Make a Patio Chair

What you will need:

• SA pine – 222×22 – 6m
• 144×22 – 3m
• 40mm 10-guage screws – one small bag
• Finish of your choice

Method:

1. Cut the front legs – 222×22 – each 570mm and the rear legs – 222×22 – each 780mm the upper portion from 380mm from the foot of the leg and angled back to 70mm at the top of the leg.



2. The latter cut will provide a backrest angle of about 15º. Use the first leg as a template for the second.



3. When cutting, ensure that you follow the line precisely to ensure there is a snug fit between the rear legs and the backrest.



4. Cut the seat supports from the 144×22 at an angle of around 7-8º – we used 7.5º so that the seat is sloped back towards the backrest and your bum does not slide forward when you are trying to relax. Line up the legs and position the seat support on the legs with the height on the front leg from the base being 450mm (this will give a seat-surface height of 470mm) and 370mm where it meets the rear leg – to give a height there of 390mm.



5. Secure the seat support to the front and rear legs with four screws; you can use glue to reinforce the joint.



6. Use the first leg assembly as a template for the second – make sure you assemble it as a MIRROR of the first – as shown here.



7. Use a square to ensure the seat supports are at exactly the same position on their sets of legs. Then fix them in place using four screws (and glue if you wish).



8. Cut the two seat bases 470mm from 222x22mm and clamp the side assemblies to them, as shown, and secure with two screws per seat section; the gap between the seat sections is 22mm (slipping an offcut between the pieces as you screw them into position makes setting the gap very easy.



9. Cut a front brace 222×22 – 510mm and attach it as shown. This will help brace the chair laterally.



10. A view of the chair from the top, almost complete – just lacking the armrests.



11. We used a varnish can as a guide to round off the outer corners of the armrests.



12. The completed armrests – note the cutout to accommodate where the armrest meets the backrest.



13. We attached the back of the armrests to the backrest as shown, and attached them to the front legs with two screws each, driven straight down into the front legs.



14. Waste not, want not… we used the triangular offcuts from the rear of the armrests as braces between the front legs and the armrests; this secures the join and also ensure that anyone sitting down or getting up will not break the armrests.



15. The completed chair. we have left it plain so that you get a good idea of where the crews have been used to secure the chair’s parts; if you are going to leave it on an exposed patio, make sure you give it a good coat of sealer.



16. The dimensions