Since I started Tom’s Workbench back in 2007, a regular feature of my weekly posts has been the weekly poll. In fact, the last poll I did was my 300th iteration of the feature.
While it would be easy to keep going the way I have, I have decided to change things up a little bit.
From now on, Sunday’s are going to be links to woodworking plans I think are pretty cool. I hope to spread the plans around the house – bedrooms, kitchens, offices, shop fixtures… the like. Some of the plans may be free, while others may cost a little, but I hope that this new feature allows you an opportunity to explore some pretty cool ideas you might want to tackle in your shop.
This week,with spring in the air – and a request from reader Kevin Lambdin in my inbox – it’s only appropriate that we kick of with a plan to build an outdoor classic – an Adirondack Chair. This plan comes from our friends at Popular Woodworking, and was build by none other than the New Yankee himself, Norm Abram.
Now, where have the polls gone? Trust me, they haven’t gone anywhere. In fact, Marc Spagnuolo has asked if I would be able to do weekly polls over at the Wood Whisperer’s site. This way, you can keep voting – and submitting your awesome ideas to me, so we can keep that up and running.
Ha, can’t believe you posted this. I was literally banging around this very idea for the wife on part of the yard we had reworked late fall. This is the 2nd Adirondack chair article since Tampa, so it must be a sign!
Now to find a nice outdoor bench or table…
I have build several of these. Even the loveseat and footrests (feetrests?). The plans, which predate the glues now available to us, call for using marine adhesive. This stuff is very expensive. I find that Titebond II works well here in central Iowa where the summers are over 90F and often 100% humidity and winters can reach -20. I keep my chairs outdoors all year and the glue holds in the cross-grain places for about 4 years.
I would add that cedar is not a good choice. It’s too soft. White Oak might be better.