The yurt center ring weighs 250 pounds, is a work of art, and needed to be raised 18′ 2″ into the air so that rafters could be attached to it.  Could we do this without heavy machinery?  Even with it, the job was huge.  Each rafter is an 18 foot 2×12 weighing 100 pounds alone.  We were going to need some ingenious help.

We finished up some jobs on the walls such as running a 1/4 inch tension cable around the top and screwing in the top plates by Tuesday afternoon.  On Wednesday the ring would be raised.  I was very nervous, not really seeing how it would be done.  A good friend reminded me to have faith, it’s going down for real.

Wednesday morning was clear with minimal wind.  Bob from La Veta arrived around 8, then Barry with two of his guys Ron and Tim.  They quickly came up with a plan and started attaching scaffolds together and building a platform.  While they were doing this I was hammering metal bushings into the tail ends of our rafters (this was a pretty menial job, exactly what I needed.)  Turns out that snakes like to live under pallets of wood wrapped in tarps.  We think these are baby bull snakes.  No rattles on their tales, probably harmless, but still a little creepy when they wiggle out from where you are about to stick your fingers.  If you can identify this little guy, please leave a comment.

After 30 minutes I looked up to see the ring making its way to the top of the platform!

And then they started attaching rafters.

I had made a deal with these guys that once four rafters were in place I would go get beer for them all.  So, I left around noon for Westcliffe to get beer, ice, spinach (for my awesome dutch oven layered eggs) and some Simpson A35 hurricane clips to help hold the bird blocking to the top plates.  I got back at 2:30 and there were only 6 of 54 rafters left to be placed.

View from CR

Placing one of the last rafters

Beer thirty came at about 4:00 when the last rafter was placed and one of the rafter cables was loosely placed.  We then had a good time with these guys for a couple hours, riding the high of having made so much visible progress in a single day.  Everyone was really impressed with the quality of materials and the ease with which they went into place.

Here’s a video taken the next morning showing our progress and the work we had left to do to secure and snug the rafters.  Bob came back out for the day and the three of us worked on each rafter to snug it up to the walls in its proper place, make it as close to perpendicular as possible, and screw it into place with a 6 inch timber lock screw. Then we ran the second rafter cable and tightened them both as much as we could with the turnbuckle.

After getting everything snug and attached, it was time to remove the ring platform.  This was just a little nerve wracking.  Would the ring and rafters stay in place or come crashing down on us in a tragic turn of events?  Engineering told us it would be fine.  Numerous other structures had been built this way and it was fine.  It was fine.  That ring didn’t move a millimeter as Josh disassembled the ring platform, cursing the square drive screws the whole time.

Self-supporting Ceiling

Next, we installed the bird blocking, cleaned up camp and headed home for a well-deserved weekend.

Bird blocking and tightened turnbuckles

Next week we plan to get three rows of sheer blocking installed in these rafters, frame out the entryway addition, and rough in the ceiling electrical boxes.  Then comes inspections, insulation and roofing and we can sigh a breath of relief as the building will finally be enclosed and protected from the elements.