Assembling an Adirondack chair

In the box

Fourteen boards, labelled A to N, a bag of stainless bolts and screws, a hex key and the sheet. Lay the boards out on the lawn or a rug in the order on the sheet before you start; it turns a puzzle into a sequence.

The steps

1. The seat frame. Bolt the two side rails to the front leg board. Finger-tight only.
2. The seat slats. Four slats, front to back, screwed down. The front one has the rounded edge.
3. The back. Five slats onto the two back braces, fanning out from the bottom. Screw from behind.
4. Back to seat. The assembled back drops into the notch at the rear of the side rails. Two bolts each side.
5. The arms. Each arm sits on the front leg and the arm brace, and bolts to the back. This is the step that squares the chair.
6. Tighten. Now go round every bolt and snug it. Not with a drill; by hand, with the key.

The two mistakes

Tightening early: the chair will not square if the first bolts are done up before the arms are on. And driving screws with a drill on high torque: HDPE holds a screw beautifully but it will strip if you overdrive. Use the clutch, or finish by hand.

The ottoman and table

Five minutes each, same idea.

If a piece is missing or marked

Email us with the board letter. It ships from Texas the same week; nobody has to send anything back.