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Thread: Adirondack chairs complete!

  1. #1

    Adirondack chairs complete!

    Well, almost complete. I still need to plug the recessed screwes, sand and stain, but the cutting portion is done!

    These are taken from the Popular Woodworking update of Norm's Adirondack chair. The instructions were pretty clear and while I never worked on the original NYW chair, I think these came out great considering my (low) skill level! (I made my share of mistakes). Very comfortable and very stable. I had considered Jake's chair, but it just didn't look right to my eye. I love the look of Norm's chair. I deviated from the plans by doubling the thickness of the arms.

    This was the culmination of a about a year of tool acquisitions/upgrades. The Rikon 18 bandsaw was great for whipping out curves and doing the angled seat backs. The Grizzley 490 burned through borards like butter. And finally, my old Jet Contractor was at the most accurate ever with the additions of a jointech smartmiter sled and a vega fence.

    Does anyone have a suggestion on the stool (no plans were included in the magazine) - I would suspect I just need a straight leg with a smooth curve downward and slats on it. Should the slats on the chair be the starting point for the slats on the stool or should it start lower?
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by RichMagnone; 06-03-2006 at 1:27 PM.

  2. #2
    Rick, they really turned out nice. You did a great job!
    If sawdust were gold, I'd be rich!

    Byron Trantham
    Fredericksburg, VA
    WUD WKR1

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Brooklin ON Canada
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    311
    Rich; nice job on the chairs! They're fun to make aren't they? I have made well over 100 from Norm's original design. Most were given away to kids, friends etc. Many were donated for money raising projects at our trailer park. I'm using 5/4 western red cedar deck boards as the wood for mine, finished with Sikkens SRD (shingles, roofs & decks)
    One comment or question -- the backs look like they are leaning too far...it may be the picture. I think I had to tweek Norm's pattern somewhat to make mine a little more upright. I also made full-sized templates that make the pattern drawing faster. I can make 3 chairs in 2 days with not too much effort, not that time or speed matters that much.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    Mack C. in Brooklin ON Canada

    It feels really great to sell a pen;
    It feels even greater to give one to a friend!

    If your presence doesn't make an impact;
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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Vero Beach FL
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    594
    Rick

    They look great! But where is the beer, barbecue and the babes in the bikinis? Those chairs look kind of lonesome all by themselves!

    Jay

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Poland
    Posts
    637
    Beautiful Rich

    I would not say “low skill level” at all.

    I saw some stools for this chairs somewhere, let me “search” and if I’ll find I’ll come back to you.

    I foud faster then I thought, its chair, stool and side table.
    http://www.hometime.com/Howto/projec...of/pfurn_1.htm

    Thanks for sharing
    niki
    Last edited by Nissim Avrahami; 06-03-2006 at 2:28 PM.

  6. #6
    Very nice Rich.

    Now that LOML has seen 'em I gotta make some too.

    Thanks man, thanks a bunch.
    Tim

    Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend. Inside a dog it's just too dark to read.

  7. #7
    Very nice!


  8. #8
    Rich the pair of chairs look great in their setting. Nice job.

    Corey

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Thibodaux, La.
    Posts
    242
    When I first started making those chairs, I took the time to make plywood patterns, including the hole pattern on the front leg. I have since made many of these chairs and the patterns have come in very handy.

    Nice chairs. I just finished making a set for our church, with 2x lumber. They wanted something heavy so people wouldn't carry them away - no danger of that. When I finished the first one, I had to drag it out of the shop.

    That is one comfortable chair, isn't it?
    Lynn J. Sonier

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Mack Cameron
    One comment or question -- the backs look like they are leaning too far...it may be the picture.
    Good eye Mack - on one of the chairs, I did not have the legs snugged up enough and the upper back brace "slid" downward. I did not notice until the slats were already attached to the back brace. Thus, the angle is too steep and that chair is more like a recliner!

    Thanks to everyone else who commented. I was smart enough to make final tracings of all my best pieces on a sheet of MDF and will have to cut those out to have a set of nice templates for the next pair. My wife has informed me that we may need two more.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn Sonier
    When I first started making those chairs, I took the time to make plywood patterns, including the hole pattern on the front leg. I have since made many of these chairs and the patterns have come in very handy.

    Nice chairs. I just finished making a set for our church, with 2x lumber. They wanted something heavy so people wouldn't carry them away - no danger of that. When I finished the first one, I had to drag it out of the shop.

    That is one comfortable chair, isn't it?
    Lynn - did you build the side piece out of 2 x 6? I bet that is a beast. It is a very comfy chair (insert spanish inquisition joke here).

  12. #12
    Join Date
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    They look great! I'm curious...what "changes" did PWW do to Norm's design? (I have two build from his original rendition and prior to Norm's own update)
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Wellington NZ
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    289
    Amazing how many designs there are of the Adirondack,I imported this design 12 years ago,and love it.

    http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79...1520/00040.jpg
    .. If walking is good for your health, the postman would be immortal.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker
    They look great! I'm curious...what "changes" did PWW do to Norm's design? (I have two build from his original rendition and prior to Norm's own update)
    I can't say that I know. The author indicated that they pulled out Norm's old notes and that they implemented improvements based on those notes.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Corinth Texas
    Posts
    86
    I may be wrong, But was the improvements only # type of glue used # and different fastners, stainless screws and plugged the holes.But I have not made them,that just comes to mind. Butch

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