Do it Yourself Adirondack Chair

Begin with the back legs, which also hold the seat and act as side rails. Take the longest 6-inch-wide wood plank and saw off a 33 7/8-inch-long piece with the jigsaw. Using a protractor to mark the cut, saw one end of this piece at a 20-degree angle so it is no longer a square end. Use the jigsaw on the other end as well to cut the points of the square end into curves, which will create rounded feet on which the chair to stand.

Using your first back leg as a pattern, trace it onto the same 6-inch wood plank. Cut out this traced back leg for another identical back leg.

Cut the 60-inch-long 6-inch plank so you have a 23 5/8-inch-long rectangular piece. This is the front cross-piece of the seat.

Screw the front cross-piece to the back legs. The cross-piece overlaps the angled ends of the back legs.

Cut out the front legs. Take a 4-inch wood plank and cut it 20 7/16-inches long with the jigsaw. Use the rectangular piece you cut out as a pattern for an identical rectangular piece, 20 7/16-inches long, also cut off of the 4-inch plank.

Clamp the front legs to the outer corners of the back legs and cross-piece. Attach them so that the back legs make a 20-degree angle with the ground, using the protractor angle finder to create the correct angle. When the front legs are clamped in place properly, screw them to the outer corners.

Create arm brackets to support the arm rests. These small wood rectangles are attached to the outer face of the front legs at the top, perpendicular to the front legs and provide additional support for the arms. Use the leftover wood plank from the back legs, which should be 6 inches long and 4 1/4 inches wide. Cut this piece in half so that two 6-inch pieces remain, each 2 1/8 inches long, and screw them to the front legs.

Cut out the back stretcher, which stretches across the top of the back legs and provides support for the bottom of the back rest. This requires leftover 4-inch plank from the front legs, cut 20 7/16 inches long into a rectangular piece.

Measure 18 9/16 inches from the front end of the back leg piece, not including the cross-piece. Mark this point on each side of the back legs. Screw the back stretcher flat on top of the back legs so that each end of the stretcher begins just behind the marks.

Using the leftover wood from the 6-inch wood plank used for the cross-piece, cut a 30 1/2 inch length. This will leave a rectangular piece that is 6 inches wide. Use this piece as a pattern to cut an identical piece from the 36-inch long 6-inch plank. These two rectangular pieces are the arms of the chair. If desired, use the jigsaw to make one end of each rectangle rounded, where the sitter's hands will rest.

Create the arm stretcher, a piece that connects the back ends of the arms and provides support to the back of the chair. Using a new 4-inch wood plank, cut off a 27-inch length and adjust the jigsaw to cut at a 27-degree angle. Run the jigsaw down one long side of the arm stretcher so that this side is angled at 27 degrees.

Attach the arm stretcher to the bottoms of the ends of the arm pieces, with the angled side facing forward with the angle sloping down. Each arm should be attached to either end of the arm stretcher so that the arms overlap the stretcher by 2 3/4 inches on either side.

Using a prop to hold up the arm stretcher, place the front ends of the arms on top of the front leg/arm bracket apparatuses. Screw them on so that the screw that enters the arm bracket is 3 3/16 inches from the end of the arm. Keep the prop in place for the time being.

Take the leftover 4-inch wood plank from the arm stretcher and two new 4-inch wood planks, cut out five rectangular planks 32 1/2 inches long. These planks make up the back of the chair, and if a curved top for the back rest is desired aesthetically, they must be laid side-by-side, 3/8 inch apart, to mark the curve. Cut out whatever curve looks appealing, making certain that the center plank stays the full 32 1/2-inches at its longest point, and the curve does not bend past 11 inches from the top end on either side. This allows for enough room on the back rest to attach an additional support stretcher.

Screw the back rest slats to the back stretcher and the arm stretcher, 3/8 inch apart, with the flat bottom ends of each slat descending 1/2 inch past the back stretcher.

Strengthen the back rest with another support stretcher. Use the leftover 4-inch wood plank from the arm stretcher and the first back slat. This piece should measure 12 1/2 inches long and 4 inches wide. Cut it lengthwise so that it measures only 1 1/2 inches wide. Screw this thin piece to the back of the back rest slats, 9 inches down from the top.

Using two new 4-inch wood planks, cut three 23 5/8 inch lengths out of one plank and one 23 5/8 inch length out of the other. These rectangular planks are the seat slats. Beginning 1/16 inch from the back slats, screw the seat slats flat on top of the back legs, spacing them 1/8 inch apart.

Sand the wood down if desired, and if using cedar, three coats of finish after brushing off the sanding dust adds to the chair's aesthetic appeal.