DIY project
Make a stylish, colourful sun lounger.
1 Build the frame with the 2 pieces of 1736mm decking timber and 4 pieces of the 390mm decking timber, attaching everything with screws. Attach 2 of the 390mm pieces between each end of the 1736mm pieces to form a rectangle. Measuring from the inside at one end, attach the third 390mm piece at 536mm. From the opposite end, measuring from the inside, attach the fourth 390mm piece at 533mm. Attach the 4 legs to the outside of the frame, screwing them directly to the ends of both 1736mm pieces of the frame. 2 Screw both the 536mm balusters to the inside of the larger 536mm opening of the frame. These will become cleats to hold the back support and back stops. 3 For the lower-seat slats, attach the 2 pieces of 1800mm decking timber to the outer edges. Line them up so they’re flush with the tops of the legs; screw them in place. Attach the 1200mm slats (all 4) to the middle, leaving a 6mm gap between each. 4 To make the backrest, screw the 3 pieces of 330mm baluster timber to the 4 pieces of 600mm decking timber. Leave a 6mm gap between each slat. If you want the backrest to sit flush with the rest of the lounger when closed, cut down the 600mm lengths to compensate for the space the hinge adds. My hinge space added 8mm, so I cut each 600mm backrest slat down to 592mm. 5 For the hinged back support, arrange the 2 x 325mm pieces of baluster timber at right angles to the 330mm pieces of baluster timber so that there is a 198mm gap between them. Screw on the 100mm tee hinges.
Screw the remaining 375mm piece of baluster timber at a right angle to the 325mm pieces. 6 Lay the backrest in position and attach it to the lounger slats with the butt hinges. 7 To attach the stop blocks, screw the 4 pieces of 80mm baluster timber to the cleats. I placed mine 90mm in from the head of the lounger, allowing another gap of 90mm for the second set. Space these in any position when reclining. Just make sure the stop blocks don’t prevent the backrest from folding down flat. For a clean finish, hide the screw heads with wood filler. To watch our video on how to make this, search for “sun lounger” on play.stuff.co.nz.