Guild - Adirondack Chair

Domino 500 - chair build

Mon, 10 Mar 2014 13:21:01 +0000

Hi all.
Lumber is here from bell forest (beautiful). 220v outlet to be installed this week for the new tablesaw (love the 15% off Powermatic sale!).

And, been playing with my new Domino 500 all weekend (in my 15m windows of free time).

So I'm thinking the Domino will be a confidence booster for my first build, but had some quick questions.

1. Has anyone tried this guild build with a Domino?
2. I'm guessing with the 500, the big 10mm x 50mm dominos (rows of 2 or 3) will be the main floating tenon joinery - 28mm per board depth. Sturdy enough for this chair?
3. With Mahogany, should I use the wider mortise setting on one of the boards? (manual recommended this for harder woods)
4. And lastly, any potential pitfalls for which to look out? Been scratching my head a bit over the angled tenon in the front leg joinery.

Thanks all. Any feedback would be appreciated. I'll be sure to document my build, catastrophic mistakes and all .
VJ

Purchase of MDF Template

Thu, 06 Mar 2014 15:41:20 +0000

Hi All,

I was interested in trying to build a couple of these chairs and I can't seem to find where to buy the MDF template for the cloud/curve cut. Am I looking in the wrong place (tried shop.thewoodwhisper.com)?

Thanks,
Aaron

First Guild Build - new member

Thu, 27 Feb 2014 23:25:26 +0000

Hello all. I realize I'm Johnny-come-lately on this build, but am a new guild member, and man am I excited.
I was watching the videos last night, and cannot believe how comprehensive they are. As a beginner woodworker (cut my teeth with a workbench, doweled sitting bench for my son, and some mitre key'ed boxes and pencil holders) this project really appears to have the challenge to develop my skills, but also appears very "do-able" due to the detail in the vids.
In addition I love the idea of a forum with other users who built/are building the same project.
My dad, who is now retired, is flying into town tonight, and I'm surprising him with the plan to each make a chair together.
Looking forward to the journey, as well as sitting down side by side with cold beer(s) at the end of our project.
Quick question, I've been accumulating some 8/4 and 4/4 S3S Spanish cedar, for what I knew would an eventual outdoor project. Has anyone built this or similar chairs with Spanish Cedar? I'm wondering if I should use it, or just buy 2 kits.
Thanks all. VJ

First Guild Project Adirondack Chair or Wall Hanging Cabinet

Mon, 21 Oct 2013 02:16:50 +0000

Hi Guys, I'm looking for an opinion as to which to do first of the Adirondack Chair or the Wall Hanging Cabinet. I have wood for both and was wondering which sequence would provide a better skills progression. I have watched most of the videos for the chair but have yet to have a chance to watch the cabinet videos. Thoughts?

Chair build without a Planer/Jointer

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 12:29:39 +0000

Hi guys, I am looking at the Adirondack Chair as likely being my first guild build. I have a relatively large selection of power and hand tools (and not opposed to getting more) but, I have neither a planer of a jointer. I do have a good selection of hand planes that I am working on becoming more proficient with. How much more challenging would this project be without access to a planer and jointer? I have considered getting one of the lunch box style planers, but my workshop doesn't have the floor space for a jointer or a full size planer. Part of me is excited about this being my first major foray into hand planes and part of me doesn't want to get discouraged and frustrated if this is exceptionally difficult. I am intending to get the bell forest kit for the wood. Thoughts/suggestions?

Center back slat with split

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:40:19 +0000

In Friday's video, Marc mentioned the possibility of splitting the center back slat in half instead of doing a glue up. I liked the idea and decided to give it a try. Here is a photo. Looks pretty darn good in my opinion.

Attached Thumbnails

Outdoor Finish - Watco Teak Oil and Sikkens Cetol

Sun, 10 Jun 2012 21:52:08 +0000

I used Watco Teak Oil for the chair on the left and Sikkens Cetol for the chair on the right.

Watco Teak Oil

Very easy to apply: just flood on the surface and wipe off the excess. Its primarily boiled linseed oil with some additives to make it more outdoor-friendly. I applied a total of two coats, applying the second coat with a 1000 grit sanding pad and wiping off the excess. Resulting surface is incredibly smooth. I am very curious to see how this relatively light finish does over time.

Sikkens Cetol Marine

This was actually an accidental order. But since I had it on hand I figured why not give it a shot. This stuff is really just a varnish with pigments and other additives. The pigments are what might throw you off here. It gives the stuff working properties similar to Polyshades. So if the finish is thicker in one area, it will be incredibly noticeable because the color changes. The pigments will help to even out the wood tones, which may be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your perspective, and they also help block UV. I didn't follow the manufacturer's instructions simply because I don't want a super thick film finish on my chairs. So I diluted the finish a bit and wiped on two coats. Time will tell....

