[This should be the basic build set for both the indoor hardwood & the rustic/deck NS teak versions]

1. Hardware Parts

  • 3x 3' 1/4" galvanized threaded rods ($1.70 ea)

  • 8x 1/4 x 20 thread brass T-nuts ($9.70/25)

  • 4x 20 thread galvanized nuts (can be re-used in later assemblies)

  • 4x 1/4" ID, 3/4" OD galvanized washers (ditto)

  • 1x 5mm Hex key (to fit the Tnuts)

  • 1x small adjustable wrench to fit hex nuts

  • 1x 1-2" Wide x >=5' Long ratcheting band clamp for assembly

2. Design comments

2.1. Wood Requirements

Just about any wood can be used, tho if it’s going to be used as a deck chair exposed to the weather, it should be a resinous wood like cedar, larch, or spruce. Pine will work, but most pine species are very soft.

If you’re going to make it out of hardwood, any type of hardwood can be used, altho the width & height of the slats may have to be modified to provide enough strength.

2.2. Finish

Almost any finish will degrade over time, especially in high UV and rain, so for outdoor furniture, just leaving the wood unfinished may be the best bet. Most woods will turn to a silvery grey over time as the outer fibers oxidize, much like unfinished teak furniture.

If you really want the wood to remain unoxidized, multiple coats of a spar varnish like Epifanes will do the trick, but closing the chair will cause abrasion of the finish during folding.

You can also try to paint it, but as above, the paint will be abraded off at the pivot points with repeated opening and closing, so if you want to paint the chair, you may also want to insert teflon or PTFE washers between the seat/back/loin slats during assembly to relieve the abrasion areas a bit.

Chairs designed as interior furniture may be finished with any kind of appropriate finish - Tung oil, Danish oil, varnishes, Epifanes, etc.

2.3. Number of slats

Any number of slats > 8 can be used. Fewer, thicker slats will work well for a deck chair, but as the number of slats widens, the angle of the loin cuts will increase to compensate. The chair tends to look better as the number of the slats increase but will also get heavier.

For a deck chair made of 2"x 2" softwood, # is in [ ] below.

3. Cut list

The following describes the cut list for a seat composed of 15 seat slats (legs + seat). You can use fewer wider ones or more if you want the chair to be even wider.

  • L = Length

  • W = Width

  • D = Depth

3.1. Seat slats

[5x] 12x 15" X W X D

Front rounded, back cut at 85°, sharp.

3.2. Seat legs

[2x] 2x 35"L x W x D

Front rounded, back cut at 35°, gently rounded

3.3. Back legs

[2x] 2x 45"L x W x D

Leave top square until assembly*; bottom cut at 55°, gently rounded

3.4. Back slats - long

[3x] 10x 33.5"L x W x D

Leave top square until assembly*; bottom cut square (nb: exact L depends on D of seat slats; will be L of short back + D; assume 1.5" here)

3.5. Back slats - short

[2x] 2x 32"L x W x D

Leave top square until assembly*; bottom cut square.

[*] at final assembly, grind and sand smooth in place.

3.6. Loins

[8x] 15x 6.3"L x W x D

(if omitting the end loins, then decrease count by 2. Cut square both ends.

3.7. Donuts for front of seat:

Turn cylinders of the appro dia (same diameter as the depth of the seat spars) and then slice off rings of the correct width (1/2"-3/8", depending on desired radius of seat) on a bandsaw w/ a stop jig to make identical sized widths. Drill centered holes with a V-cut jig, with a hinged clamp, if you’re cutting a lot of them.

NB: to make the folded chair seat line up with the back, the spacers will have to be cut to ~ 1/2 the width of the seat slats (approx only).

4. Drill list

When using 1/4" threaded rod, use a 1/4" or 9/32" bit or 5/16" max. See assembly details for easing tight assembly.

4.1. 1" offset

  • 1 end of all back pieces

  • both ends of loin pieces

4.2. 2" offset

  • [ALTERNATIVE - see below] 1 end of all seat pieces (incl seat legs). This results in short (~1") fingers forming the front edge of the seat. If you want to have a flush front edge, then the front seat edge has to be drilled at the (radius of D + 0.1") to allow the donuts to fit flush to the edge. The "+ 0.1" is to allow for grinding and sanding to kiss the donut which will be finish-sanded on the lathe.

