# Methods for securing a load bearing lap joint (outdoor furniture)



## USNDALGE (Mar 27, 2011)

All-

I am in the process of refining an intial design for an adirondack style chair based on a picture I saw in a magazine. I am using 14/16 white oak throughout. The vertical supports attach to the base leg with a lap joint. I'd like to know any best practices out there for securing this type of joint. Obviously, glue and screw is an option but I'd love to find a way to not have any screws showing. Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Tom


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## JMC'sLT30 (Oct 26, 2010)

My suggestion would be to double up your legs and sandwich the joint using a good exterior grade glue.


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## dustboy (Mar 24, 2011)

That's going to be a nice chair!

First, I think glue and screw is not a good option because you'll have less than 7/16" of meat for the screw to bite, which won't give you much additional strength anyway. 

You could cross-pin it with some dowels or square tenons, that might be a nice design touch. Orient them so they don't align on the grain, which might encourage a split.

In my experience lap joints are quite durable in a shear load like this. I have a bench that has survived 3 years of weather, with the entire load of the seat cantilevered off a similar lap joint. Make sure you use waterproof glue!


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## USNDALGE (Mar 27, 2011)

JMC'sLT30 said:


> My suggestion would be to double up your legs and sandwich the joint using a good exterior grade glue.


What do you mean by 'double up?'


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## JMC'sLT30 (Oct 26, 2010)

The leg that has the half lap in it, cut a second one except do not put the half lap and glue the 2 together with lap in middle. Clear as mud now?


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