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An Adirondack built like framing, not furniture: 2x4 stringers and legs, straight angled cuts instead of curved templates, and a matching footstool from one more board.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back legs Both ends cut PARALLEL at 15° off square, long point to short point. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 20 3/4" | — | ☐ |
| Front legs | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 20" | — | ☐ |
| Arm supports Longest-point measurement, ONE end cut at 15° off square. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 26 1/2" | — | ☐ |
| Stringers One end 35° off square, the other 20° — same direction, NOT parallel. Long point to short point. The top corner gets trimmed off in step 1. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 31 7/8" | — | ☐ |
| Front apron and back support | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 22 1/2" | — | ☐ |
| Seat slats | 5 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 22 1/2" | — | ☐ |
| Back slats | 5 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 36" | — | ☐ |
| Back top support | 1 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 19 1/2" | — | ☐ |
| Back base support | 1 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 19 1/2" | — | ☐ |
| Arm rests | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 27" | — | ☐ |
| Footstool stringers Both ends 30° off square, parallel, long point to short point. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 23 1/2" | — | ☐ |
| Footstool top boards | 6 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 22 1/2" | — | ☐ |
| Footstool legs One end 30° off square, longest-point measurement. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 13 3/4" | — | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| 2x4, 8 ft Three for the chair, one more for the footstool stringers and legs. Pressure-treated, cedar, or exterior-rated whitewood. | 4 each | ☐ |
| 2x2, 6 ft Arm supports. | 1 each | ☐ |
| 1x4, 8 ft Seat and back slats, arm rests. The footstool wants one more 12-footer or equivalent. | 4 each | ☐ |
| 1x4, 12 ft Footstool top boards. | 1 each | ☐ |
| Exterior screws, #9 x 2-1/2", self-tapping | 30 each | ☐ |
| Exterior screws, #8 x 2", self-tapping | 60 each | ☐ |
| Wood screws, #8 x 1-1/4" Top of the back slats, where 2" would poke through. | 20 each | ☐ |
| Waterproof wood glue Exterior-rated. Plain interior glue lets go after a winter outside. | 8 oz | ☐ |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Jigsaw, Pencil, Speed Square
The stringers come off the miter saw with a sharp top corner where the 35° and 20° cuts meet. Mark the cut-off with a speed square and take it off with the jigsaw, on both stringers.
Do them together and compare — the two stringers set the seat plane, and they need to match each other more than they need to match the drawing.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Speed Square. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, Exterior screws, #9 x 2-1/2", self-tapping
Join the front apron (the 22-1/2" 2x4) to the two front legs, two 2-1/2" screws per joint. Keep the apron square to the legs — this U-shape is the reference everything else gets fitted against.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: Exterior screws, #9 x 2-1/2", self-tapping
Stand the assembly upright on a genuinely flat surface. Attach each stringer to the front apron with a SINGLE screw, then check that the chair sits flat and doesn't rock.
One screw is the point: it's a pivot. You can rotate a stringer a degree or two to kill a rock now. After the second screw goes in, you can't.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, 2x2, 6 ft, Exterior screws, #9 x 2-1/2", self-tapping
Attach the back legs and the 2x2 arm supports, still checking after each piece that the chair sits flat. Once nothing rocks, go back and finish screwing the stringers to all four legs until the frame is rigid.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 1x4, 8 ft, Exterior screws, #8 x 2", self-tapping, Waterproof wood glue
Starting at the front edge, screw the seat slats to the stringers with 2" screws and glue, leaving a 1/2" gap between slats. The gaps drain rain; a solid seat on an outdoor chair is a puddle with armrests.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Tape Measure. Materials: Exterior screws, #9 x 2-1/2", self-tapping
Screw the back support 2x4 across the back legs with the 2-1/2" screws at the height shown in the diagrams. This bar and the base support are what the whole back panel hangs on — check it's level across the chair, not just attached.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Jigsaw, Pencil. Materials: 1x4, 8 ft, Wood screws, #8 x 1-1/4"
Lay the five back slats on the base support with roughly 1/2" gaps, screw them to the base, then tie the tops together with the 1x4 top support and the 1-1/4" screws — the short screws matter here, anything longer comes through the face.
For the arch, trace a large round object — a trash can lid is traditional and works — across the slat tops, and cut the curve with the jigsaw. Cut with the panel assembled so the arc flows across all five boards.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: Exterior screws, #9 x 2-1/2", self-tapping, Exterior screws, #8 x 2", self-tapping
Stand the finished back panel inside the chair frame and lock it down: 2-1/2" screws through the base, 2" screws into the back support. Sit in it before the next step — the back takes your full weight at a lever angle, so if anything flexes, add screws now.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Random Orbit Sander. Materials: 1x4, 8 ft, Exterior screws, #8 x 2", self-tapping, Waterproof wood glue
Screw and glue the arm rests to the arm supports and the tops of the front legs. Round the front corners and soften every arris with the sander — arms are the part of an Adirondack people actually touch for hours.
Tools: Jigsaw, Miter Saw, Speed Square. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, 1x4, 12 ft
The footstool is its own small cut list: two stringers at 23-1/2" with parallel 30° ends, two legs at 13-3/4" with one 30° end, six top boards at 22-1/2".
Cut the stringer angles on the miter saw first, then mark the corner cut-offs with a square and finish with the jigsaw — same technique as the chair stringers.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 1x4, 12 ft, Exterior screws, #8 x 2", self-tapping, Waterproof wood glue
Screw and glue the six top boards across the stringers with 2" screws, keeping the gaps consistent with the chair seat so the pair reads as a set.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Random Orbit Sander. Materials: Exterior screws, #9 x 2-1/2", self-tapping
Screw the legs to the insides of the stringers with the 2-1/2" screws. Set the stool against the chair and check the deck angle meets your legs comfortably.
Sand everything, then either leave the wood to weather or put an exterior finish on — and if you used glue at every joint like you should have, this pair will outlast the deck it sits on.