I start with the rough lumber – clear grain western red cedar. I use 5/4 x 8 rough sawn lumber planed on both faces and each chair takes roughly 30′.

I pull my template out of it’s hiding spot. Each piece is made from 3/4″ plywood so I can trace it on the cedar and also use it as a routing template (more on that later).

The hardest part is the layout. Because of all of the curves of the parts, you have to keep pretty clever to minimize waste.

I start by tracing out all the pieces for the chairs and then cut them down to rough length with the jig saw.

Any of the pieces with parallel sides are traced out roughly, like the back slats and seat slats.

All of these straight pieces are then cut down to size on the table saw.

For all of the curvy pieces, those are cut down to size on the bandsaw.

At first they are roughly cut down to get each piece separated and then I cut then just outside the line.

After all of the cutting down to size is complete, I screw the template onto the pieces (where screws will be located later).

I then use a flush cut bit in the router which cuts the pieces down to the final size by riding the bearing along the template.

Certain pieces are sanded down to the line on the bench belt sander because of the grain of those pieces as they would be likely to chip out if run over the router.

When the pieces are all cut down to size, most of the corners are rounded over using a 1/4″ round over bit.

Then all of the pieces are ready except for the sanding… 32 pieces per chair x 6 chairs. Yep.

I stamp the bottom back support piece with a branding iron.

To finish the chairs I use an exterior grade spar urethane finish. I rub on the first coat prior to assembly to cover all of the faces with finish. Once the chairs are assemble I spray 2 more coats of finish on them.

Long process, but the color that comes out in the grain makes it worth it.

When the finish dries I predrill all of the legs for the carriage bolts that will hold them together.

I also predrill most of the other pieces like the back slats and seat slats so that the pieces won’t crack during assembly and they will also pull together more tightly when screwed together.

Assembly begins with the back assembly. The back slats are centered and attached to the bottom back support.

Next the back slats are attached to the top back support. They are all centered and the center slat is attached, then the rest are flared out evenly and attached completing the back assembly.

The front legs are built up by screwing 2 pieces together – the front legs and the arm support.

The front and back legs are attached together with carriage bolts. These are inserted into the front legs first.

Then the carriage bolts are inserted through the back leg, bolted, and tightened.

These pieces are all fixed together by precariously balancing the back assembly on my head while I screw it to the leg assembly.

The front slat is then screwed in place which really helps tie everything together. The seat slats overhang the back leg piece by roughly 1/2″.

I then space out the seat slats, one is attached in front of the legs, 2 in between the legs, and the rest in the main part of the seat.

The slats are all spaced out evenly by eye along one side and then along the other.

I then install the piece that supports the back and holds the arm in place. This is fastened through the top back support and into the back leg.

The arms are screwed into the support piece and then down into the front leg and support piece.

All completed are ready to sit in, once I finish the other 5 of the set…