i'd like to build a yurt from scratch. i'd love to be able to drive down to cottage grove (Oregon), and just pick up the Pacific Yurts kit, but thousands of dollars i ain't got. (It's a great yurt though)

for coverings, i'd probably use 14 oz boatshrunk army duck. i have an industrial sewing machine, so i have the cover idea pretty much under control. it's the tension band around the outside and the center ring i am wondering about how to make.

ANY input at all from others on this topic would be welcomed.

also would like to hear from any other homesteaders on the Central Oregon Coast/West Lane County/Siuslaw Valley!

-- Juno redleaf (gofish@presys.com), October 13, 2000

Answers

To be honest what the heck is a yurt ?

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), October 13, 2000.

Ages ago I found, in a yardsale, a bood about making yurts & what they used around the top for a tension was stainless steel aircraft cable & turnbuckels for adjustment. I was surprised how thin the cable was. Seems to me it was a Sunset Book publication. You can look up Pacific Yurt & another yurt company who's name I forgot & check their specs, which, if I remember from the stuff they sent me, mentioned the thickness of the cable. Good luck!!......Kt.

-- K-K-K-Katie (yarnspinnerkt@hotmail.com), October 13, 2000.

Well, I HAD a book on making yurts, but I just looked and can't find it now. May have gotten rid of it, as we'll probably never build a yurt -- but I seldom get rid of my construction books. Hmmm. Anyway, I was wanting to ask where exactly you are located? We aren't in Oregon any more (and will probably never move back there because of prices, taxes, and some bad laws), but I was born in Florence. My family has lived on the North Fork of the Siuslaw River and around Ada since the 1880's -- if you go to the museum in Florence, you will see some things that belonged to my family, including a rocking chair that my great-grandfather made, and all the babies in the family were rocked in, including me. I wanted it for my babies, but it had already gone to the museum! My grandmother still lives on the North Fork, and also some cousins. If you have any interest in the history of the area, Grandad (who dies several years ago) wrote a book about his early life and experiences -- it was published privately, and I don't know if there are any copies left, but Mom may do another print run. Let me know if you are interested -- it's mostly hunting stories, but includes a lot about life in the early part of this century on a small farm in the coast range.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), October 13, 2000.

Patty, Its a Ghengis Khan condominium. Circular tent of skins.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), October 13, 2000.

My husband built a yurt for his college age daughter to live in. In fact, it's right outside our door now, needing a few adjustments. This one is comparable to the Pacific or Advance yurts in quality. They built the whole thing themselves, and then she bought the cover from Advance yurts. When we calculated the cost of the canvas, and how long it would last, it was more economical to get it from advance, theirs will last longer, and then you don't have to fool around trying to get it to fit the roof smoothly. There is a book by Blue Evening Star called Tipis and Yurts. We bought this book and found that theyurts in it were more like a glorified tent than a yurt. Nevertheless, we used it as a guide and found that it contains several mistakes. I believe that the materials for the framework,hardware,etc, cost between $500.00 and $800.00, it is 20 feet in diameter, so even with the cover it is quite a savings. I think that power tools and some carpentry experience would be necessary if you want it to progress very quickly. The center ring on ours is made of two by fours laminated together. Right now he is trying to work out a good floor design. For the skylight, she bought a second, which was a lot cheaper, but it is irregular, and so it leaks around it. To set this yurt up takes at least two people, preferably three, and they set it up in about an hour and a half. I don't think the cable is any problem at all, I don't know the measurements on it, but it is about the diameter of a pencil and has a turnbuckle on it.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), October 13, 2000.

Hello all! Kathy, i live on the Old Stagecoach Road (gravel, skinny & twisty as heck) that runs between Swisshome and Richardson. I bought the "Tompkins PLace" 5 badly abused but restoreable acres and a falling-apart house. but i got it for 60K, owner financing. i have the Siuslaw in my front yard, but i'm high enough to escape the floods. the road was out in '96 but the house stayed dry. YES! I would LOVE a copy of your Grandfather's book. I grew up around Elmira/Noti but consider all of West Lane my home.i am VERY interested in local history, have been to the FLorence museum several times. i have an abandoned solitary pioneer grave from 1901 on my land and i tend it and keep it safe. We are a small (3 people) intentional family. we're rebuilding the small main house as money comes. i built a small 10x12 cabin but, i would prefer have a yurt for my personal space. we have electricity, water, cooking and communal activities in the main house. we hope to have another couple or single person come and live on the land with us someday. the Oregon State Parks dep't has yurts you can rent in the campgrounds on the coast. this was my first experience with them and i fell in love. the ones they use are made by Pacific Yurts and are sturdy comfortable and well-made. I have lived in tipis before, but do not think they are the best type of shelter for this VERY rainy climate. i will check that book... i've heard of it, but just wondered about actual experience any of you all had. i am glad i found this forum. been reading the magazine a long time.

