Adirondack Outdoor Furniture :: Chairs, Tables, Garden Benches

The Shape of Things to Come

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Well, I finally got around to sketching three new table and bench designs. I did a little 27" side table (above), a 36" bench (below) and a 47" bench (bringing up the rear).

Each piece is constructed with mortise and tenon joinery, has a "floating" top and doubled stretchers (triple on the 47" bench) that connect the lower side rails together to give the piece some added rigidity.

These are perspective drawings so things don't look rectilinear when they really are. And I haven't rounded over the edges in the drawings so the edges look sharper than they will be when the prototypes are actually built. And, as always, I build prototypes in order to tweak the design. So these drawings are preliminary sketches. The final product is likely to be similar, but not identical, to what you see here.

It's breezy and cold outside, but I'll be in my cozy little shop beginning work on the prototypes. Hope to have more to show you soon.

Technorati Tags: Outdoor furniture , Adirondack furniture

February Update

Brian Brown at PajamaMarket reviewed our little website back in September, but I only found out about it this week.  I enjoyed his review, if only because his critique was so accurate!  I sent Brian a note discussing the virtues and demerits of Typepad as my blogging platform, and he posted the whole thing with his comments here.  (Blogging software is a whole nuther topic for another day.) 

Anyway, Brian's review gave me the impetus to post an update for the pleasure of our carolina-adirondack-news-starved readers.  So here it is. 

With global warming and all, things have been pretty pleasant around here the past couple of months.  Which makes me nervous because I like a little cold, a little snow, a little reminder that we have real seasons with real transitions between them.  Still, upstate New York probably isn't feeling the same way I'm feeling about the weather.  I suppose crazy weather is here to stay.

With the milder temps, I'm hoping to be in the shop this weekend doing a winter cleaning: sweeping, vacuuming, waxing and adjusting the engines of commerce.  And I'm hoping to get my sturdy little shop helper to join me (though he may have a game).  We've got lots of things that need attending to that typically get pushed aside in warmer months.

New Chair Design

Not really so new.  Not really so different.  The changes, in fact, are pretty subtle.  The front leg is a little wider and now mirrors the curve of the end of the back leg.  And some of the parts are beefed up a little bit.  But it's really the same chair. 

I drew this late last spring but have continued to build the standard chair.  If anyone is interested in a chair patterned after this design, just let me know.

Two-Tiered Plant Stand

Here's a recent photo of the two-tiered plant stand:

Bonsai Plant Stands

Well, it's been a long time coming but we've finally finished the low plant stands, also known as bonsai stands. Here are some pics I shot recently. The stands come in two sizes. The larger stand is $65; the smaller one is $45. You can read more about the design of these stands here.

Here are the two versions together:

Small Stand Dimensions:  19.5"L x 9.5"W x 4.25"H
Weight:  1 pound
Price:   $45.00
Shipping:  $4.50

Total  $49.50

Large Stand Dimensions:  23.5"L x 10.5"W x 4.75"H
Weight:  1.5 pounds
Price:   $65.00
Shipping:  $6.50

Total  $71.50

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New Designs on the Way

A quick update. The little plant stand is about done. I intend to make two versions: a larger stand that’s 28" x 13.5" and a smaller stand (same basic design) that’s 20" x 9". Hope to have some pics up on the site in a few days.

The other bit of news is that I’ve completed revisions on a larger dining table. This is 54" square version based on our 48" square dining table. It can be delivered in two boxes which significantly reduces shipping costs. So now we have two new dining tables, several new plant stands and no photographs! Once the final versions are built, we’ll get the photos up pronto.

I also want to tell the story of the development of the square table but that will have to wait another day. I can say that a number of customers have inquired about a larger table but I’ve been held back by the shipping costs. Now, using a unique design element, we’ve been able to create a very sturdy table that is easily put together and meets FedEx/UPS shipping size requirements. Once we get the final version built and photographed, I’ll run down the noteworthy features of our new table. I also expect to make the 48" table available using this new design element. I’m very happy with the way it’s turned out.

All for now. We’re taking a vacation at the end of the week, but you can still reach us at 336-557-3079. I’ll post more when we return.

Garden Bench Design Details

We’re offering the new garden bench in a 36" length which fits nicely with the 47" square dining table. But we’ve also done the bench in a 47" length for a set of 5-foot tables. The 47-inch bench is pictured above.

These garden benches incorporate a few design features I want to highlight. The first is the batten which you see peeking out at either end of the bench top. This is the thing that makes bench and table tops “float.” The slats of the bench top are fastened to these battens. The battens are then screwed to the frame of the bench.

This makes for a very secure method of construction and allows the slats to move without damaging the frame. Besides the structural benefits of the floating top, I’ve always liked its look. It works well with the new bench and table designs.