L L Bean Knockoff Adirondack Chairs
It’s time for another knockoff tour! Back in the spring a group of my blogging friends decided to challenge each other to knockoff a project from a popular design store or catalog. My project for was a knockoff of Plow and Hearth’s Chevron End Table. For this fall’s second knockoff tour, I was inspired by LL Bean’s wooden Adirondack chairs.
The price for a LL Bean Adirondack chair is $199. Our DIY version cost less than $40!
Our chairs aren’t a carbon copy of the Bean chairs. I like the wider arms on our chairs and the rounded seat in the front of the chairs. Our chairs can hold a drink on one arm and a snack on the other. They are made for relaxing in comfort!
We used treated pine deck boards to construct these chairs. They are super sturdy and should last for years. We will eventually stain them but will have to wait until the treated wood thoroughly dries. I like that our chairs are as attractive from the back as they are from the front.
Adirondack chairs patterns are readily available on the Internet. Mr. SP made the templates that we used for our chairs out of scrap wood. Where dimensions were not apparent, we adlibbed. We started the construction process by tracing the arm and leg pieces onto the deck boards and then we cut them out.
The pieces were cut with a jig saw purchased just for this project. (Mr. SP loves his tools and was glad to have an excuse to buy something new!)
Straight sections were cut with a circular saw. Note that two pieces were cut at a time so that they would be identical.
The arm edges were then rounded with the router so that they would be comfortably smooth.
The lower seat cross brace was glued with waterproof carpenter’s glue and screwed to each of the chair bases. A triangular brace was added for extra strength and stability.
The arms were put together and connected to the base of the chair using zinc plated carriage bolts. Clamps and a board hold the arms in the correct place until the back is constructed.
The back was constructed and screwed into place using deck screws. The tops of the boards were cut with a radius defined by using various sized paint cans to trace the curve. All the seat back boards had the edges rounded. Each screw hole was predrilled, and countersunk so that all the screw heads would be flush.
And finally the seat pieces were cut with the table saw, edges rounded, holes drilled and countersunk, and then screwed into place.
These chairs will live on the dock at the lake. I can’t wait until next summer to enjoy sitting in them.
(Links to tools used to construct the chair are affiliate links.)
Sharing With: Serenity Now
Knockoff projects will be shared each day this week. Scroll down to see them all!
Your chairs look awesome! I love adirondack chairs and at $40….wow!
Great job!
Leslie
Thanks, Leslie! I am already looking forward to using these next summer!
Paula
I should have known you built these yourself…amazing! You are so talented with the tools, Paula!
I am the assistant, Christy! Mr. SP was the driving force behind these chairs. I come up with the idea and slowly but surely am learning woodworking as we complete these projects together. I’m still far away from doing a project unsupervised!
Paula
Paula…These are awesome! Pinning this for future too since I need more of these cool style chairs for my back yard! Great job 🙂
Thanks, Wendi! I’m hoping that we can make two more chairs before next summer. They don’t take long at all to assemble once the pieces are cut out.
Paula
Once again, WOW!! I’m so impressed with your carpentry skills. Perhaps I will attempt to make one for next summer. I’ve been doing a few woodworking projects and I tell you, I never knew it could be so much fun. I have a question. What exact kind of nails do you use? I think I bought the wrong ones for some pallets projects I’m working on. Anywhooo, great job!!! By the way, have you started your own business yet?? You guys are amazing and do such a fantastic job 🙂
These chairs turned out awesome Paula! I’m so impressed you did them yourself!
Mr. SP was the driving force behind these chairs, Shanna. I’m just a good assistant! I am learning and will one day be able to build something without his help.
Paula
Amazing project Paula! I actually like your knockoff better than LLBean’s. They look so sturdy and comfortable and well, awesome! Great job! Can’t wait to see what color you stain them.
Thank you, Therese! They should last for years and years. I’m not sure what color we’ll use. I’d like something bright since they’ll be on our dock. Perhaps red!
Paula
Those are awesome Paula!!! What a savings too!!! Wow! Can’t wait to see what color you stain/paint them!
Nancy
I’m so impressed, Paula! You guys did an amazing job on these. I know you’ll enjoy them for a long time!
Wow! I am impressed by your abilities with not only using power tools, but using the proper equipment (goggles, etc.) which I never do! I featured you on my blog today as well as Facebook yesterday, I am sure your tutorial will inspired others (and maybe even us) to DIY these!
You make it look so easy! We’ve really been wanting these chairs. You have so inspired my to give it a try!! Well done, friend!!! ~Christy
Paula, I am so proud of you! Thank you for including so many pics in your tutorial. I MUST try this, as they would look great around our firepit. Can’t beat $40!
Tami
Wow Paula I am in complete awe that was a huge undertaking to make those chairs you did an amazing job! What a steady hand!
I am BLOWN AWAY by these! They look absolutely incredible!! I can’t believe they only cost $40 each. Can I hire you to make me a set? 🙂 Well done again you two! I think your knock-off projects are the most professional and well done I ever see!
These chairs are fantastic! I’m learning to use (and collect) my own tools. My grandmother had chairs like yours and they were from a friend she had in PALM BEACH, Florida. That being said your craftsmanship is right up there with “the big boys”. Job well done!!!
I am in awe of you! Your adirondack chairs are incredible. I wish I and the signif other were handy like that. I just threw away an adirondack chair made of a strange composite material that collapsed after being outside for 5 summers. I have 2 LL Bean chairs that are going strong but was looking for a more affordable alternative. I think I’ll see about buying unstained but pre made chairs and paint them myself at least to save a few $. Great job!
Thanks, Allison! I’m lucky to be married to a handy guy show likes tools!
Paula