30ft workshop yurt build (9 meters)

[Drunken hobbit]

I'm building a 30ft (9.15m) yurt for use as a workshop. This will be the third yurt I've built, and I'm kind of just winging it on this one, no plans... just taking what worked on the previous yurts, and using general tried and trusted yurt design elements.
I'll post photos as I go.

Today the timber got delivered! It's Pinus Radiata, a relatively soft pine species widely used for framing buildings here in New Zealand.
This time I'm using 1"x4" (20mm by 100mm) for both the khana lattice and the roof rafters. It may be a strange design choice but the timber was cheap at NZ$1.25/linear meter. I think it'll work!
Plus it's CCA treated H3.2 wood, so it will last for decades and decades.

Please feel free to offer criticism, or advice, or ask questions as I build and post my progress here.
Don't expect quick progress however! I'm also studying full-time so this is a weekend project.

[Jafo]

I can't remember what your snow is like there, if any at all, but tell me, will there be any supporting columns (other than wall studs)?

[Bob Rowlands]

Definitely looking forward to the build. Thanks hobbit.

[Drunken hobbit]

Here's the bending form, to bend the steam-heated 2x4 wood, to form part of the 2.5m skylight ring (8ft).
The ring will be made of 4 rings of 2x4, laminated and screwed, to finally make a finished ring 4" thick, and 8" wide.
Maybe I'll need to add an extra 5th ring if it's not stiff enough, but I'll come to that later.
I've used two different methods to build my previous two yurt skylights, and this steam bending +laminating is new to me, and will be fun.

[Drunken hobbit]

You know you're building a big yurt, when you have to look up Vehicle Load Maximum Dimensions, and size the parts to be just smaller than that. Maximum sideways load for a regular car in NZ is 2.5m.

[Drunken hobbit]

Skylight ring / Tono steaming day!
This basic setup is what I'm experimenting with...
Steel pipe.
Boiler made of old gas bottle cut up.
Rags.
Gas cooker.

Steam for maybe 3 hours, then bend to the form. The timber is already clamped to the bending strap as it is steaming inside the pipe.

[Drunken hobbit]

Fail!
Not enough steam was generated by my gas cooker. Half the pipe got to maybe 70degC, but the far end was cool to touch even after an hour. The whole thing needs to be full of boiling steam.
I'll get a more powerful gas burner and try again another day.

[Jafo]

Can you put a burner on both ends?

[Drunken hobbit]

Originally Posted by Jafo

Can you put a burner on both ends?

Hmm... good idea, thanks. Next weekend I will try again.

[Bob Rowlands]

I got a couple comments. Steam is nothing to mess with. Steam needs to escape the pipe. You definitely >don't< want the pipe pressurizing in a Rube Goldberg homebuilt steam bending setup. Typically only one end of the pipe has steam enter and the other end steam escapes or an explosion can ensue. But that's coming from a guy who's never successfully bent wood so take it for what it's worth. Whatever you do-be careful.