  • other end of all seat pieces except legs.

  • other end of all SHORT BACK pieces

4.3. Other offsets.

  • [ALTERNATIVE - see above] Radius of donut + 0.1" back from the front edge of all seat parts.

  • 13" from [1"] drilled end of seat legs

  • 30" from [1"] drilled end of LONG BACK pieces

  • 30" from [1"] drilled end of BACK LEG

5. Loin angle cuts.

Drill 1" offset holes in loins first, then pass thru table saw set at ~1.5° on both sides. Actual angle depends on the arc of the seat, divided by the number of loins divided by 2. So, ~1.5° for each side of 8 loins; ~0.7° for each side of 15 loins.

This cutting REQUIRES a feather jig to keep the loin pressed against the fence, with the angle cut starting slightly above the base. Keep fingers away from the blade!

6. Sanding list

6.1. Rustic/deck version

The only sanding should be the front edge of the seat, where it has been rounded off by grinder, and the similarly formed rounding at the top of the seat. Using a sharp carbide-tipped saw blade should be enough smoothing for the rest of the chair, except that the edges should be quickly smoothed with 120grit sandpaper on a foam sanding block to take off splinters, tear-off.

6.2. Hardwood version

All pieces should be sanded to 120/220, mostly with the thickness sander in bulk, before the final assembly. Also, edges should be hand-sanded with 220 with velcro-backed paper on a foam sanding block.

7. Assembly

  1. Cut the threaded rods to final size + 2"

  2. Pre-bend the seat-front and loin threaded rods to the smaller (15" radius) and larger ( 24" radius) templates respectively. This makes it much easier to thread the pieces.

  3. File and then cover the inner threads (leaving 1" on the Tnut side and 3" on the free side of the remaining rods with a sawdust/wax paste to reduce the friction of assembly before threading them. Don’t file the the ends where the nuts engage the rod..

  4. If placing donuts, can place the lacing hole 2" back from the front edge is OK - style decision. 1" if not.

  5. Lace the front of seat 1st with donuts. Use brass t-nut on one side, hex nut on other side with washer until final tightening. make sure both outside pieces have ben drilled extra large to accept the Tnut. See the diagram for the order. Make sure that the angle of the seat leg hits the floor correctly. If using random hardwoods, use your best judgment about coloring. If you need help with this insertion, call for help or use a clamping band to help curve the pieces together.

  6. Thread the 1st side of the angled loin pieces next. Again, use a T-nut on one side and hex-nut+ washer on the free side, NOT trimming the rod yet.

  7. Add the back pieces to the unlaced side of the loins next. See the diagram for the order. Make sure that the angle of the seat leg hits the floor correctly.

  8. Gather the seat back together and with a Tnut on one end, thread the rod thru the slats and cap with a washer & hexnut.

  9. In order, starting again with the front of the seat, loosen the Tnut all the way until it pops off and then engage the rod 3 turns. On the other side, tighten the hexnut by hand until it tightens and then with a wrench until it’s tight.

  10. Mark the rod that extends beyond the nut with a file & then back the nut off the rod. measure in 5/8" from the mark and cut off the rod with the friction wheel. curve the ends with a small grinder so that the Tnut screws on. Screw the Tnut on until it until tight, the do the same with the other side.

  11. Do the same with the next threaded rod (2). Bc of the angled cuts, it will tend to curve up. Have a helper compress the seat or use a band clamp to hold it in position while you tighten the nut, make the cut mark, release the nut, and cut the rod. The pre-bent curve in the rod should allow the Tnuts to sit flat on the outer loin.

  12. Do rod (3) in the same way. The curve will become even more pronounced, altho the angle of the loins and the donuts will prevent separation between the slats.

  13. Before finalizing the top rod, relieve the curves in the top of the back and the front edge of the seat as described in the next point.

    1. Mark a horizontal line across the seat and top _" from the edge and use light cuts with the grinder to relieve the curve, stopping at this line.

    2. Use an angle grinder with a fine-grit, curved carbide disk to grind the front of the seat and the top of the back over in a smooth curve.

    3. Use an flex-shaft disk sander to do final sanding.

    4. Depending on the wood tearout and need for final finish, you may have to unscrew the rod and finish sanding the edges by hand to remove the last few fibers of wood along the edges.

  14. Finally cut and Tnut the rod (4) at the top of the seat. This one should be fairly easy.