Here is the first post with a little bit of background on the 2×4 outdoor chair.
I started building my own furniture after I could not find affordable modern outdoor furniture.
Being from the Netherlands and with a back ground in industrial design, I was familiar with the work of Gerrit Rietveld. His crate chair was the kind of chair I was looking for and I started building one. I modified the design a little so it would work with 1×6 boards. When it was finished it appeared not sturdy enough for the needs of my kids who used it upside down and side ways to climb on. Also, the 6×1 boards were not the readily available while 2×4’s are.
So I started building prototypes with 2×4’s and did lots of iterations in sketchup. My guidelines were that it had to be very easy to build and assemble and made out of 2×4’s. So I only used straight cuts, and screws to put the pieces together.
The result is a simple sturdy chair that is easy to build from readily available materials. I built mine from recycled wood from the re-store which brings some extra character.
May 31, 2010 at 1:38 pm
I really like the set! I’m looking at the bench plan and need to know the angle degree for the upright where the back is attached. Is that 27 degrees?
May 31, 2010 at 7:18 pm
Thanks Mary, the angle for the bench back is actually more like 15 degrees. I never measured it, it’s the result of making the cut long enough to fit three 1×4 boards on it. The seat of the bench is also leaning back 7 degrees just like the chair. Good luck with your project.
May 28, 2010 at 7:39 pm
i really like the set – do you have plans for the other peices?
May 31, 2010 at 3:32 am
thanks joe. i don’t have plans for the other pieces yet. I am planning to make them in the future. hope you check back later.