The Weekender

Eight of my first nine ADK chairs are based on what I have come to call my "Weekender" design platform. I am quite happy with it and am not sure I am ready to leave well enough alone. The next step will be to taper the front legs and tinker with the joinery where the back slats meet the rear brace.

The Weekender is rigorously simple in it's form. It does not beg to be be noticed. Rather it sits quietly; a serene complement to the landscape. The colors harmonize with the surrounding flowers, trees and sky. This chair hugs the ground and at the same time seems to spring up from it.

I worked the angles to get it just right. The height of the seat is 17.5" which is 2" higher than the standard Adirondack chair and the flattened pitch makes for effortless egress. The big seat is a generous 18.5" deep. Wide "paddle" arms (8.75") comfortably support your arms, and your drink and plate as well. Overall dimensions are: 36" wide by 37" tall by 31" deep. Built of solid white oak for it's weather tight properties, and colored with Benjamin Moore exterior acrylic finishes over a Kilz premium exterior primer. Stainless steel screws ( #10's) are hidden beneath oak bungs. Edge-glued boards are joined using #20 beech plates and Titebond III adhesive. My expectation is for the Weekender to survive many Maine summers and to bear witness to a lifetime of lawn parties and beautiful sunsets.

Once you sit, you can forget about whatever you were planning to get done. Your week is over.

Hence the name: Week Ender.

Daydream Believer

Not a good thing to daydream around woodworking machinery. I am reminded of Ishmael's warning to Ship Captains in "The Masthead" chapter of Moby Dick not to put dreamy-eyed romantics in the crow's nest to lookout for whales. They get so caught up in their reveries they lose track of time, forget all about whaling and sometimes fall right out of the rigging.

When I'm feeling particularly daydreamy, I turn off the machines and do the work that will allow my mind to wander. Sanding and finishing let you do all the thinking you want with minimal danger to life or limb. They are both meditative processes and after a few strokes, I usually find myself in daydream land. Most of the time I think of boring stuff like: the number of steps I need to take to complete a particular project, or the phone calls I need to make; the many todo lists that are part of running a business. The other day I imagined a "Dagwood" sandwich. It was the type my mother made for us many years ago and consisted of baloney, red onion, iceberg lettuce, thick sliced tomatoes from the garden and bright orange Velveeta processed cheese on very white white bread. The key ingredient was Miracle Whip slathered heavily on both slices of bread. Mmmmm. Good. With Boyd's (of Lynn, Mass) potato chips on the side and a tall glass of whole milk. Now I'm eating humus and tabooli salad on peta bread with a side of cantaloupe. I wash it all down with bottled mineral water. Where did I go so wrong?
I wonder.

ADK Nos. 6 thru 9.

Only The Finest Ingredients...

I use only the finest ingredients in my chairs. I purchase all my hardwoods locally from sawyers whose reputations I know, selecting each and every board by hand. Lately I've been using only white oak for it's exceptional weather resistant properties. I use Titebond III wood glue and Spax stainless steel wood screws. Titebond's reputation is well know throughout the industry and their premium water proof glue is the new standard for exterior applications. German-made Spax drive like a charm and provide superior holding power. When it comes to fine finishes you can't beat Benjamin Moore. I like to use their MoorGlo 100% Acrylic House paint. I have coated several test boards using different colors and left them outdoors through two Maine winters. They still look great. I am amazed at how durable and color-fast this paint is. Great stuff. I suppose I could use cheaper materials and save quite a bit on cost. A pine chair, made with standard hardware and finished with a cheap house paint can cost as little as $25 to make. But will they last a lifetime? I think not. My material costs are just under $100 per chair. For that you get a lifetime of enjoyment and the peace of mind of knowing that the beauty of my chairs isn't just skin deep. The quality goes to the heart (wood).