Yurt To-dos

Days to Yurt Life: 16

Instructions: Don't Panic.

This weekend we are turning our hands once again to our yurt. Oh wait, you didn't know we were doing that? Start here.

Our goals for the weekend: lattice wall, roof wheel, rafters, canvas. Let's break those steps down.

1. Lattice wall. Our walls are a wooden lattice made from 98 long fir slats an inch wide overlayed at a 45 degree angle. The lattice is held together by 480 aluminum barrel nuts - a change from our original plan to tie it together with paracord. The barrel nuts will be easier to install and won't stretch like the hand-tied knots did. A couple weekends ago we cut and drilled all the slats and this weekend we *just* need to put it all together.

2. Roof wheel. Our circular roof looks like a wheel from above with a big wooden ring - four feet diameter on the outer edge - in the middle and the rafters forming giant spokes. To make the wheel, we are cutting twelve quarter-circles out of boards and glueing them together to make a full wheel three boards thick. After it's dry, we'll drill holes in the outer edge for the rafters.

3. Rafters. If we did our math right (construction is so much math, y'all), we'll need 58 rafters. These need to be rounded on one end to fit into the center wheel and cut and notched on the other side to be attached to the top of the wall lattice.

4. Canvas. This weekend we hope to measure and cut out the pieces that will be sewn together to make our inner lining. If we have time, we'll get to sewing, but if not we'll use the evenings this week to get started.

The goal is to be able to put together the yurt skeleton with the canvas covering at the beginning of next weekend. Then we will be able to make adjustments if needed and spend next weekend working on what feels like the hardest part: getting up insulation and cutting & glueing together the outer vinyl covering. 

Wish us luck! I'll (hopefully) show pictures on Monday. Until then - cheers!

p.s. Want to buy us a coffee? This thing won't build itself.