Thanks Marc, I so enjoyed this build.

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:39:25 +0000

I'm a fairly new woodworker and a newbie to the Guild. I was very excited to build this chair. I learned quite a lot of new techniques and skills I may never had learned, if not for Marc's incredible teaching style.

Thank you Marc. I look forward to learning a lot more from you. I hope to one day in the future, attend one of your classes or William Ng's classes.

Bob Devereaux

Chair is Complete!

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:32:30 +0000

After months of building, I was able to enjoy the afternoon relaxing in my completed adirondack chair. I didn't deviate from the plans and I ended up using african mahogany lumber. The finish I choose was Penofin as I wanted an easily renewable finish.

Attached Thumbnails

Ebony Plug aid

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 01:51:25 +0000

I was working on the ebony plugs for the chair and it just seemed to take forever to get them to a nice polished rounded end. I was using Marc's tip of using the drill, but it still was taking a while. I kept thinking about something else I could use to polish them when it hit me. I have a Work Sharp with 3200 grit on the top wheel sitting on my workbench. I turned that on, and using the drill spinning the ebony against the Work Sharp, it polished them to a nice shine in a fraction of the time. It takes some practice to keep a steady hand, but worth it.

Hope that helps someone else.

Buzz

Adirondack chair completed

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 11:45:18 +0000

I enjoyed this guild build and was able to keep up with Marc. I didn't change any of Marc's and Aaron's design feeling that the look of the chair was exceptionally pleasing. In the past guild builds, I have made changes according to my needs and tastes. So thanks Marc. I'll be looking forward to the Roubo bench build.

Gerald

Attached Thumbnails

Done with my Chair

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 04:24:03 +0000

This is my Guild Build Adirondack Chair

I used cypress for all parts except the front legs. They are from a mystery hardwood. My brother-in-law was a shop teacher and would comb the ads for cheap wood. He followed an ad down to the docks where someone was giving away 3"x3" hardwood boards used to separate some kind of metal pipes or beams on a freighter from Asia. He gave me some boards to mess around with and I built the chair for his wife who was in a bad car accident and will be sitting around the house recuperating...why not sit in style. So I thought I through in the wood he gave me somewhere in the project. It has a lot of checking and knots and things but I think it still looks nice.

I am a beginning wood worker so I decided not to do some of the details. This was the first time I have done mortise and tenon joinery so the joints weren't perfect but I think with the added screws and careful glue-up it'll be o.k. over time.

For the front apron I just used the template to add a cloud lift detail and called it good. After watching Marc's video on how to do it with the table saw I regret milling my wood to size before watching the video or would have probably tried doing it the table saw way. I just didn't want to spend the time to mill up and then glue up the stock. My cypress was all 4/4 and about 5"-6" wide. I also opted out of the cool arm brackets and again just used the template to make some little curves in a single piece. Finally, I used walnut dowel instead of the ebony, not as cool but a good alternative for me. Finished it with two coats of the Teak Oil...smells so nice.

This was my first guild build and I learned a ton thanks to Marc's videos. I'm a visual learner so this is the way to go for me to learning woodworking and building my skills.

In hindsight I think I would have utilized Marc way more by emailing him pictures as I go and questions. Sometimes I would think "well I'll figure it out" and...no I didn't, I screwed it up, but I'm totally down with the learning process. I would have also used a harder wood.
Peace out!

Oh, put me in, coach - I’m ready to play today

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 22:40:03 +0000

My apologies to John Fogarty (topic title lyrics from Centerfield).

Well the lumber is bought and just hit my shop by lunch time today - just barely shy of 110 bf total of cypress.

Marc when my wife asks why so much I'm blaming you - you said if its possible overbuy - I got you on video saying it - LOL!!!! Really I am hoping its enough to pull off two chairs and accompanying footrests and a cocktail table for in between the chairs on the deck with a bit left over.

When I was in the lumber yard with the fork lift driver puling stock all we could find is about 6" wide 4/4 stock and i was trying for about 7 to 7.5" wide on most the boards (except for the 10.75" wide pieces to cover the center back panel of the chair). The jump- up from 6" that we found in the stacks was to about 9.5 to 10" wide boards (which came with a wide board up-charge unfortunately). When I took the pull ticket back in the inside sales guy swore there was 8" wide boards out there but after being in the heat and rummaging through the stacks I decided to just pay the up-charge then go on a hunt for the narrower 8" boards.

So this afternoon is all about cutting down rough stock and milling it. Hoping to have four front legs done by end of day tomorrow - will depend on how my energy and motivation holds up - LOL (and the wife wants to go see Transformers this week and we have family BBQ to attend so we'll see how much family duties/activities pulls me out of the shop as well).

