On my first two pieces – King’s Adirondack chairs
I’m just starting off on my first two commissioned pieces, two of Mr. King’s very fine Adirondack chairs. I visited this particular local lumber yard this past weekend as I thought they had some Eastern Red Cedar that would’ve worked well, but since it was only 4/4 I ended up going with their 6/4 Red Oak as that’s what the owner suggested. I haven’t seen anyone make one of these chairs out of Oak yet so I hope I haven’t shot myself in the foot here. These things are gonna be SO heavy, but I guess that’s why they have wheels.
Since I’ve never worked with anything this dense before I thought I’d write to ask about the ins and outs of working with this heftier wood. I’ve got some good machines to help get it done… table saw, router table w/ lift, thickness planer, jointer, band saw, belt sander, part templates, etc. So no excuse I can’t make this happen! I’ve read some instances where these chairs can rack so I’m concerned using a heavier wood will make them more prone. These are both to be painted solid white (filling all screw holes with dowels) and I’m wondering if the liberal use of glue in all the joints would help any with it’s rigidity. I haven’t seen the idea mentioned one way or the other. I’d be glad to go through the extra effort of using glue but I’m actually thinking that it might not do a joint any good where the two surfaces weren’t previously machined to meet each other exactly flat.
Also, I’m wondering about the finish coats. The clients are requesting white, and because they’re well traveled they’re imagining the Adirondack chairs they’ve seen at high end country clubs and they’re wanting something that resembles those… and all I know to do is ask the pimple face kid at the HD paint desk for something exterior grade. Should I just do a color coat or do some kind of clear as well? I just don’t know how this is best done for exterior furniture. I’d actually like to get some kind of paint gun and give that a go since I’ve got a big enough compressor to push one now.
Here’s what I’m looking to make… All advice appreciated.
Replies
I don't think red oak is the right wood for outdoor furniture. From an old FWW article, the best outdoor woods are white oak, black locust, bald cypress, eastern red cedar, and northern white cedar. The unfinished QSWO and white cedar I have used for outdoor projects have lasted years.
https://www.finewoodworking.com/project-guides/chairs-benches-and-stools/5-woods-for-outdoor-furniture
Beautiful chair. I have questions regarding wood selection. In choosing, consider a) how the chairs will be finished, traditional painted or natural look? b) what’s the climate the chairs will live in… humid/dry? Winter snow/ if so, left outdoors? Sea air? c) what is your expected life for the chair… how does that compare with your customers expectations? I do think white oak might be better. But then again I’m still using Adirondacks I made 18 years ago out of poplar, and another set I made 12 years ago out of clear pine. Always left outdoors in snowy, humid Ohio. Set on bricks in the winter to keep the bottoms off the grass in the winter. IMO the finish will have an impact on wood selection.
Best regards, a beautiful chair!
If painted, red oak can last a fairly long time but will eventually rot much faster than the outdoor woods suggested above. The problem will be that the rot will first occur where the wood is fastened or joined and this will cause failure. Painting pieces before assembly will help, and using plugs over the screws also.
Save yourself long-term heartache by passing on red oak. It is not a good choice for an outdoor use... even painted. With that many parts the paint will have small failures in a single season. Protect yourself with a better choice.
What those guys said. Don't use red oak outdoors.
I made a pair of Tom McLaughlin's version of this chair out of Western Red Cedar. They are BIG chairs and weigh very little.
If painting them, I would have used macrocarpa or another resistant softwood.
After making various furniture used outdoors, I learnt the hard way that many timbers have poor durability (natural chemicals and compounds that resist insect and fungal attacks). Various paints or varnishes can delay the rot but, as others have said, the rot will get in at joints or any end grain, especially feet-bottoms, screw penetration points and so forth.
The trouble is, once it gets in, its impossible to stop, even if you disassemble and renew rotted parts. So it's better to find and use timbers that are much more naturally durable.
The classic timber for furniture you want to move about is, as others have said, one or another of the cedars, with Western Red cedar being the classic choice. You can still put a finish on (a clear finish making the grain look good as well as enhancing/preserving the timber colour) but even no finish leaves the timber durable albeit it'll gradually go grey and perhaps checked on the surfaces.
Personally I prefer teak and/or iroko, especially the latter, as these are very resistant to rot and I like the much heavier and sturdier weight. Cedar is a lot lighter but can be fragile compared to iroko if the furniture is tossed around a bit when moved from one outdoor spot to another.
Old growth timbers are best as they tend to a greater density and strength. If its a durable timber old growth, it seems to age more slowly than the plantation-grown stuff.
Dense old growth iroko and teak are hard to find (reclaimed is the only real option now) and also expensive. I got mine free from reclamations of old buildings but you have to know the right wrecker-refurbishers. :-)
PS Have you seen these? Personally I think they have a lot of design features that preserve the full adirondack traditional shape whilst adding features such as protected end grain and foldability. They're the only items out of hundreds I've ever made from a plan. I still have the plywood templates to make more besides the first four.
https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/plans/44835-adirondack-plus-folding-chair-plan?item=05L0540
Cypress was my solution. In my neighborhood
1X6 4/4 Cypress= $5.14/bf
1X6 5/4 Cypress= $5.86/bf
1X6 4/4 W R Cedar = $9.85/bf
1X6 5/4 W R Cedar = $11.86/bf
I have two Cypress chairs at 25+ years old still standing strong.