building a yurt for the winter...

[Bob Rowlands]

I used 1.25" 1/4-20 carriage bolts and nylok nuts on my laths. I had washers between the laths to keep the painted laths from sticking, but that was a BIG mistake. No matter where I torqued the nuts, either the lath was too tight to open and close easily, or the washers rattled when it was windy. It was incredibly time consuming screwing around with the entire bolt system. As far as I'm concerned, the way to do laths is to tie them with cordage or rawhide. You know....just like the Mongolians do. They have yurt trad stuff figured out.

[Bob Rowlands]

Also, nobody asked, but overlapping the lath sections and lashing them together top to bottom is ALSO the way to go. Similarly, if I built another trad yurt, I ABSOLUTELY would lash the door frame to the lath wall. That is WAY easier then trying to align the lath holes at the door and slide them over bolts set in the door frame. I have split more then one laths trying to get those holes over the screws. MAJOR PITA undoing the lath and redoing due to splits. Plus with the lath wall (khana) lashed to the frame you can adjust the yurt diameter somewhat by making the lath crosses diamonds, and still use the same yurt ring. Mongolians have this stuff all figured out. Lash. Don't bolt.

No opinion about rivets, I have never riveted anything, ever.

[Bob Rowlands]

By the way my laths are 5/16ths thick.

A couple other points. If you opt for cordage, do 'NOT' > DO NOT!< use the cheapjack 1/8th or 1/4" low grade cheap crap cordage from Home Depot or Lowes or Walmart. I can't stress enough how lousy that stuff is. The mantle falls apart or bunches /knots up immediately and the core is worthless crap. Yeah I'm very opinionated about that JUNK.

What you need is solid braid cordage, like for draperies. Do 'NOT' use filament core cord. SOLID BRAID, no core. Nuff said.

[Bob Rowlands]

OK last point. It is good design to angle the side jambs of the door frame so the follow the curve of your yurt wall. This is another mistake I made. I suggest NOT making the jambs square to the door. That way the wall easily follows the natural curve at the door frame.

Learn by doin'. lol

[Surely Yurts - Steve]

Originally Posted by Bob Rowlands

OK last point. It is good design to angle the side jambs of the door frame so the follow the curve of your yurt wall. This is another mistake I made. I suggest NOT making the jambs square to the door. That way the wall easily follows the natural curve at the door frame.

We run a threaded rod through the center of the side posts of the door frame so that it can pivot. If you run the threaded rod long enough it can go right down through the platform and tie the whole frame into the platform which is very solid.

[njtool]

Thanks for the info on assembling the lath. I was thinking about using nails and bending them over. Does anyone have opinions on that?

Here is my progress so far. The deck frame is complete and I milled pine boards and ship lapped them together. Next is cutting the boards into a circle then building a frame on top then I get to insulate and build another deck on top of that.. what fun!

[njtool]

Not sure if the pic posted.

[Bob Rowlands]

Well the deck looks good enough. As for nails in the lath, I'd have to be pretty desperate to do that. Looking at hundreds of nails dangling on the inside, nah I'll pass on that. I probably have a phobia about bent nails being a carpenter and bent nails is a sign of rookie. lol Of course this is a different scenario but still....

If I were you I'd tie them. No way I'd use the 1.25" carraige bolts again. Next go round I'm tying mine.

[Bob Rowlands]

Using cordage assures the wall won't be too tight. It will very easily expand to size, and easily fold up when you move. I've watched a number of vids of tied khana being opened. It looks like the wall could almost be tossed to expand it. Plus there is NO way the cordage will ever cause lath to crack. Those Mongolian know yurts very well.

[Bob Rowlands]

Yurt is- by far- the most brilliant tent design of all time. You are doing good to build one. Good luck.