Spent a little time to build an Adirondack chair for the backyard. I acquired cardboard templates from Rockler based on some research on look and design. I didn’t have a router at the time to make the initial cutout process easier and instead had to use a combination of tools including a jigsaw, bandsaw, table saw. Also because the wood I used for this build was cedar from Siewers Lumbar and Millwork, I had to use my planer for correct thickness.

Adirondack Chair Plans and Template: Rockler Chair, Footstool and Table Plans
Wood: Western Red Cedar
On a side note, if you’re planning on building an Adirondack chair or are planning on purchasing one from a woodworker, you probably have seen many that are using Pressure Treated dimensional lumber… With how many chemicals that go into pressure treated timber, I would be very hesitant to sit on it without any additional barrier between the wood and my skin. Also, because of how much pressure treated lumber resists water, it is hard to stain or paint. I highly recommend to avoid going the pressure treated route and use a wood that is naturally rot resistant and durable, while also using an outdoor weather resistant finish.

Step 1: Cut out the templates
Very simple depending on the tools you have available. The plans for this chair came with cardboard templates that you can trace on your wooden pieces if you don’t have a router to do it the very easy way. In my case, the above pieces were all cut from 3/4″, 1″ and 2″ thick western red cedar.

Step 2: Finish the pieces
After the pieces are cut, it’s important to add additional outdoor weather protection in the form of some kind of outdoor finish. I used Helmsman Clear Semi-Gloss Spar Urethane going through a process of stain, sand and build up for 3 layers.

Step 3: Assemble the chair
One of the simplest parts of this process, which is just placing all these pieces together. The chair slats and the back slats, I custom cut a spacer to create even spacing inbetween. I screwed it together using outdoor black decking screws. Below is the finished product of the Adirondack chair.

At some point I plan on building another of these single Adirondack chairs, the mini-table, two foot rests and the bench to complete the set. Overall time to complete this project probably equated to 18 hours. The majority of the time was spent cutting each individual piece without a router. Now that I have a router table setup, I can create all these pieces much faster with the provided templates. A great side-project to pass some time and have a great finished piece. This chair is very sturdy and can support over 300+ pounds tested with weights.