My Yurt (aka wife/kid-free-zone or "Fortress of Solitude"

I like long term projects that allow me to exercise my mind and plan to my heart's content. I think that is a trait common with engineers, we like the planning more than the execution.

The kids are interested in camping and there are a number of areas nearby that would be great in the limited pleasant seasons in Alabama. I could buy a tent, but the research into the type, the size, the price, etc, could only keep me mentally occupied for at best 2 afternoons.

Based on an article on the instructables website[1], I came across a plan to make a yurt. I also fount a Schweitzer who has a wonderful planning site -- I am sure that he is an engineer or an uber-geek. That sparked my interest and I have been planning and pricing ad nauseum. I also purchased the "master" book on the subject The Complete Yurt Handbook by Paul King.

For those of you not in the know, a yurt (the Russian term for a ger) is a portable dwelling used in the high Asian steppes (Mongolia) that has some characteristics of a tent. I guess using fuzzy logic, it has a membership value of 0.8 for "tent." It has a circular lattice (scissoring for collapsing and transporting) that mates to a door and the roof is essentially conical.

I am planning a 5 meter yurt, which is about 15 feet in diameter, it will have side walls 5' high, and about 200 ft^2 of floor space.

Terminology (fairly simple):
Khana -- the scissoring wall sectons (4 for me); laths 6.5 feet long connected at 90° to one another. Will need 110 laths, each with 7 holes drilled for attachment points.
Uni -- the rafter poles (8 feet long, with attachment methods) Will need 52
Tono -- the central rafter hub (wheel). It will have have 52 holes angled at 33° to attach the uni and will be 34-inches in diameter

I have been pricing wood and have discovered that it will not be that inexpensive. Options based on:
8 and 10 foot long 12 inch by 1 inch poplar -- $491 (after a 20% added fudge)
8 and 10 foot long 12 inch by 1 inch oak -- $703 (after a 20% added fudge)
8 and 10 foot long 12 inch by 1 inch pine-- $195 (after a 20% added fudge)

Finances, obviously will have something to do with the choice. Personally, I'd like poplar.

The traditional attachment of the laths is rawhide -- yuk. I think I will use nylon rope. Brass screws are an option, but certainly less traditional.

I am going to go no traditional on the uni to tono connection. I think that I'll use 3-inch sections of 1045 steel. After all, they will be invisible. Fastenal 24 feet of 1/4 rod @ $11.52 + finding someone to cut them into 3-inch lengths. Glue them into the uni and drill holes (snug) in the tono.

I also need to make a work bench. I figure 4 sawhorse brackets ($ 27.88), 2 by 4's, and 3/4 plywood will be what I need for the bench.

I have a circular saw that I can jury-rig inverted to use as a table saw on the work bench. I'll need an ultra thin kerf blade ($10.97 -- will one be enough?).

I want a draw knife for shaping the ends of the uni (octagonal flats work well) - $33.97

I thought about getting a spoke shave, too, but they are ~$120!!!

What I need to do -- make a frame for the tono -- I can use straight boards, I think 3 layers of 8 pieces, but I need to find someone with a bandsaw.

Drilling the holes into the tono will need a drill press (for best results).

I still haven't planned the door.

I need to work on my 3-D CAD to do the modeling.


[1] I highly recommend the site to people who have too much time on their hands (unemployed like me)