How to build a Sami hut in wood!

 by Rabarbervin
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sidan1.jpg
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This is a description with pics of how i built my Sami hut in wood.

What this hut has as a raw model is the hut that our Swedish indigenous people called Sami, have built and used for many centuries.
This type of building is/was also (to some degree) used by the Inuit, Aleut and Yupik peoples.

As i made it from reprocessed wood from torned down houses and other buildings this is a totaly green project.

Tools/materials you need is a hammer, saw, knife, drill, spirit level, nails, tarpaper, wood and alot of patience!

As a non American/English i use the metric system, so i had to use an online converter to be able to present the messurements in inches.

So please dont mock me for my English as i am from Sweden.

 
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Step 1: Step one:

bottomframe length.jpg
bottomframe angles.jpg
drawing1.jpg
The most important step is to get the ground where you want your Sami hut horizontal (level).
I did that with bigger stones placed at the outer rim as a stop for the smaller stones/gravels (30 millimeters in size).
This ground made of gravel/stones is also important because the need of drainage.
Heavy rains will now float under the gravelbed and not make your feet wet.

The bottom frame that the hut is going to stand on, is made of 8 pieces of 2 by 6 inch pressure treated beams with both ends cut at 22,5 degrees angle.

You nail them together to the shape of the octagon you see in the pic.

The length of all 8 bottom frame pieces is 2.0 meters (78.74 inches), messured from the both outer edges of the 22.5 degree angle cuts (see drawing).
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pasojanice says: Feb 23, 2013. 9:48 AM
Your instructions were great! Love this concept and really liked the one I saw that was in the ground. Good idea for a prepper. Thanks so much!
AriedeB says: Mar 29, 2012. 1:12 AM
Makes me want to have a giant backyard.
I'd build 2 of them, one Sauna and one guest house ;)

Liked the instructable a lot.
Wasagi says: Oct 16, 2011. 5:40 PM
This is fantastic! It has that timeless appeal, and it's simple, I really enjoyed reading this instructable.
jsimonsen1 says: Jul 24, 2011. 4:02 AM
Inspiring...
wæþelson says: Jul 9, 2011. 7:02 PM
good evening , i send my thanks for showing how to make this type of hut..truly goodly and kind of you.what are the messurements of the thin pieces of wood you had used to make the walls?

bless be well
Chin797 says: May 30, 2011. 12:05 PM
Love the idea, I'm working on a plan to make a couple of these and connect them together, to make a sort of house for in the summers with friends, and put some electrics in it for light a tv and more, of course with a big Sami in the middle for tv and stuff like that.

Keep going on like this, because this is such a great design.
hhostel says: May 19, 2011. 6:25 PM
This is REALLY cool! Now I gotta show it to my husband so he can build us one in East Texas Piney Woods! I love this design! Thanks for sharing!
kimpappa24 says: Dec 27, 2010. 11:10 AM
I recently completed this project for a christmas gift. its alot more work than it seemed to be but im very happy with the end results. in total it cost me about $430 american dollars. i bought everything i needed at Home Depot besides basic tools like screwdrivers and saws. i think it tool apr. 30 hours to build total. we did do it in the winter so it was quiet cold and if done in the summer it would have been more fun and leisurely. we are going to add onto it and make it to our preferences like making the door come out instead of in and figuring what stain we want, ect. overall it was awesome and thnx for the plans!
Rabarbervin (author) in reply to kimpappa24Mar 28, 2011. 3:17 AM
I would love to see some pics of your building!
kimpappa24 in reply to RabarbervinMar 31, 2011. 6:09 AM
I'd love to show some..were do i upload them?
Vinsu says: Mar 27, 2011. 1:45 PM
In Finland we call these "kota"s. This is by far one of the most beautiful ones I've seen.
Rabarbervin (author) in reply to VinsuMar 28, 2011. 3:14 AM
Thankyou!
Quinn Z. says: Mar 19, 2011. 8:19 PM
This looks very challenging
sta2butler says: Dec 1, 2010. 4:03 AM
very nice!!!!
Kohler says: Jun 16, 2010. 4:40 AM
most of sami's live in finland -.-
big trav says: Jun 12, 2010. 5:35 PM
That is awesome, I want one!! the missus would shoot me if I built that though instead of the kids cubby house. Well done it looks cool!
larksid7 says: Jun 7, 2010. 4:31 PM
this teepee could be covered in pieces \of junk sheet metal which is easy to find and then stccoed and painted...needs a vent to at top or near it for ventilation....and of course it needs to be insulated
CHIEFGR8TWOLF says: Mar 3, 2010. 6:40 PM
Has anyone tried to build this yet? If so tell us of any issues you may have encountered. I am looking into my local building code requirements before proceeding. But after looking at this Instructable I have been drawing my plans up for presenting to the codes office. I will be adding a dormer and breezeway at the door, building a 3 foot vertical base wall for better headroom, an enclosed  wood / coal stove for control of the temperature, and lastly I will be extending two walls to give it an oblonged shape instead of a round one. It will look more like a Long House than a Tepee.  Thanks for starting me on my way.

Chiefgr8twolf , I am a Native American (Conoy Tribe), gotta love it just like anyone out there we should all be proud we belong to the "Human Race."
Rabarbervin (author) in reply to CHIEFGR8TWOLFMar 4, 2010. 2:36 AM
It feels great to be able to make a building that influence you and other to build one of their own.
I would LOVE to see some pics of your building when you start building it!

Rabarbervin.
Rabarbervin (author) in reply to RabarbervinMar 4, 2010. 2:40 AM

By the way... what´s a "dormer and breezeway"?

urwatuis says: Jan 22, 2010. 4:37 AM
I think the base or sill should be pressure treated lumber as it will get wet quite frequently. Nice idea overall
Rabarbervin (author) in reply to urwatuisJan 22, 2010. 6:28 AM
It is!
Though i didnt mention it in the instructable.

Will fix this!

thx
geros59 says: Nov 21, 2009. 2:50 PM
In case of using your project as a sauna, would you need other kind of protection for the wood? I mean, with the steam the wood could be ruined, wouldn't it? which one would you recommend?
Thanks
rbenkhe says: Apr 30, 2009. 3:28 PM
First off...anyone picking on this guys use of a word, should take a close look at how rudely they belittled the guy. Come on, grow up and stop acting like the class bully who picks on the foreign kid. Second off...FABULOUS JOB ....I am building one in sections so that it can be moved from location to location on a flatbed trailer. I have designed it to connect together internally with some Z brackets and externally with some "office divider panel connectors" that I am picking up from Bakers@work in Cambridge ontario. They are a hammer in plastic connector that works fine in the summer but will probably be replaced with someing else for the winter. As a modular unit, I do not need a building permit if I put it up on our property, and the floor deck will be modular as well so that I can set it up anywhere and still be high and dry off the ground. I will post pictures when I am done. Thanks for the inspiration God Bless Pastor Robert Benkhe Killaloe, Ontario, Canada
JakeOlsan in reply to rbenkheNov 20, 2009. 9:20 AM
 Word. This guy made a great Instructable in his second or possibly third language, that is super respectable. It would still be great even if it were in pidgen. 
dustyplans says: Oct 7, 2009. 10:20 AM
VERY COOL.   Do you need to insulate this??
SETHARMSTRONG says: Aug 16, 2009. 11:05 PM
really love this.... plan on building one for myself... what was the cost???
Rabarbervin (author) in reply to SETHARMSTRONGAug 17, 2009. 3:15 AM
I made it from reprocessed wood from torned down houses and other buildings so the cost for this building was almost nothing. But i´m building one now for a friend with everything bought from store and it looks to be just under 30 000 kronas wich is around 4000 Amerikan dollars. Bear in mind that this is Swedish prizes... maby it´s cheaper where you live?
SETHARMSTRONG in reply to RabarbervinAug 17, 2009. 8:26 AM
right... i think i can get ahold of all the wood for the skin for free so really i just need the 2x4s and 2x6s... thanks
tlowery04 says: Jun 3, 2009. 5:27 AM
your comment about the fish has me wondering... could this be viable as a smoke house?
Rabarbervin (author) in reply to tlowery04Jun 4, 2009. 1:48 AM
Yep! I know of smaller ones that is used as a smoke house, but you could off course use my hut as well, but i doubt you have the amount of fish and meat to smoke that would need the size like this... i would scale it down if i wanted to make it for smoking fish and meat.
tlowery04 in reply to RabarbervinJun 6, 2009. 9:45 PM
yeah i think i would have to cut it down by roughly 1/2 to 2/3 just to start with, however i do really like this design and it might have a full size sister structure in the woods in Oklahoma some time soon.
jamesdouglastx says: Jun 4, 2009. 12:56 PM
I think that the middle picture should be labeled 135 degrees instead of the 45 shown. Saying this just in case someone needs that angle.
wobbler says: Jun 3, 2009. 3:21 AM
They can mock you all they like on your english, but they can't mock you on your design! Great job, I want one!
thelame1 says: May 14, 2009. 12:39 PM
Your english is very good. A very interesting building.
meginski in reply to thelame1May 28, 2009. 9:29 PM
This is great! I only wish I had some place to build one.
isabellayessi says: May 26, 2009. 8:12 PM
so cool.I will try to do this when I have my own house and not renting.It looks so fun and is like a tree house.
Rabarbervin (author) in reply to isabellayessiMay 26, 2009. 10:36 PM
Yes! It´s simple to build and doesnt cost so much to build.
unclejack says: May 7, 2009. 7:02 PM
Great looking project, I have a small camping hut back in the woods, but this might be a new project! Thanks for the idea.
brenryan says: May 2, 2009. 6:28 PM
Excellent Instructable. What's with all the irrelevant comments? I am so fed up of people getting offended on other peoples behalf. Acting so PC, its absolutely ridiculous.
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