As jazzed as I am about the new helm, I'm equally excited about another project that's been brewing for a couple years now: a
yurt!
(I forget where I heard this, but I've been told that "yurt" is a derogatory term. Russian soldiers first saw the portable Mongolian structures and called them yurts, which I'm told means "hovel." Therefore, I've made a point of calling my new SCA home a "ger," the more respectful Mongolian name.)
My lady, Serena, and I have talked for a long time (years) about improving our camping space. We've used mundane tents only up to this point. She used to use a period pavilion in the distant past, but had problems with it leaking. And that's her thing: she hates leaking tents. I mean, no-one likes leaking tents, but her hatred is of a different caliber altogether. So, if we were going to have a period tent, it best be as leak-resistant as humanly possible.
I don't remember when I got it into my head that I wanted a ger; but once there it was not to be dislodged. I love everything about them: the look, the headroom, the lack of corners, everything. And they're supposed to be damn-near impervious to high wind, so that's a huge plus. And since they're supposed to be very durable in rain storms, Serena was sold.
We looked up plans and kicked around the idea for a long time. Well, at first we were just going to buy one, because--to point it mildly--I'm not handy. At all. While we could possible build our own, it would be a struggle with a lot of swearing. So we started looking around.
Gers aren't cheap, I can tell you that. And rightfully so; I mean, no-one is mass producing them like they do with standard western Europe pavilions. We were all set to pull the trigger... and then I got laid off. That put the ger project on hold. Then, when I finally had another decent job, I contacted the one guy who everyone recommended... only to find out that he was retiring.
We didn't do anything with it for some time (other than lament about our poor timing) until my squire, Farthegn, decided that he was ready to retire his period tent and make something new. And a ger appealed to him.
Here's the thing: Farthegn is handy. Like, super-handy. If he was involved, I was confident that we could build a ger with minimal consternation. It helps that he's a carpenter mundanely, too.
We decided to build two 16' gers, one for him and his lady; one for me and my lady. He got some plans off the Internet, ran some numbers, and came up with a plan. He bought the lumber and has steadily been cutting out the pieces at his workplace (working in a shop with all the big tools helps, too).
Up to this point, I've done nothing to help.
But, finally, this past weekend the project was at a point were I could do something. Farthegn brought over all the pieces and we started sanding them.
First up: the door jamb:
This is about 5' 6" tall, meaning I only have to duck a little to get in. It's also wider than I expected, which will be handy when bringing in tubs and the bed and the like. There are no doors yet; that's one part of the project that has yet to be cut out. It's very low on the list of priorities... so much so that it might not get done this year. We might just have canvas flaps, which will be fine.
The roof ring:
This is a prime example of why Farthegn is steering the bus and not me. I've always heard that this is the most difficult part of the project. And it's easy to see why; you have to get the angles right or your rafters don't sit where they should and there are problems. When I expressed my concerns to Farthegn, he just said, "eh, it's just math. It's not hard."
The wall lattice (Khana)
Here's all the sanded slats that will be put together to make the "baby gate" wall for the ger. The canvas isn't tensioned on this structure, so it won't really rub ever... thus the quick sanding we gave it. Actually, Farthegn's comment was that if these were "bachelor homes" we wouldn't be sanding them all. But, since his lady will be living in one, and my lady will be living in the other... it wouldn't do to have a stray splinter prick their delicate hands. Even though I did manage to get one big sumbitch through the middle finger of my one hand. Hurt like hell, and still does.
The rafters:
At some point I'd love to paint them red and decorate them like I've seen in some
fancy gers, but that's way down the line.
Farthegn in his natural habitat:
Me using power tools! Something you don't see very often.
I also burnt the snot out of my neck that day. Only on one side, though, since I stood in the same place for most of the morning.
All the sanded pieces now reside in my garage. Next up: sealing and assembly!
It's not clear from the above photo, but only parts of the entire helm were recovered. Most impressive, of course, is the large central plaque:
