Outdoor Lawn Chairs W/ Arm Rests

Intro: Outdoor Lawn Chairs W/ Arm Rests

These chairs are made out of simple framing lumber and feature an-easy-to build design...there also quite comfortable. I wanted to make some chairs that would be great for indoor or outdoor use, that would be easy to transport, cheap, and that anyone could build anywhere. I wanted to create a new design, and since I really haven't made chairs with backs before I wanted to start with a simple concept and use straightforward wood, so framing lumber seemed pretty practical.

STEP 1: Cushions

The first thing I did was to pick up some cheap outdoor cushions at the home improvement store, and I determined the size of the chairs from those dimensions.

Here's the cut list for the build:

• Pieces are 2 x 4 framing lumber unless noted
• Front Legs - 27" long angled 78 degrees to 26 3/8"
• Back Legs - 24 1/4" long, 23 1/2" on short side 78 degrees on bottom 114 degrees on the top
• Short Back Legs - 11 1/2" 78 degree parallelogram
• Seat - 25" long Back - 28" long
• Seat & Back intersect @ 75 degrees & trim excess
• Slats - 10 pieces @ 22" long - use 1" x 4"
• Arm Rests - 2 pieces @ 30" long - use 1" x 4"

STEP 2: Half Lap Joints

Half lap joints for the seat and the back made a lot of sense because it kept the widths the same for the back and the seat, and it made it a lot stronger so that it would never move, and the construction wasn't just relying on screws.

STEP 3: Assembly

I was assembling everything just with screws, so it was easy to take the pieces apart, re-do a cut, or an angle, and then put it back together again. Basically you connect the two sides together of the seat and back with slats, spaced at 1/2 inch apart. You could always glue everything together as well if you are not going to transport the chairs.

STEP 4: Legs

There is a second piece of wood for support for the back legs, because that way it would be really easy to assemble them and everything would fit together well, and be well supported.

STEP 5: Arm Rests

When the angle of the seat was determined, the last part to figure out was the arms. 1x4s was used for the arms as well as the slats, and cut to size at the band saw. The upper part of the legs were also cut at an angle to better accommodate the arms.

STEP 6: Conclusion - Watch the Video

For a much better perspective, make sure to watch the video of the building process!

Comments

[shripadlale]

This is perfect! I was looking for a design that is a bit more practical and manageable version of the Adirondack. Thanks for sharing. I will definitely make a few for my patio.

[SarahM115]

Pretty awesome build! They have a great look and would look good in a number of different settings. Adaptable design as well.

[roylg]

Nice job! I think I'll make a couple out of cedar.

[Quigley]

how heavy are they?