Expert: Jamie Yocono - 1/12/2009

Question
Hello!

I just recently finished my first major woodworking project - an Adirondack chair made for my mother for Christmas. I am a relative novice, but managed with good plans and a lot of time to complete this project adequately. I used cedar for the chair, and I am very pleased with the outcome of the furniture. I want to make another chair and a small table that is included in the plans. My only complaint is the price of the cedar. I know virtually nothing about wood types, and I'm wondering about what other types of wood I could use in such a project.

I was also wondering about sealing/staining the chair I have already made. My mom says she wants to keep it about the some color it is now, or maybe a little darker. What should I use to do this? Also, when I do seal/stain this, do I need to worry about parts that butt up against another part?

Finally, I was wondering about suggestions for doing away with the somewhat unsightly screw heads, particularly on the seat, arm and back of the chair. I had thought about countersinking the screws and putting in some sort of peg, but I really know so little about this, that I don't know if there is a better way to do that.

Thanks so much for your help!
Elliott Overman

Answer
Hi Elliott,

Honestly, it would be a mistake to switch wood in the middle of your project. Any different wood you use will not match the chair, and in my opinion, that would be a shame. Plus - I think the worst is over. Didn't the chair use like 4 times as much wood as the table requires? And maybe you even have a little left over that you can use?

So my answer to your first question is - I would not switch woods. There isn't another wood out there that rivals Cedar for it's water resistance. If you choose another softwood, you're going to have to stain it to match, and still, most soft woods do not take stains well. Basically, if you stain soft wood, it really looks splotchy and awful. If there's any way possible to afford it - I would choose Cedar this one last time, and then don't pick it for your next project!

As far as finishing, I would recommend a penetrating oil, something that will penetrate the wood and protect it from exterior exposure. I like Watco Danish Oil, and they make an exterior version that would be perfect for your chair and table. I even made a video about Watco and put it on my blog. It's really a great wood finish, here's a link to it:

http://wooditis.blogspot.com/2008/05/watco-danish-oil-come-oil-and-laugh.html

You should be able to find Watco at your local hardware store.

Other type of wood finish you could use would be CWF (stands for Clear Wood Finish),  Thompson's Water Seal, Waterlox, or even make your own finish. A suitable exterior finish to make would be 1/3 spar varnish, 1/3 turpentine, and 1/3 boiled linseed oil. The spar varnish gives it the protection, so make sure you only use spar varnish, which is completely waterproof. McCloskey's is a good brand, if you can find it. The turpentine thins it out so it penetrates well.

You want to flood the surface and let the wood soak up the oil mixture. Wipe if off before it gets too tacky, and then repeat in 24 hours. Flooding the wood will allow the oil to soak into the cracks, crevices and seams, so the ends of boards will be protected, too. That was a good question to ask. I sometimes pre-finish boards that I know will be difficult to reach when applying my finish.

And finally, you could countersink the screw holes and then plug them with a plug cut from the same wood. That means you'll need a set of counterbore bits, and some plug cutters. Here is my favorite set:  http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Change-Countersink-Counterbore-Predrill/dp/B0000224E...

It's expensive, but it's the last set you'll ever need.

Better yet, I always try to install my screws from the back side, so that no holes are visible. On the Adirondack chairs I've built, I've almost always been able to hide the screws.  On the back, where the vertical pieces are attached to horizontal cross pieces, try installing the screws into the cross pieces, and then into the back slats, instead of the other way that most people do. On the seat slats, screw from the underside. I've probably built a dozen Adirondack chairs, and was really happy once I figured out how to get around plugging all my holes. So think about how the wood goes together and put screws in places that won't show.

I hope that made sense... it's just easier to think about screw placement, rather than drill and plug all the holes. Try to train yourself to think (and work) that way and it will save you a lot of time and trouble in the future.

OK, good luck, I think I've covered all your questions. Write back if you need more help, or if you don't understand something I've written.  Sounds like you know what you're doing, so you shouldn't have too much trouble understanding what I've written.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com