Introduction: Plank Chair

About: Perhaps I am the heretical harbinger of the New Archaic, perhaps I just like wood.
A simple and satisfying chair made from one plank of wood.

Step 1: Get a Large Plank of Wood

The piece of wood that I used for this chair was 7 feet long, 11 inches wide and 1 3/4 inches thick. I originally used driftwood planks to make these chairs because they look nice and are free. If you choose to use found wood be careful that it has not been pressure treated.

Step 2: Cut the Plank in Two

Cut the plank into two pieces. For this chair I made one piece 40 inches long and the other 51. The dimensions can be varied to fit your preferences.

Step 3: Make the Back Leg

Cut two inches of wood off of the sides of the board starting 15 inches from one end of the plank.

Step 4: Cut a Hole in the Second Plank

Place the tapered end of the first board 15 1/2 inches from the bottom of the second board and trace around the edge. Remove enough wood to slide the first board through the hole in the second at an angle.

Step 5: Try It Out

Fit the two pieces together and try it out. If you are not satisfied with something here is your chance to fix it.

Step 6: Fine Tune the Angles

The planks will not intersect at right angles, so some wood will need to be trimmed. This picture shows the marking process for this step.

Step 7: Fine Tune Part 2

Use a saw to redefine the angles.

Step 8: Finish & Relax

I wanted to remove the glitter on the boards so I resurfaced the plank with a chisel. However the only necessary step here is to relax in your new chair.