Adirondack chair questions.

[AlanS]

Neighbor wants an Adirondack chair... wants to use it during the summer, store it for the winters.   Got to keep cost down.  What wood is reasonable to use?   She wants it 'natural', no paint.    Clear pine?  Cedar?  She wants to go to Home Depot and pick up common pine...I had to stop her.   Thoughts?   Remember...keep costs down.  Anyone have plans or  pics of Adiron. chairs you built?

[MikeBob]

Cedar or White Oak, but the W O kinda gets the price up.

[goaliedad]

Where are you located? What is available locally? I am in northern Michigan and use white cedar. Any rot resistant wood will work. You didn't ask about plans- and you will get a lot of opinions, but I love Norm's plan. If you have questions ask away

[Steve N]

Cedar is a great wood for outdoor use, but it is very soft, and bolts and attachments can cause the wood to wallow out with use. 1 thing you can do is put metal sleeves in first, and run attaching bolts through them, some cost. Otherwise I would shift gears on outdoor wood, and keeping costs low would suggest pressure treated pine/whatever pine, fir, spruce, they sell treated near you.

In reality I like White Oak, cost be damned.



Popular Mechanics plan

[goaliedad]

[overland]

I agree about using white oak or cedar. My question is this: Are there any Adirondack chair plans out there that are more contemporary in styling? In any case, where are some good places to go for plans?

[Patsfan]

before you go white oak, consider this:

If she really plans to "store them during the winter" the weight will make her hate you.
 

Buying covers for them drives the cost up, although you might consider finding a barbecue grill cover and sizing them to fit under that.

[mikefm101]

I used pine on a chair I built this past summer from Lee Valley plans.

It was painted though so not as exposed.

Stainless steel hardware.

One hot summer and still looks new.

Mike

[MikeBob]

I have seen pics of them with wheels on the back legs.

[Admiral]

I made a set of 9 out of cypress from Norm's plan; they lasted 17 years with no finish and then started to get a bit ratty.  Replaced 4 with Borg white pine, but primed and painted white, 5 years ago.  Each spring a light coat of house paint and they still look brand new.  7 of the cypress chairs still alive at my buddy's double wide hunting/fishing cabin upstate NY, still look ratty but are still sound.

If you go with pine, use 5/4 pine for the two side legs and the front vertical legs, makes the chair much more robust.