Marshall Eppley
New member
I buy all my bolts at tractor supply by the pound. i use 5/16 i also get a few longer ones and put them near the top to hang coats on.
Rainwater Harvesting for Yurts
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Bob Rowlands
New member
Now that's a good idea.
Knecht
New member
You can check out my thread here in the yurt building session to see photos. My khana is made of four separate sections, to make it easier to operate and transport. Each of the sections is tied together using rawhide straps, like the Mongolians do. However, the four sections are connected together using screws instead of the rawhide; resulting in one continuous lattice (traditional Mongolian way to connect the khana sections is to overlap them and lace them together with woolen straps).
Aside of being traditional and looking better, the rawhide is way cheaper than screws, BTW.
I really recommend checking my thread, as it's one of the few here using metric measures and european materials. And since I was a total yurt novice couple months ago, I might have dealt with the same problems you will, so it may save you some troubles.
Aside of being traditional and looking better, the rawhide is way cheaper than screws, BTW.
I really recommend checking my thread, as it's one of the few here using metric measures and european materials. And since I was a total yurt novice couple months ago, I might have dealt with the same problems you will, so it may save you some troubles.
For lathe joints:
My yurt, from Adorjan Yurts outside Budapest, uses what has been called Binding posts (or Axle bolts or Sex Bolts or Chicago screw), steel ones, for the khana. It fits a little loose and gives some play (not too tight) and seems to work very well (no loose bolts, no broken bolts, no tight lathes). I've taken down/setup my yurt three or so times already and it's down well.
On some khana that I made myself, I used paracord--I got a spool, cut ~2 m lengths and melted a point onto each length. Tied a knot in each end, threaded it through, tied another knot on the opposite side and cut it. Repeat, ad infinitum
I think it probably took around 4 man hours for threading & tying each khana section (5 sections for a 6 m yurt). Invite some friends over for a yurt-making party to make it go faster 
My yurt, from Adorjan Yurts outside Budapest, uses what has been called Binding posts (or Axle bolts or Sex Bolts or Chicago screw), steel ones, for the khana. It fits a little loose and gives some play (not too tight) and seems to work very well (no loose bolts, no broken bolts, no tight lathes). I've taken down/setup my yurt three or so times already and it's down well.
On some khana that I made myself, I used paracord--I got a spool, cut ~2 m lengths and melted a point onto each length. Tied a knot in each end, threaded it through, tied another knot on the opposite side and cut it. Repeat, ad infinitum
I think it probably took around 4 man hours for threading & tying each khana section (5 sections for a 6 m yurt). Invite some friends over for a yurt-making party to make it go faster Bob Rowlands
New member
If you use bolts on the khana, use nylok nuts. They stay put without being snugged. Also, do not use washers. They rattle big time when the wind blows. Why not snug them, you ask? Well, then you can't expand and contract the khana. How do i know all this? Well...lets just say, anyone wanna buy 300 1/4" washers? 
Just so its clear, I understand that when you refer to Khana you are referring to the wood that is used to build the wall section. Is it then a technical term in the yurting community?
In portugal we have cane which locally is called Cana.
My Check friend Joseph has build his yurt frame using this material tying together the crosses with rubbr, cut from old car inner tube
Can you please upload a picture of the connectors, much appreciated friends.
In portugal we have cane which locally is called Cana.
My Check friend Joseph has build his yurt frame using this material tying together the crosses with rubbr, cut from old car inner tube
Can you please upload a picture of the connectors, much appreciated friends.
Knecht
New member
Khana (chana) is a Mongolian term. It's the wall lattice and if I understand it right, they have some "standard" length of it and they recognize the yurt size by the number of these connected khanas that form the wall.
Hope my thread will give you some help. Also, read carefully what Bob says, it's usually worth it.
Tying the laths together with inner tube rubber...I would be a bit worried it might be too loose, as the rubber is not rigid enough. But it may work...and I guess it does, as your friend is using that.
Hope my thread will give you some help. Also, read carefully what Bob says, it's usually worth it.
Tying the laths together with inner tube rubber...I would be a bit worried it might be too loose, as the rubber is not rigid enough. But it may work...and I guess it does, as your friend is using that.
Bob Rowlands
New member
Knecht, thanks for the vote of confidence.
snow- the laths in my 16' yurt are ripped from 2x4s. They are 5/16ths thick. The through bolts are 1/4-20 x 1.25. That required drilling 1/4" holes. IME 1/4" dia. is a maximum hole size for such wimpy little rips. They will break if there is a knot adjacent to the hole.
Good as bolts are, they aren't traditional. If that is an issue, using cordage or rawhide for ties would be a good choice. Guessing here, but you might be able to drill a 3/16ths hole instead of 1/4". Cordage won't rattle in the wind like washers. Also, with cordage, no matter how tight you get the knots to the laths, you'll be able to expand and contact the khana with ease, and that my friend is a very big deal when you set up the yurt yourself. It really isn't fun hearing a lath crack after you spent HOURS assembling the wall. So, overall, the Mongolian have nomadic yurt details entirely perfected.
I found all the detail stuff that I was initially edgy about got answered when I built my two yurts. I've learned, with a smaller nomadic yurt you don't absolutely have to have a tension cable, a rope or cloth band will work. You don't have to have bolts, cordage is fine. You don't have to have a rafter on every cross, every other cross is fine. A wall of several sections tied together is fine. Etc. All this stuff is learned when you build and erect the yurt, and have lived in it awhile.
Also, snow, there are photos of my yurt on this site under my name and home made yurt. It is also on google images under clan kaminari yurt. The yurt is the one with two green rafters either side of the green five panel door. There are paint blotches on the wall cover since I used drop cloths. There are detail shots too of the interior. Good luck.
snow- the laths in my 16' yurt are ripped from 2x4s. They are 5/16ths thick. The through bolts are 1/4-20 x 1.25. That required drilling 1/4" holes. IME 1/4" dia. is a maximum hole size for such wimpy little rips. They will break if there is a knot adjacent to the hole.
Good as bolts are, they aren't traditional. If that is an issue, using cordage or rawhide for ties would be a good choice. Guessing here, but you might be able to drill a 3/16ths hole instead of 1/4". Cordage won't rattle in the wind like washers. Also, with cordage, no matter how tight you get the knots to the laths, you'll be able to expand and contact the khana with ease, and that my friend is a very big deal when you set up the yurt yourself. It really isn't fun hearing a lath crack after you spent HOURS assembling the wall. So, overall, the Mongolian have nomadic yurt details entirely perfected.
I found all the detail stuff that I was initially edgy about got answered when I built my two yurts. I've learned, with a smaller nomadic yurt you don't absolutely have to have a tension cable, a rope or cloth band will work. You don't have to have bolts, cordage is fine. You don't have to have a rafter on every cross, every other cross is fine. A wall of several sections tied together is fine. Etc. All this stuff is learned when you build and erect the yurt, and have lived in it awhile.
Also, snow, there are photos of my yurt on this site under my name and home made yurt. It is also on google images under clan kaminari yurt. The yurt is the one with two green rafters either side of the green five panel door. There are paint blotches on the wall cover since I used drop cloths. There are detail shots too of the interior. Good luck.