Finished 1 of my chairs!

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:33:33 +0000

I had a little trouble with the square plugs breaking when inserting and I believe they took me the longest to make. These chairs started at 8/4 cypress with purple heart plugs. I finished with a seal coat of shellac and covered with 2 coats of (50%) thinned epifanes clear.

Thanks for the build Marc - it was very rewarding!

See more of the progress and my cramped garage shop here:

https://picasaweb.go...feat=directlink

Attached Thumbnails

Arm Brackets

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 01:35:29 +0000

I have a question to those having completed the arm brackets.

Do you think these provide sufficient structural strength laterally from pivoting on the leg support with 1 screw? I like the look of the design very much, though I am curious, do you think a steel plate recessed under the arm is needed for additional support, or is it plenty strong as designed?

Thanks
Chris

Finis

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:33:48 +0000

Finished my chair yesterday. I am not sure, but I think I used almost every power tool that I have and most of my hand tools. Heck, I even had to buy a tool (mortiser). I did learn an important lesson: I used hard maple and found that hard maple is called "hard" for a reason. I think my next chair will be pine.

Adam

Done!

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:30:56 +0000

I gave myself a deadline to finish the chairs by this weekend and I made it! Here is a link to some finial photos. I had meant to take more pictures along the way, but just didn't have the time. I'm really happy with how they came out. They are very comfortable to sit in. The wood is White Oak, and I went with the Penofin finish. The finish gave the oak a nice golden color, which my wife and I really like. We will see how it holds up to being outside.

https://picasaweb.go...AdirondackChair

Mike

Alternate Apron Designs

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:49:54 +0000

A few weeks ago I posted some alternate versions of the side legs for the Adirondack Chair. Seems like I can't leave this design alone, and I have been playing with some different versions of the front apron. There were some good suggestions in the other thread, and pixels are free in SketchUp so here are some pics of my alternate versions.

As a reminder, this is the original published version of the chair, as Marc is building it. The bottom of the side legs have a simple curve and the slots in the front apron are straight, like the Gamble house dining table used as inspiration.

This is the alternate leg that I decided to use for my chair. It has a single cloud lift under the front edge.

After seeing this, some folks suggested a version of the apron that has the cloud lift element also. Voila, here it is...let's call this "Alternate 1".

and again from the front...

"Alternate 1" might be a little plain, since I removed the slots in the apron. Whatcha think?

Here is "Alternate 2", with the original slots added back to the apron and keeping the cloud lifts...

Too busy? What do you guys think?

Finally, here is "Alternate 3" with a different set of slots in the front. I thought about simply routing them with a 1/2" and 3/4" bit, following the top curve of the template. This makes an interesting set of curved slots that pay homage to the original Greene & Greene design but kind of go in a different direction. All the edges would be softened of course in the real world.

...and a view from the front, still "Alternate 3"...

Thanks for any feedback on these aprons. As always, I'm eager to hear what you guys have to say.

Aaron

Oops!

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 01:37:39 +0000

Marc-
I think I read the scale on the plans wrong!

Greetings from the Adirondacks!
Chris

Stool & table designs to go with chair

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 04:08:41 +0000

Ok I have been spending less time today in the shop, between going to the new Transformers movie with family (it was good but maybe not quite as good as first two) and time on Sketchup working out some design details for a table and stool to go with the Adirondack chair. First I need to really thank Aaron for some help on Sketchup - he knows what hurdle he helped me get over but it really was easy once you knew the trick (kind of like many things in woodworking actually). Here I thought I was pretty good in Sketchup - but like with most things there is always something new to learn. His input and critique on the design itself has also been helpful and I appreciate all his design advice as well.

OK so now I am throwing these out here for ya'lls (yes I am a southerner from Texas so we spell the plural you - ya'll - sure beats youse guys - LOL) input.

First off the simple design issue is the stool - there is very little involed in its design. The only elements you can bring in from the chair design is the front legs, the front apron, the seat slats, and the side legs. Given there is hardly anywhere to incorporate the cloud lift in the stool I choose to use Aaron's 2nd alternative side leg design with a half cloud lift on the bottom edge of the side leg and I will be doing that in my version of the chair as well so that the chair and stool flow together.

Structurally the slats of the stool probably give enough support for the side legs that the second apron down at the low - I suppose that's the front - end of the stool is maybe not needed, but I felt it really helped make the chairs front face apron more of an element in the set. Plus when the stool is up near the chair it hides the front apron on the chair.

The table is giving me more grief in terms of design details and I am not sure I am satisfied with the design ideas I have thus far. One of the features I wanted is a small shelf below the table top so that it would be a convenient place to put a citronella candle without it eating up space on the small table top. They say things are bigger in Texas and damn it!! - its suretainly true of the mosquitoes. Here, let me just throw the different combinations of design ideas I have thus far out there on the table (pun intended).