-- Juno redleaf (gofish@presys.com), October 13, 2000.

We drooled over those Pacific Yurt kits for a few years. My! I would still consider getting one someday. I haven't stayed in the ones in the State Parks (Ore. and Wash.) yet, but it sure does look like fun!!! Aren't there some at Manzanita?

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), October 13, 2000.

Juno, I will ask my mother to get cracking on re-publishing Grandad's book -- I've been trying to convince her that there is really enough interest to justify another print run! I'm wondering, though, if any canvas covered structure is going to be comfortable for full-time living in that climate. Even a real house gets pretty clammy at times. Have you thought of covering your yurt with cedar shakes, instead of canvas? It would last longer that way. My favorite houses in the whole world are the little cedar-shingled ones that have gone silver-gray, down by the ocean.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), October 14, 2000.

I was looking into yurts - love them!! - but was put off by the price. Through net searches I ran across 4 or 5 yurt companies Nesting Bird(?), Advance, Pacific, and one or two others. When I requested info they send me really detailed stuff - enough that you can figure out from their brochures what specifics you need (about wires, etc.) to home make one. All the needed supplies can be found at do-it-yourself homebuilder stores. Good luck!

-- Julia in Tally (tofubiscuit@excite.com), October 17, 2000.

Dear Sir: The yurt foundation is run by Wm. Coperthwaite. The address is " The Yurt Foundation, Dickinsons Reach, Buck Harbor Machiasport Maine 04655. They will provide you plans to build a variety of different yurts. The plans include a parts list etc. Hope this helps, Doug

-- Doug Espe (theespe@aol.com), October 17, 2000.

A Ghengis Kahn condo? Love it! What a reply!!! ;~)....K-K-K-Katie

-- K-K-K-Katie (yarnspinnerkt@hotmail.com), October 18, 2000.

Can't tell you much about building yurts but the thot crossed my mind that with a waterproof skin on the outside a papermill felt would make a great inner lining since its real wool, about 12' x 80'long. Of course you wouldn't need the whole thing but I bet it would make for a warm yurt in the winter. Around here they can be had for $3.00.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), October 20, 2000.

A less expensive alternative that some folks use is called a yome. I have only seen one in person from a short distance. I am reserving judgement on their sturdiness till I get a good look inside one (though the largest size one looked pretty good in the distance...

see http://www.redskyshelters.com/ for info.

-- Sue Wolf (byebyecda@hotmail.com), March 20, 2001.

Those yomes at the Red Sky website look just like the doghouse we built for our golden lab last summer. We ordered a set of 'starplates' from Stromberg's Hatchery in Pine River MN for ~$58. There's a picture in their ad in every issue of Countryside. The starplates come with a very complete set of instructions and templates. You supply your own lumber. We covered Maybelle's house with old boards we had here, and made windows from some on-hand old plexiglass. It can be made just about any size up to garage size and two or more can be connected for more room. It did not occur to me to cover it with canvas, but that would probably work ok. We built a platform for it of treated 2X4s and plywood. This was a very fun project! Sandy

-- Sandy in MN (jpevans_56353@yahoo.com), March 20, 2001.

have friends at the Institute for sustainability in goldendale Washington. They have lived in a yurt, kids and all for years. You might contact them for some first hand experience. I liked the ghenghis condo bit. Anyone seen the movie "back to eden" about a mongol family losing their way of life to "civilization".

-- jz (oz49us@yahoo.com), March 20, 2001.

I lived in a yurt for about 3 yrs. while working with the Hoedads. I thought it was great. We found the plans from a book called "the Yurt book". Found cheap lathe at Witsell and Witsell in Springfield Or. and got the canvas top from a car dealership carousel! It withstood all the wind and rain the coast range winters could throw at it. I sold it for $50.00 to a friend in Eugene. I'll bet it is still being used somewhere.

-- Ted Colee (tcolee@hotmail.com), March 19, 2002.

Building a yurt is a fairly easy. Building a good yurt takes some detailed planing, a knowledge of trigonometry, and a good cad program. I'm presently tooling up to produce them commercially from Canada, and with the exchange rate in favor of the US dollar, you can get one for about half that of Pacific's, Nesting Bird's, Advance's, etc...Email me for details.

-- Gregory Grant (tuckamoreyurts@hotmail.com), March 27, 2002.