The Adirondack chair is the most recognisable piece of outdoor furniture in the world, and for good reason — it is built around how people actually want to sit outside. Leaned back, arms spread wide, feet slightly elevated. Once you sit in a well-made Adirondack, a standard patio chair feels like punishment. The good news is that the design, despite looking complex, is one of the most beginner-friendly outdoor furniture projects you can tackle. The angles are consistent, the joinery is simple, and the result is a chair that will last twenty years.
Why the Adirondack Looks the Way It Does
The chair was invented in 1903 by Thomas Lee on the shores of Lake Champlain in New York’s Adirondack mountains. He needed a chair that worked on sloped, rocky terrain. The wide armrests let you put down a drink on either side. The reclined seat angle (around 22 degrees from horizontal) and the sharply angled back slats (about 30 degrees from vertical) combine to create a natural resting position that supports your lower back without any padding. It is ergonomics by accident, and it works.
In Australia, the Adirondack has become popular for decks and lawns precisely because it handles our outdoor lifestyle — you lean back, look at the garden, and it holds you comfortably for as long as you like.
Timber Choices for the Australian Climate
In Australia, suitable options include:
- Treated pine (H3) — budget option, takes paint well, widely available at Bunnings
- Hardwood: spotted gum, ironbark, or tallowwood — naturally durable, stunning appearance, but harder to work and more expensive
- Western red cedar — lightweight, naturally rot-resistant, easy to cut and sand; available from specialist timber yards
- DAR pine — acceptable if sealed and painted well; best suited to covered outdoor areas
For a first build, treated pine DAR is the most practical. It is affordable, forgiving, and readily available. Paint it and it looks great.
Cut List — Single Adirondack Chair
| Part | Qty | Timber Size | Cut Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat boards | 5 | 140×19mm DAR pine | 810mm | Laid horizontally; front board gets rounded front edge |
| Back slats (outer) | 2 | 90×19mm DAR pine | 1050mm | Angled top, taller outer slats |
| Back slats (inner) | 3 | 70×19mm DAR pine | 950mm | Central slats, slightly shorter |
| Front legs | 2 | 90×45mm DAR pine | 430mm | Plumb cut top, 22° angle cut bottom |
| Back legs (runners) | 2 | 200×25mm DAR pine | 900mm | Curved profile — template required; determines seat angle |
| Armrests | 2 | 140×25mm DAR pine | 760mm | Front rounded, tapers toward back |
| Arm supports (front) | 2 | 70×45mm DAR pine | 200mm | Vertical, supports front of armrest |
| Back top rail | 1 | 140×25mm DAR pine | 590mm | Curved top — template cut; holds back slats at top |
| Back bottom rail | 1 | 90×25mm DAR pine | 560mm | Straight; anchors back slats at bottom |
| Seat support brace | 1 | 90×45mm DAR pine | 560mm | Cross-member under front of seat boards |
The Key Angles: Getting Them Right
The Adirondack’s comfort lives entirely in two angles. Get these wrong and you have an uncomfortable chair that looks off. Get them right and you have something exceptional.
22° Seat Slope
The back legs (runners) are the shaped pieces that determine the seat angle. When you cut the profile of the back leg, the seat surface ends up angled 22 degrees from horizontal — tilted back and down. This is what makes you naturally recline when you sit down. The runner profile must be cut accurately from a template.
30° Back Slope
The back slats lean away from you at roughly 30 degrees from vertical. This angle is set by where the back bottom rail is attached to the runners — it must be positioned so the back assembly ends up at 30 degrees. Use a digital angle gauge or a bevel gauge set to 30 degrees and check before fastening permanently.
Make a Template First
The most important step in an Adirondack build is making a back leg template before you cut anything in your good timber. The back leg (runner) has a shaped profile — a long, flowing curve at the back that sits on the ground and rises to support the seat. It is the most critical piece in the chair because it determines every other angle.
- Get a piece of 6mm MDF or plywood, roughly 200×900mm.
- Draw the runner profile on it using a printed plan or grid method. The key dimensions: the heel of the runner sits 50mm off the ground at the back, the seat sits at 430mm height at the front, and the slope between them creates the 22-degree angle.
- Cut the template with a jigsaw and sand the edges smooth.
- Test the template on the floor — it should sit flat and stable.
- Trace the template onto your timber and cut both runners identically. Clamp both together and sand the edges flush so they are exactly the same profile.
Taking 45 minutes to make a good template saves hours of frustration and produces a chair that looks professional.
Step-by-Step Assembly
Step 1 — Cut and shape the back legs (runners)
Using your template, trace and cut both back legs. Sand profiles smooth. These are the foundation of the chair — take your time.
Step 2 — Attach the front legs
The front legs attach to the runners at a point approximately 200mm from the front of the runner. The top of the front leg should be vertical (plumb). Pre-drill and use 75mm screws plus exterior PVA glue. Check the chair sits flat by standing both assemblies on a flat surface.
Step 3 — Fit the seat support brace
The seat support brace runs horizontally between the two runners, approximately 150mm from the front. This is the cross-member the front seat boards rest on. Check it is square to the runners before screwing.
Step 4 — Lay the seat boards
Attach the five seat boards across the runners from front to back. Leave 8–10mm gaps between boards for drainage. The front board should be rounded on its front edge (use a router or hand plane) to prevent it digging into the backs of legs. Screw each board down through pre-drilled, countersunk holes.
Step 5 — Build the back assembly
Lay the back bottom rail and back top rail flat on the workbench. Arrange the back slats between them — the taller outer slats on the outside, shorter inner slats in the centre. Screw the slats to both rails. Now offer the assembled back up to the chair and fix it at the correct 30-degree angle, attaching the bottom rail to the runners.
Step 6 — Fit the arm supports and armrests
The front arm supports attach to the top of the front legs. The armrests then span from the front arm support to the top of the back assembly. The armrest should be level or very slightly sloped down toward the back. Shape the front of each armrest with a jigsaw — a rounded front profile about 140mm wide is the classic look.
Finishing the Chair
The traditional Adirondack finish is exterior primer plus two coats of exterior enamel in white. This is the look most people associate with the design, and it is also the most durable finish for pine in Australian conditions. Follow this process:
- Sand all surfaces to 120 grit. Pay special attention to end grain — two coats of primer on end grain only.
- Apply one full coat of exterior primer (Dulux or Taubmans exterior primer). Let dry fully — 4 hours minimum.
- Lightly sand with 180 grit to knock back any raised grain.
- Apply first coat of exterior enamel. Work with the grain, keep a wet edge, don’t overwork.
- Let dry 24 hours. Apply second coat.
If you prefer a natural timber look, use Cabot’s Australian Timber Oil or similar penetrating exterior oil. Two coats, sanding lightly between coats.
Want the Full Measured Plans?
Building an Adirondack chair from scratch with written dimensions is doable, but having a full set of measured drawings — with the exact runner profile, all angles marked, and step-by-step illustrations — makes the whole project faster and the result more consistent. Ted’s Woodworking includes multiple Adirondack chair variants along with thousands of other outdoor furniture plans.
Get Full Measured Adirondack Plans at Ted’s Woodworking — 16,000+ Projects for Every Skill Level
