adirondack chair using a template-how to

[tom coleman]

I want to build 6 chairs. My thought is to buy Lee Valley plan which includes full size paper templates of all parts. My thinking is to create a 1/4 inch Baltic ply template of each part, use it to trace the outline on 3/4 inch cedar boards then cut close to line w scroll saw.

Finally, secure template to rough sawn cedar part and make final cuts on a router table with trim bits following the template.

I woud welcome comments on this approach. I've never made a template so I guess this will be trial and error w various sanders trying to get smooth contours. Is Baltic Ply a good choice for template? Will my Dewalt 788 scroll saw be adequate for cutting 3/4 inch Cedar?

[Mark Ball]

The scroll saw will easily cut the cedar, but a jigsaw would go a lot faster, and considering that you are going to be finishing the edges with a bearing guided router bit, I would go with a jig saw. I think a hardboard would be better (and cheaper) than baltic birch for the template, just my opinion.

Also, you are going to want to use a free-hand router to follow the templates, use double faced tape to adhere the template to the workpiece. They make router bits specially for this purpose, a straight cutter with a guide bearing.

I would use the scroll saw to make the templates, though.

[Jim Koepke]

Sound like you are going about this the hard way.

Many years ago we wanted some chairs for our back yard. All the stuff available from retail outlets were either plastic junk or too expensive.

A trip to the library turned up a book published in 1937 written by a high school shop teacher. Wish I could remember the name. It was full of working drawings, one of which was for an adirondack chair. The plan was modified and adapted. My first chairs were made from dismantled pallets.

That was my beginning in the hobby of wood working.

This one was made for my grandson yesterday from memory and guessing.

For an adult size chair, the front leg is about 21 inches and the seat rail is about 36. The angle for the back is between 98 & 100°. The back splats can be determined by sitting on a bench and using a tape measure to determine the distance from the top of one's head to the seat.

Depending on the joint, they are glued and I like to also use brass screws.

This one does not have any fancy joinery, but sometimes I will cut half laps.

jim

[Tom Hargrove]

We have build over 40 Adirondack chairs using the same set of templates. The templates we use are made from 1/2" MDF. Baltic birch is nice material, but I cannot justify the cost when MDF or hardboard is available. We attached the paper templates to the MDF using spray adhesive, and used a jigsaw and bandsaw to cut out the tMDF close to the lines. We used different sanders to bring the edges to the lines. Rasps and files could also be used. Be sure to use dust collection with a power sander - MDF dust is REAL messy and gets everywhere.

We use the templates first to trace the parts, and then as router guides. We use a jig saw or bandsaw to cut out the parts. I agree that a scroll saw is undersized for the job, especially with heavier lumber. We built the legs from 2x material and everything else from 5/4. I tried some samples from 3/4" lumber, and found the chairs to be less than robust. Perhaps the Lee Valley plans would produce a better result.

We fired several (6-12 depending on the part size) staples into one face of each MDF pattern so that the crown was just proud of the surface. We cut the crown off to leave two small barbs in each location. This is enough to keep the piece on the template for routing as long as the bit is sharp and you don't try to remove too much material with the router. We made the chairs from red cedar, and the small holes left in the surface went away as soon as the chairs got wet the first time.

[Ed Nelson978]

I copied and modified a design from a set of chairs LOML had before we met. These are pretty simple projects and there are a ton of plans available on the internet. I use 1/4 hardboard for my templates and have made at least a couple dozen chairs from them. Don't over complicate the process on yourself! I have found western cedar to be my fav material so far and it can be found at the big boxes (you just have to sort through it to find anything decent!)

[Larry Frank]

I bought a set of templates from one of the wookworking stores and they were 1/4" tempered hardboard. I made additional ones to help layout the parts on cypress. They were attached to the cypress, parts roughly cut out and then used a template router bit on a router table. The parts came out nice and did not need much sanding. My wife and I are currently enjoying the two chairs.

[Cody Colston]

I like to use 1/4" MDF for templates. It's easy to fair a curve with a sanding block or a rasp and it's cheap.

I build a lot of outdoor furniture out of Eastern Red Cedar and I use the band saw to saw right on the line and then sand out the saw marks with a ROS...no template routing. I think you could do the same thing with a scroll saw.

I attached a couple pics of a Cedar Adirondack chair I made last month.