Improved Adirondack
Woodworker: Andy Rae
In his effort to improve upon an age-old design, Rae turned the front legs 90 degrees from the norm to give the chair more volume. This also allowed him to use a tapered, sliding dovetail at the front leg to beef up construction. Other furniture joints abound in this design of South American mahogany. Pegged mortise-and-tenon joints connect the arm rail to the arms. Seat and back slats are secured with coated deck screws, bedded in epoxy and protected from the weather in counterbored holes under tapered face-grain plugs. Due to the type of wood used and the design of the joinery, Rae claims the chair can withstand the weather, without any finish whatsoever, for 15 years or more. The design was featured in American Woodworker, issue 52, in June 1996.
Photo: Andy Rae
Comments
I plan to build a set of Adirondack chairs and I am collecting ideas. These chairs are definitely on the short-list.
I really like the look of the turned front leg. I also like the idea of the sliding dovetail connection on the arm, which would seem to resist the cupping that I've noticed on several chairs.
Of course, I am always impressed with anything that Andy Rae builds.
Steve
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