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I built this 10 foot diameter yurt without metal fasteners from free materials. It has the same proportions as the "standard" Mongolian ger scaled down. The varnished wood and white liner give it a marvelous feeling inside. Lots of people told me this was the best shelter they'd seen at Burningman.
("Yurt" is the Russian word. "Ger" is the Mongolian)
Most of the wooden parts are sawed from the slats of a futon couch.
The wall lattice pivots are knotted cord.
The door frame is made from hockey sticks.
The smoke ring is an aluminum bicycle rim.
At Burning Man I set the yurt up on top of my truck's lumber rack on a platform of redwood boards. That enabled us to drive around and move camp easily.
In the first photo it's just been set up. In the later ones it's been through some 70 mph dust storms. We've sealed it up and tied it down much more securely.
In the next photo Pete and Leslie take shelter in the Yurt during a dust storm.
During a break in the dust storms there's some rain. Star stands on the tailgate "balcony" to soak up the happiness from a huge double rainbow.
Billy likes the dust. He's out in an easy chair reveling in it.
("Yurt" is the Russian word. "Ger" is the Mongolian)
Most of the wooden parts are sawed from the slats of a futon couch.
The wall lattice pivots are knotted cord.
The door frame is made from hockey sticks.
The smoke ring is an aluminum bicycle rim.
At Burning Man I set the yurt up on top of my truck's lumber rack on a platform of redwood boards. That enabled us to drive around and move camp easily.
In the first photo it's just been set up. In the later ones it's been through some 70 mph dust storms. We've sealed it up and tied it down much more securely.
In the next photo Pete and Leslie take shelter in the Yurt during a dust storm.
During a break in the dust storms there's some rain. Star stands on the tailgate "balcony" to soak up the happiness from a huge double rainbow.
Billy likes the dust. He's out in an easy chair reveling in it.
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Signing UpStep 1Yurt Frame Parts
Here are the complete parts of the yurt frame laid out.
From left to right and top to bottom they are:
1. Two rafters which have longer strings at the wall end to tie them to the top of the doorframe.
2. The bundle of the other 30 rafters. These are all the same, 3/4" rods with a loop of cord at the wall end and a short taper down to 9/16" at the hoop end.
3. The wall lattice. This is a small yurt so there's a single wall lattice with thirty tops. At the top the sticks are whittled into a "thumb" shape to insert in the rafter loops. There are 30 "heads" or peaks to the lattice.
Where the lattice sticks cross cords are inserted in holes and knotted for pivots. This is done at crossings 1,2,4,6,7. Crossings 3 and 5 have no pivot cords.
4. The door frame. It's a trapezoid of ash hockey stick pieces that fit together with mortise-and-tenon joints. A rectangle would have been just as good a door, easier to make and set up.
5. Smoke ring. This is the hub of the wheel that is the roof. It's an aluminum bicycle wheel with 32 evenly spaced holes drilled into it at a downward angle.
6. Shoulder cord. Circles the wall lattice at the top to keep it from spreading outward while setting up.
7. Umbrella cover for smoke ring hole. It's a silvered parasol of the type Chinese women use instead of sunscreen lotion.
8. Shoulder Band. Circles yurt where the rafters meet the wall latice. Makes this area smooth rather than bumpy and keeps the sticks from poking holes in the yurt covering.
9. Bicycle innertube. Tie the ends of the wall lattice to the sides of the door frame with this.
From left to right and top to bottom they are:
1. Two rafters which have longer strings at the wall end to tie them to the top of the doorframe.
2. The bundle of the other 30 rafters. These are all the same, 3/4" rods with a loop of cord at the wall end and a short taper down to 9/16" at the hoop end.
3. The wall lattice. This is a small yurt so there's a single wall lattice with thirty tops. At the top the sticks are whittled into a "thumb" shape to insert in the rafter loops. There are 30 "heads" or peaks to the lattice.
Where the lattice sticks cross cords are inserted in holes and knotted for pivots. This is done at crossings 1,2,4,6,7. Crossings 3 and 5 have no pivot cords.
4. The door frame. It's a trapezoid of ash hockey stick pieces that fit together with mortise-and-tenon joints. A rectangle would have been just as good a door, easier to make and set up.
5. Smoke ring. This is the hub of the wheel that is the roof. It's an aluminum bicycle wheel with 32 evenly spaced holes drilled into it at a downward angle.
6. Shoulder cord. Circles the wall lattice at the top to keep it from spreading outward while setting up.
7. Umbrella cover for smoke ring hole. It's a silvered parasol of the type Chinese women use instead of sunscreen lotion.
8. Shoulder Band. Circles yurt where the rafters meet the wall latice. Makes this area smooth rather than bumpy and keeps the sticks from poking holes in the yurt covering.
9. Bicycle innertube. Tie the ends of the wall lattice to the sides of the door frame with this.
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We just tried it out in Death Valley a few weeks ago, and we couldn't have been more pleased. While there we were subjected to 30-40 mph winds on a regular basis, with gusts getting much higher... and the yurt performed fantastically once properly lashed down. We haven't had the time/money yet to get the materials to make the final outer cover and insulation, so we just used a heavy duty tarp for the top, and sheets we bought from a thrift store for the side. Here's a photo of it in all it's glory....
I deviated from you design slightly... I opted to use 36 rafter poles to make the drilling of the bicycle rim easier (36 spokes), and extended number of lattice pieces accordingly. This is what brought the diameter to 12'. I also chose to make a full door out of redwood and cedar. Other than that, I stuck with your design in many ways.
I have to say this has been one of the more rewarding projects I've worked on in some time. I'll be working on this for another two years I'm sure -- but I'll be using it for many, many more. Thank you so much for this instructable, for it was the catalyst that got me started on it.
Using a 4' diameter tono and 10' long rafters at a pitch of 2:1 run to rise, will allow you a 20' diameter structure with a 6" rafter overhang.
They're a lot cheaper than brand new tarps, waterproof, and by recycling you keep them out of landfills.
I just finished mine in time to bring it to my home burn (alchemy, what what!). i love it, and i loved making it so much i wanna make them for a living, for people who don't have the drive that us folks do.
I added the standard Mongolian stick info, from "The Complete Yurt Handbook" by Paul King. It's a good book.
The stick is 82.5" long. The knotted pivot cords are spaced 7" apart. There would be a dozen holes for pivot cords, but they skip pivots #3, #5, #7 counting up from the bottom.The tip of the stick extends 2.5" above the top pivot and the bottom extends 3" below the bottom pivot. (11x7")+2.5"+3"=82.5"
http://hexayurt.com/