Exterior Chairs - wood?

[Steve Inniss]

Steve,

I live in the "flat" part of Arkansas. Winter and spring can be very wet to say the least. The chairs would be sitting on grass/soil and I could store them for the winter in my shop. I just want something that will hold up better than the usual "lawn chairs" that seem to fall apart every single year. Besides that, a co-worker here at work wants 4 of the adirondack chairs...so I want to make his chairs to where they will last a long time.

I would go with the cypress. Up here it's not available, the standard for adirondack chairs is cedar. It lasts forever, but it is not very strong. Most plans call for 1/2", I use 3/4" to compensate. I have a pair still going strong that I built when I was 17 ...um let's see - 30 years ago. They have gone from natural(weathered grey), to oiled, to stained, to painted, white then yellow, and now back to cedar - opaque cedar color stain.
Steve

[John Christiansen]

I am looking to build some adirondack chairs for a more "comfy" sitting under the shade trees. I have found some cypress that is somewhat "local" to me...about 1.5 hours drive one way at a price of $1.45 PBF......should I build these chairs out of cypress? Any other suggestions from all by "buds" here on the creek?

I just recently finished this one from Cypress. Everything but the seat and back slats is full 5/4" the seat and back are 3/4". Cypress is a good wood for exterior use. Even better if you finish it. The finish on this one is spar poly. Gorilla glue and screws unless you like mixing epoxy, is the way to go for exterior work.

[Ken Wright]

where Cypress is plentiful .... its the wood of choice for the application that you describe.

It'll stand the 24x7 exposure and turn a real nice shade of gray ... but I'd use a waterproof glue to reinforce the screwed joints.

You know, I'm probably less than 2 miles from a pretty sizeable grove of cypress standing in a couple of feet of water ... and I don't think I could come close to that price ... better grab it.... at the worst you could sell it for a nice profit on Ebay.

[Terre Hooks]

If you want to be able to move them without a crane or engine hoist, build them out of cypress. It is by far the best material for the money for those chairs. A cypress chair will weigh about 20-30 pounds. One made out of White Oak will probably weight close to 70.

I also think you are doing right by using SS hardware.

[Dar Lounsbury]

Here is a site that seems to cover this question.

http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Wood_species_for_outdoor_furniture.html

[Alan Turner]

I will offer another 2 cents. I did a series of 5 garden benches, and used spanish cedar. I now have a commission coming for 2 more, and am not sure that I will use that wood again. Its smell is delightful as part of the cigar mystique, but milling it -- it is a very strong and annoying odor.
Taking tips from a FWW article of about 1999, I used epoxy, West System, and coated the bottom of the 3x3 legs; they have held up well.
I also did the fastening of the seat slats with hand hammered copper rivets, which was quite easy, and presents a bit of a unique look. These I would recommend, as opposed to stainless screws. I think I used 20d nails, and the corresponding roves, all from Jamestown Distributors, in Rhode Island. At the end of the project, for a buck, my step son gave me a piece of steel or iron, 4" diameter bar, about 4" long. It makes a great buck. That, a drill, and an 8 oz. ballpeen hammer, is all that you need. They have oxodized nicely. I will definitely use the rivets on the current job. And the epoxy. I am just not sure on the spanish cedar.
Here is a pix. But now, 2 years later, they are quite gray in color.

[chris toomey]

i made a few humidors out of spanish cedar....it was horrible to work with. i coughed and hacked ....was aweful on mouth and throat. perhaps i was allergic to something in it. i haven't had experience with any other wood....course i don't work much with exotics

[Dr. Zack Jennings]

I second the Epoxy on the end grains where they contact the ground.
The Supplier in Tuckerman, near Hatfields shop, may have Kiln Dried Cypress..... at a good price. He probabl;y won't beat $1.49.

Talk to Bobby..

[Howard Acheson]

I think the bottom line is that Cypress, White Oak or Cedar would all make long lasting chairs. All these woods are excellent in an outdoor environment.

The best thing you can do to help them last is to put the leg bottoms in a large coffee can of highly thinned varnish. I used about a 10:1 ratio. Let the mixture wick up into the end grain. Most wood begins to discolor and deteriorate because of moisture wicking up throught the leg bottoms.