Homemade Redwood Adirondack Chairs

Place the redwood side rails on a raised, flat surface. Sand the edges with medium-grit sandpaper. Use a pencil to draw curves on the redwood back rails according to the attached plan design. Cut the redwood back rails along the pencil lines with a jigsaw and sand the edges with medium-grit sand paper. Keep the top rail flat, but give the other, bottom redwood rail a 7-degree bevel with a table saw.

Assemble the seat by screwing the lower back rail to the seat sides with one corrosion-resistant 1-5/8-inch or 2-inch deck screw at either end of the back rail. Attach the top rail in similar fashion with two deck screws. Place a 1-inch block beneath the rear seat slat (as a spacer) and position the seat while you attach the remaining seat slats with two deck screws each.

Round the long edges of the front leg redwood pieces with a 1/4-inch quarter round bit on the router table. Make a line with your pencil on the inside of each leg to note the bottom edge of the side rail. Attach the front legs to the seat with two deck screws. Start screwing from the inside of the side rail so that the screws go through the side rail and into the front legs. Apply steady pressure to the front leg pieces, holding them firmly with one hand to the side rail while you gently thread the screws through to prevent wood from splitting. Redwood is a hard, firm wood that might require more effort to get screws into during construction but should stand up well over time, giving you a beautiful, and structurally sound Adirondack chair.

Construct the back of the chair by rounding the edges of the back slats with a 1/4-inch quarter round bit on the router table. Clamp the back chair legs to the side rails. Use a drill to bore a hole into each leg. Screw two deck screws into the inside of the rear legs so that the screws go through the legs and into the side rails. Screw the top back rail into the top edges of the rear legs with two deck screws on either side of the back rail.

Position a 4-inch block beneath the upper back rail to help you position and attach the back slats. Use a pencil t0 mark the center of the top and bottom back rails. Screw the middle back slat into the top and bottom rails at these marks. Attach the two outer back slats next followed by the remaining back slats until all are attached to the top and bottom back rails.

Round the edges of the armrests and arm supports on the router table as described above. Clap the supports in place while you attach the arm supports to the front and rear legs with deck screws. Remove the clamps and attach the armrests to the arm supports with three deck screws in each armrest.

Sand the edges of all redwood pieces with fine-grit sandpaper and wipe Adirondack chair clean with a soft, damp cloth. Finish your chair by applying a water-resistant, clear sealant over the entire chair. Since redwood has a naturally beautiful appearance, you won't need to stain it, but will preserve the chair and give it a nice sheen by applying a clear varnish, or sealant, over it. Follow the instructions on your sealant carefully.