The first is putting slats in for a table top and for a lower shelf. I did discover in this version that the shelf slats end up slightly above the top of the cloudlift side stretcher - though that could probably be fixed with some tweaking of the dimensions.

The second version is my attempt to bring in another G&G element that is not used in the chair or stool - through tenons that are rounded over. I am a tad concerned its bring in an element that's not needed for the set, but I do think its a much cleaner design then the slats and ebony plugs design.

Lastly a bit of a hybrid of the slats and ebony plugs for the table top mixed with the through tenon design for the lower shelf.

One of the main features of the table is to repeat the arm brackets in a way commonly used by the G&G brothers as brackets between a table apron and table legs. It helps tie that element well between the table and the chairs, but it does mean not using the cloud lift profile on bottom edge of the aprons. As far as I know, and granted I am by no means fully versed in everything G&G, the G&G brothers never mixed those two design elements in the same piece. So the best way I saw to bring in the cloud lift was to do something I have seen done before (either by G&G themselves or in G&G inspired furniture designs that came after them) is to make a table stretcher in a cloud lift profile.

Well that's the design ideas I have thus far on this. I think for the most part it all fits well together as a set - here see what you think of them together in a set:

So please comment and throw ideas out there and feel free to critique to your hearts content on the designs I have proposed. Nothing is set in stone - or maybe more appropriately cut in wood yet. I am not even going to begin building the stools and table until after I have two chairs built so, for me at least, there is still plenty of time to solicit comments and input from my fellow guild mates.

Has anyone else thought through a table or stool design yet? If so care to through the design out here to share with the rest of us? Hell if its paper and pencil design scan it in and through it out here. I am sure we can all come up with some good inspiration from it.

Well I am off and back to the shop to finish my two sets of chair front leg mortises and bottom leg details.

Tom's build

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 06:06:57 +0000

I'm making some progress but definitely behind Mark. Since I want to share this build outside of this group I've documented it here http://toms-wood-musings.blogspot.com/ . I've used some different methods and tools than Mark which you may find of interest.

Started Over

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 21:12:17 +0000

Had a horrible time with my first set of front and side legs. First, the lockdown on my router edge guide slipped/loosened while I was routing the mortises. Ended up having some odd shaped mortises. I cleaned them up, but they were awfully wide. Then I somehow made an extra set of mortises on the front legs. I don't know what I was thinking because everything was marked on the correct faces.

My next fiasco occurred on the side legs. Trying to create tenons to match the mortises was a royal pain in the a**. I persevered and got them to mostly fit. One tenon is a bit too loose, the other fits fine but won't seat all the way. That has me stumped as I back cut (or is undercut) the area near the shoulder. I know the tenon is not too long because that it what I initially thought so I trimmed them down. Seats at the same place. Further attempts to fix just made things worse.

So, I bought a Jet mortise machine and started over. After some "DOH!" moments with the machine, I am happy to say that everything looks like it's moving forward. I am at the point of fitting the tenons. They are just a few hairs to thick, but so far everything looks good.

Adam

My adirondack chair build

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 23:17:35 +0000

Here are some pictures of my completed chair. While it is a traditional design, I still followed along with Marc's build on this one. Many of the tips given by Marc still applied while building this one, such as how to position where the screws for the back slats. If i hadn't caught that video, I guarantee you I would have had a screw or two blow through.

The only issue I ran into was I should have cut my boards down sooner after planing. As stresses released, and the dramatic change in humidity I ended up having a couple boards that badly split. The adjustment I made as a result, otherwise, i wasn't going to have enough wood is the number of back slats. The plans called for 7, I made 5. It was either that, or not have enough for the seat slats.

However, as you can see in the pictures, the chair is very comfortable to sit in! It was a fun project to complete!

Outdoor Finish - Penofin

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 05:52:13 +0000

This will be my thread to track how the finish I chose holds up over time. I chose to use Penofin, which is a penetrating oil finish. They have many different types, and I used their Hardwood Formula. My chairs are made of White Oak. This oil does have a slight tone to it. It gave the wood a nice golden color that we ended up really liking. I applied a heavy coat of finish and let is soak in, for about 10 minutes. I then wiped off the excess and let it dry. Just one coat, as the instructions said. I plan to reapply the oil each year. I also live near Seattle Wa, so we do get some rain and snow here. I do plan to leave my chairs out year round, but I did pick up some covers for them.

https://picasaweb.google.com/110200925786248116506/AdirondackChair

Next update, Spring 2012.

Mike

Finished

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 02:14:54 +0000

Finished my chair thought I would share. I just need to add the under arm detail. one thought thought, i book matched the back and it really added a whole new flavor.