| Project by mattsanf | posted 403 days ago | 340 views | 2 times favorited | 9 comments |  |
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Hi all,
This is my first attempt to post a project to Lumberjock’s, so I just pulled an old one from my blog to test (http://www.intheworkshop.info). More to come eventually.
This is from Sept 2005:
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This past weekend I repaired two wooden garden benches that we purchased about seven years ago. This was the second time in seven years that I performed major repairs on these benches and they probably won’t be able to be repaired again (or rather won’t be worth repairing). In that same seven years, an Adirondack chair that I made sat out in the yard next to the benches. This year I repainted it, and it looks brand-new….it will last many, many more years. In fact after its new paint, I think that it is indistinguishable from the two new Adirondack chairs that I made this summer.
Can you tell which of the chairs above is seven years old and which two are new?
While it may be true that you can buy furniture now-a-days for the same price as the materials to make it yourself (not to mention the tools)...there is no comparison is quality or longevity. Something you make will last a lifetime, something modern that you buy will likely not last 10 years.
Chairs are made of oak and are based on Norm’s old design and have held up like-new out in the weather all this time. A good, basic design.
I had the sense to make patterns for the parts when I made the first one, so these two are only took about 4 hours each to fully complete from lumber-to-finish (minus paint).
-- -- Matt Sanfilippo, Pittsburgh, Pa., www.intheworkshop.info
Your Online Shop - Your Support Is Greatly Appreciated - Your Woodworking Showcase - 3 Ways To Help, Financially - Your Woodworking Community
9 comments so far
oscorner
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4576 posts in 753 days
posted 403 days ago
That’s a bunch of great looking chairs! I take it by the placement of the chairs that the birds put on quite a show for you. ;^)
-- Jesus is Lord!
Bill
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2512 posts in 604 days
posted 403 days ago
A nice looking set of chairs Matt. I am guessing the third chair in the second picture is the older one. It looks like the spacing of the back slats is slightly different than the others.
Can you take a picture of the seat, where it joins the back slates in the front? I see some adirondack chairs will add a piece that tips up slightly, while others do not. I can see how that extra piece would be more comfortable, but not sure that anyone actually touches it when sitting in the chairs.
You used Oak for the chairs? Interesting choice, but it looks like it has done just fine.
-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com
mattsanf
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34 posts in 406 days
posted 403 days ago
Hi Bill,
You are correct, it is the third one in the 2nd photo. The original had even spacing on the back slats and the newer ones fan-out slightly.
I used oak because I had it on-hand…not because it was the best choice….hence the paint rather than natural. The paint seems to more than compensate.
I did not add the piece that “tips up slightly, where it joins the back slats in the front” that you ask about. I know exactly what you mean, but I agree that your back does not seem to touch that piece anyway.
Thanks for the comments!
Matt
-- -- Matt Sanfilippo, Pittsburgh, Pa., www.intheworkshop.info
mot
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4837 posts in 479 days
posted 403 days ago
Great chairs, matt!
-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)
MsDebbieP
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11555 posts in 603 days
posted 403 days ago
great blog!!
great chairs.
-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
Napaman
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1595 posts in 520 days
posted 403 days ago
my gues is the chair on the far right is the oldest…the spacing on the slats seems more narrow and the bolt holes seem deeper…just a guess..but as of yet I have not looked at anyother LJ guesses before I wrote this…now i will go read the other guesses…
Either way—-great chairs…
-- Matt, Napa, CA...177 days to sanity...
Napaman
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1595 posts in 520 days
posted 403 days ago
ahhh….i got it too!!! :) Look for my adirondack chairs in the coming week i hope!!!
-- Matt, Napa, CA...177 days to sanity...
Don
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2586 posts in 619 days
posted 403 days ago
Nice work, Matt, welcome to LJ’s. (I guessed the older chair correctly for the same reason as Bill.)
-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.canterburybaptist.org/
jockmike2
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4011 posts in 689 days
posted 402 days ago
Nice looking chairs, I’ve been meaning to make some of them too. jockmike
-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com