Yurt Progress 11/8

Days to Yurt Life: 13

Instructions: Continue to Not Panic

1. Wall lattice. 

We put together all the slats we had and figured out we had neither enough slats nor metal pins. So, we cut and varnished some more slats and ordered more pins. It was dissatisfying to not be finished with the lattice this week, but it won't take very long at all next weekend to get it finished up. 

The amazing thing is how small the lattice looks: all folded up it's maybe 5 feet long, but it will accordion out to 72 feet!

2. Roof wheel.

Most definitely the most exciting part of the weekend was seeing this baby come together. We cut the semicircles out of 1" boards using a bandsaw. We had bought a brand new blade for the saw Sunday morning and it promptly broke halfway through the last piece, which had to be finished with a jigsaw. 

Using power tools is such a high for me. I'm lucky to have such a good guide in my partner. But I've wondered along the way if I've learned enough to do projects of my own. I have a couple ideas in mind for the scrap wood from the wheel.

Anyway, remaining progress on the wheel: it needs to be sanded smooth (to clean up the glue holding it together) and have holes drilled in the outer edge for the rafters.

3. Rafters.

As it turns out, the rafters weren't in the lineup this weekend. The wood for them is still at his work, where he purchased it, and he is going to rip the pieces during downtime at work this week.

4. Canvas.

The canvas is cut! I am so nervous. The pieces are large - 15 to 18 feet long and 6 feet wide. The roof is made up of triangles and there's no way the lines were straight. Next, I have to convince it all to go through a sewing machine and come out in some form that will fit over our wooden frame. Pray for me?

When I think about all that there's left to do, I can get a little panicky. I came home yesterday afternoon and threw myself into small tasks around the house that made me feel more put together: I started with doing all the dishes, pulled together a box full of items for a Goodwill run, and organized a Leaning Tower of Paper that had been growing on the office desk. 

We're in the thick of the making and I am embracing the both/and. Building a yurt to live in is at once a sexy adventure and a grueling task and great fun and a frightening unknown.