73º bevel on the forward-facing edge of the back arm brace. That's 17º from square on your tablesaw bevel scale. Attach the arms to this part by driving screws up from underneath. Position the arm brace and arm assembly so the arms rest roughly in the correct position on the arm supports. Adjust the part positioning to get the arms level and the back brace neatly intersecting with the back slats. Use a couple of spring clamps at the union between the arms and arm supports to hold them in position as you experiment.
When the joints fit well, make the connection permanent with screws and glue. The arm blocks allow the screws to be driven in from underneath, so there are no visible fasteners on the surface of the arm to collect water. When driving the screws through the faces of the back slats into the back arm brace, make sure you set them at an angle that corresponds to the angle of the back.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
