| Project by Grantman | posted 898 days ago | 1557 views | 6 times favorited | 7 comments |  |
 |
A buddy at work was getting ready to celebrate his 5th wedding anniversary and asked me if I could build an Adirondack glider he saw online. I told him he couldn’t afford me, but I’d let him use my shop and I’d teach him how to do it.
He bought a plan online and then for the next few weekends he was in my basement learning how to do a job properly. All the steps – jointing, planing, cutting, jigs, assembly, etc.
He cracked up when his wife asked him why the surprise was taking so long. After all, she said, “all it takes is cutting, sanding, and putting it together.” We had a good laugh on that one!
Needless to say, their marriage has blossomed and now Jim wishes he lived closer to me to work on other projects. The only thing I would say is that Western Red Cedar is too soft to last for years. I wish he had chosen (or if anyone else buys this plan) makes it out of white oak. I am really disappointed in cedar. It’s light and it machines wonderfully, but it dents just by looking at it.
Western Red Cedar, brass screws.
| Pin It |
7 comments so far
a1Jim
home | projects | blog
87329 posts in 1749 days
#1 posted 898 days ago
Very nice glider.
-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/
DrAllred
home | projects | blog
138 posts in 995 days
#2 posted 898 days ago
Great looking chair, The only problem about using Oak for an outside chair is that it will not last as long. Western Red Cedar is an outside wood and will last a lot longer than Oak. Now, I might have people say differently, but have you ever seen a roof with Oak shingles.
-- David, Mesa Arizona
Splinterman
home | projects | blog
23060 posts in 1533 days
#3 posted 897 days ago
Hey Grantman,
Nice job and good instructional assistance…how about ….Douglas Fir..???
Grantman
home | projects | blog
79 posts in 2197 days
#4 posted 897 days ago
Doc – don’t misunderstand me, cedar will last a long time. However, so will white oak. My whole complaint is the softness of the wood for a piece of furniture that will be exposed to lots of use over the years. Dents, dings, splits, etc. They just had their first child and will have more coming up. It’s gonna get a lot of use.
Splint – fir, from what I read, degrades relatively quickly outdoors. Cedar, cypress, mahogany, teak, white oak, Ipe, and a few others are the ones that were recommended.
helluvawreck
home | projects | blog
10480 posts in 1038 days
#5 posted 897 days ago
That is a very nice glider and it was wonderful for you to help him build it and to teach him a little about woodworking.
-- If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. Henry David Thoreau
1SGTBob
home | projects | blog
73 posts in 1087 days
#6 posted 897 days ago
Nice glider and good job on mentoring, I need to build a couple of Adirondack chairs in the spring and was thinking of using pressure treated lumber they will be painted am I wrong thinking this way.
-- Bob "Every breath I take as a Free man was paid for with the blood of an American Soldier"
Grantman
home | projects | blog
79 posts in 2197 days
#7 posted 897 days ago
Sarge – after doing a little research, I’d stay away from pressure treated lumber. The sawdust is more toxic than non-treated lumber. Why take the chance? Plus you’re stuck with less than ideal wood to begin with…it machines lousy.
If you’re going to paint, do some good research first on which coatings are best and then get the best you can afford. Quality now will reduce aggravation down the road. Fine Woodworking had an article a year or two ago on external coatings. It might be behind a paid firewall, though. Another of the other mags had an article, too; I just can’t remember which. Remember, Google is your friend. ;-)
Good luck. Looking forward to seeing your chairs posted in a few months.
Have your say...