DIY Project – Adirondack Chair from 2x4s

DIY Project – Adirondack Chair from 2x4s

From Brian,

I used 7 construction grade 2x4s and 2.5 inch exterior screws. I’ve built five of these so far and can build two in one day.

These were stained with Behr semi-transparent waterproof stain that is designed for decks… but I asked Behr if this stain would work for chairs and they said yes.

I made a few changes:

1)Instead of rounding off each piece of the back, I simply made one sweeping curve with my jigsaw. This proves easier and less time-consuming, and allows all back pieces to be cut to the same length (and involves fewer measurements). I also cut them to 32″ instead of 32 and 1/16″ for simplicity.

2) I used a router to round-over the upper edges of the armrests to make them more comfortable.

3) To support the point where the back meets the rear legs, I added one 45-degree cut triangle of 2×4 on each side (semi-visible in the pics).

4) The most important change, I think, comes in the placement of the horizontal back braces. In the diagrams, the middle brace is placed 8″ above the lower brace and the top brace is placed 8″ above the middle brace. I changed both of these measurements. The lower 8″ is now 6.5″ and the upper is now 9.5″. This places the middle brace a bit lower and it lines up with the armrests better.

5) I don’t bother cutting the diagonal on the armrest supports.

Total cost of wood and screws for one chair: approximately $27.

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