Crazy for Chairs

From "A Sampling of Cabin Country Art"
October 2010 Issue

Jim Kane
Wooden Chairs | Ft. Walton Beach, Fla.

Jim Kane was a math teacher for 35 years when he started making cypress furniture for himself and a couple of neighbors. He took the traditional style of Adirondack chairs as a leaping off point. “People told me that wooden chairs aren’t comfortable for long and hard to get out of,” says Jim who was inspired to create a better design. After three months of research and trial and error, he started applying his advanced math to change the back and arms of his wood chairs for comfort and ease of exit. “I even used trigonometry to figure out some of the cuts,” says Jim. “Now people sit down and within four seconds they say, ‘ohhhhh.’”
Website: www.coolchairs.net

From "Q & A"
August 2010 Issue

Adirondack-style Rocking Chairs

Q:   We are interested in the rockers appearing on the cover of your April 2010 issue. Are they commercially available, or is a design construction plan available for purchase?
– Mark & Susan Prill; Huntsville, Ala.

A: Countryside Woodcraft, a business of Amish and Mennonite crafters in Cumberland Furnace, Tenn., sells chairs similar to, if not identical to, the ones on our April 2010 cover. The chairs are available in pressure-treated yellow pine and poly (recycled plastic) and are reasonably priced. You can check them out at www.cswoodcraft.com or call (615) 789-3270 for more info.

Dutch Crafters is another Amish furnishings business, but based in Sarasota, Fla. They, too, offer a good selection of Adirondack-style outdoor rockers. Many of their products come with free shipping.

Another place to check out is www.adirondackchairs.com, which offers a large selection of Adirondack outdoor rocking chairs. This site also offers outdoor chairs in other types of wood, such as cypress and mahogany. Details such as where the chairs are made and where the materials come from vary from chair to chair, so check product specifications.

If you want to build your own rockers, you can buy plans at www.woodcraftplans.com. An Adirondack-style rocker plan sells for $14. If you go this route, choose wood according to your ability. For instance, pine, a softer wood, is easier for novices to work with. A lot of people also choose soft wood because of its subsequent “rustification” – dents and discoloration that give the wood character as years go by.

From "General Delivery" 
September/October 2008 Issue

Dear Cabin Life,

We have been receiving your magazine for some time and enjoy it very much. The latest edition (June 2008) came out and my wife FREAKED when she saw the cover!
 
Can you let me know where we can purchase the chairs in the photo? She has been looking all over for chairs to use on our deck and in the yard. These are just what she is looking for. The colors jump out at you and say summer is here!
 
Thanks for your help and the great articles, keep them coming.
Brad & Barb Turgeon
Pine City, Minn.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Sure thing Brad and Barb! Actually, you aren’t the only readers asking for more information about these colorful chairs. The chairs are from:
Weatherend Estate Furniture
6 Gordon Drive
Rockland, Maine 04841
(800) 456-6483
sales@weatherend.com

From Cool Stuff
March 2009 issue:

A Great Catch!
Fish Chair & Ottoman
For the angler in your family, here’s an Adirondack-style chair with personality-
plus. The prices shown are for the cedar furniture, as is; finishing is extra. Ryan’s Rustic Railings, $199 chair, $69 ottoman, (877) 757-3329, www.rusticrailings.com.