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| There are two major components in a yurt... the wooden
framework and the canvas covering. The wooden framework consists of the walls (called the "khana"), the door, and the rafters which radiate from a central, circular hub. After deciding on the size of our yurt (we chose an 18-foot diameter) we purchased the lumber: thirty five 8-foot 2x4's for the khana and door, and nine 10-foot 2x4's for the rafters. |
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We then set about cutting each of those eight foot
2x4's down to 6 feet, then lengthways into quarters, to create a total
of 120, 6-foot 1x2's. You might wonder why we didn't just buy 1x2's
in the first place. Good question. We were just trying to save some
money, as 2x4's seem to be about the cheapest dimensional lumber available:
cutting our own 1x2's saved us a good chunk of cash. Now, drill holes in the 1x2's using a 5/16" drill bit. Starting from one end, drill holes at 4", then every 16" until you get to the other end. You'll end up with five evenly spaced holes, and 4" spare at the other end. |
| For the rafters, we cut the ten foot 2x4's down to
9'4", and then lengthwise in half, to create a total of eighteen
2x2's. The rafters require a 5/16" hole in one end, where they
will be bolted to the hub, and a notch at the other end, where they
will fit onto the cable at the top of the khana. Make sure that all the lumber you've cut is straight... any warped or cracked 1x2's or 2x2's should be discarded. Cut yourself a few extra lengths of lumber as spares. |
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The "hub" is the circle to which the rafters are joined. We used a piece of scrap plywwod, and used a jigsaw to create an approximate 3-foot diameter. The rafters radiate from the outer edge of the hub, and are attached by metal brackets commonly known as "cling-ons". These have to be slightly modified. Firstly, enlarge the middle "arm" holes by drilling through with a 1/4" drill bit. Then bend the bracket forward, as shown, by about half an inch. Then screw your "Klingons" equally around the hub. |
| The door frame is an integral part of the wall, and you need to be fairly precise in the frame dimensions. Using the remaining 2x4's, create a door frame which has an internal width of 3', and an internal height of 5'2". Make it as sturdy as possible, using a combination of steel mending plates and wood glue. There should be two upright 2x4's on each side of the door frame... the wall canvas ends will ultimately be routed between these uprights. Within the frame, create a lightweight door. We used scrap 1" lumber for the door, and a bunch more mending plates. Finally, stretch and staple a piece of canvas around the door, and attach the door to the frame with hinges. (door frame photo credit: Michael Powers) |  |
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The next step is to take your 120 drilled 1x2's,
and with 300 1/4" x 2" hex bolts, 300 nuts and 600 washers,
join your 1x2's together in a criss-cross pattern to create your khana.
For ease of construction, it's better to split your 120 1x2's into three
groups of 40, in order to create three smaller khana's. They will be
joined together later. This is a fairly tedious task, but once done,
you have the entire wooden framework of your yurt complete. Time to
take out the sewing machine! NEXT: The canvas |
