| Project by vipond33 | posted 570 days ago | 4904 views | 31 times favorited | 10 comments |  |
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It’s no surprise that the Adirondack chair is such a popular project with LJ’s. What else can you build so simply that is also so very comfortable to sit in, sipping a cold one after a long hard day of sore muscles and sawdust.
Scanning the entries on this site I can see the many ways people have delightfully altered the basic design, using different woods, colours and finishes, all the while adding their own personal flourishes. I have built a few myself and sat in many but this project is about the precursor to the Adirondack, that being the Bunnell, or Westport chair, the place where it all started. This particular one was given as a gift to my brother on his 50th birthday.
Now for those that are interested, you can read a brief history of its development here:
http://www.orvis.com/intro.aspx?subject=2978
A warning though, there is avarice, deceit and a friendship lost over money and trust involved in this tale, common themes for sure in the cut and thrust hardscrabble world of small shop woodworking. Oh sorry, sorry, I was thinking of the 1%, not us.
Built completely out of western red cedar, using plenty o dowel joinery and tasteful brass screws, this is a bit of a departure from the original plan which incorporated just 12 pieces of wood in its basic form and sometimes featured a footrest as well as storage under the seat. You may view the 1905 patent and plan by Bunnell here:
Even though being a design that’s over a hundred years old, this chair looks surprisingly modern in its simplicity of form and looks quite elegant,, even after falling over with you after too many cold ones. With that narrow rear footprint it’s a little tippy if you tipple too much.
For those of you who wish to have a go at this, a full scale plan is available for sale here: http://www.adirondackmuseumstore.com/1654.html
36” x 34” x 30”
About 34hrs.
Build on LJ’s.
gene
Final assembly in my spare bedroom shop.
The birthday boy.
What is not apparent in any of these shots is long grain, thick strips of teak, glued and screwed to the bottom of all ground contact pieces of the chair. Cedar is quite poor for scraping or dropping damage, and sucks up water like a camel to water, but is otherwise fine. i.e. warm and light and soft. A real class act with finer details possible could be achieved in mahogany or ipe.
-- gene@toronto.ontario.canada : dovetail free since '53, critiques always welcome.
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10 comments so far
Karson
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34370 posts in 2569 days
#1 posted 570 days ago
Gene: a great looking chair. It looks like the birthday boy appreciated it.
Some great research on all of the history on the chair.
-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
Lidiya Blaznina
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705 posts in 708 days
#2 posted 570 days ago
Good idea !
-- Lidiya,Russia," I use wood to translate my mood".
Deltawood
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39 posts in 1366 days
#3 posted 569 days ago
Beautiful chair and I love the back ground information and the new web site to browse.
Thanks Gene
-- - If it ain't broke, don't lend it!
Woodbridge
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1542 posts in 587 days
#4 posted 569 days ago
Gene, that is a great chair. The various angular shapes make it look very modern. I especially like the back view. Thanks as well for the history of the chair. You’ve given me some interesting ideas to explore for some of my future chair projects.
-- Peter, Woodbridge, Ontario
mafe
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8055 posts in 1258 days
#5 posted 569 days ago
It is wonderful to see how happy he is for his new chair, congrat him.
Really interesting to read the story of this legend of a chair, and I also saw the sad end of it made of plastic…
Yours are really beautiful on some of those pictures, got to love that one.
Best thoughts,
Mads
-- Mad F, the fanatical rhykenologist and vintage architect. Democraticwoodworking.
SASmith
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1368 posts in 1156 days
#6 posted 569 days ago
Wonderful chair.
Thanks for sharing.
-- Scott Smith, Southern Illinois
KnickKnack
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805 posts in 1735 days
#7 posted 569 days ago
How strange are things…
2 days ago my wife and I went 150km to see a famous carpet festival here in Portugal. Browsing through the local shops I was struck by a chair being sold in a “crafty” kind of shop. It seemed an interesting “Adirondack meets red/blue” kind of chair that I’d never seen before so I made some sketches – for subsequent looking into.
And suddenly here it is! With history etc etc :-)
Yours, Mr vipond, is considerably better made and designed. I might just have to have a go at something like this.
-- "Do not speak – unless it improves on silence."
thedude50
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3316 posts in 647 days
#8 posted 567 days ago
if your brother is a normal sized guy i would have to make it double sized as it looks kinda small with him in it how wide is the seat i make my Adirondack chairs 22 to 26 inches wide depending on the client i like to make large charis as i am 6 4 and 320
-- when I am not on Lumberjocks I am on @ http://thisoldworkshop.com where we allow free speech
vipond33
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1309 posts in 666 days
#9 posted 566 days ago
My brother’s not tiny, probably 6’3” 230, but still fits. This chair can be modified easily, all that is needed is to increase the seat width, the back and bottom cleat. You might add another or stronger brace under the seat board.
-- gene@toronto.ontario.canada : dovetail free since '53, critiques always welcome.
bfd
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502 posts in 1976 days
#10 posted 214 days ago
Gene, This chair is killer! I am just seeing this for the first time. When I first saw the post I thought wow what a great “modern” take on a classic. Then when I read on that this chair actually predates the Adirondack chair I thought even better! The lines on this chair are so simple, minimal and strong from any angle that it make the Adirondack chair seem almost ornate. It kind of reminds me of another famous chair Gerrit Rietveld’s Red, Blue & Chair from 1923.
Like you mentioned I can also see making this chair in mahogany, ipe etc.
-- Brian, Folsom, CA http://www.brianfullerdesigns.com
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