Plans to Build an Adirondack Chair

Introduction

Learn how to build a classic wooden Adirondack chair. With clear, detailed photos and drawings you'll learn how to cut the graceful curves that make this chair so comfortable to sit in.

Choosing the Right Wood

Plop down in one of these solid wood chairs and you’ll appreciate the comfort of this traditional design. You don’t have to be an expert to build it either. All the parts of this solid, great-looking Adirondack chair can be cut with a circular saw and jigsaw, then assembled with a drill, a few clamps and glue. Even if you’re a novice, you’ll be able to follow our plan drawing and clear step-by-step photos.

We made our chair from yellow poplar. Poplar is lightweight, strong, inexpensive and easy to work with, plus it takes paint beautifully. If you have trouble finding it, almost any other wood will do: Alder, aspen, maple and white oak are excellent hardwood choices, and cedar, cypress, fir and pine are good softwood choices.

Keep in mind that hardwood will be more durable, but softwood is certainly strong enough for this project. However, if the chair will be outdoors most of the time, coat it with a paintable wood preservative before painting.

Traditional Adirondack chairs are painted, but you can choose a clear outdoor deck finish if you prefer.

Tip: When you’re building more than one chair, set up an assembly line and cut the building time per chair by 40 percent.

Painting Tips

We used an exterior, oil-based primer and an enamel topcoat, but you could use water-based products instead.

Painting tools

You’ll need three paint brushes: a 2-in. wide, natural-bristle sash brush; a 1-in. wide sash brush; and a 1/2-in. wide hobby paint brush.

You’ll also need one 3-in. wide paint roller, two disposable roller heads and one disposable paint tray.

Figure A: Best Adirondack Chair Plans

Follow these plans to build a classic Adirondack chair. See Additional Information for a printable, enlarged version of Figure A, and for a complete Cutting List and Shopping List

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