Done.

[errantember]

In the past six hours, I've finished sorting, packing, and yurt-herding. Both of my 18-gallon rolling footlockers are full-to-bursting, and both the six top pieces and the six bottom pieces of El Yurt have been magitastically joined so that each set is one piece. They accordion-fold down into one 4'x4'x9" wall-piece and a triangle inscribed inside that same space for the roof. This means assembly should be snap, instead of the nightmare of black humor that would likely result from trying to assemble all 12 pieces with tape in an 30 MPH dust storm.

I think I've used at least 400 feet of duct tape so far. I'm not kidding.

And maybe one day the last two seams will be Velcro...

Comments

It's also going to be interesting...

[errantember.livejournal.com]

...because this unit will be *much* more structurally weak than your default design.

1) The foam is only 3/4" thick.
2) It's *not* fiberglass re-enforced. :)
3) The edges are square cut, and the fan-folding causes a large gap (larger then you'd need even if leaving a gap for rough-fitting.)

I think it can still work, but field-reinforcement will likely be worth the time.

I'm guessing the 1" isn't available here because of different building codes. I checked both Home Depot and Lowes.

The pop-up hexyurt is totally the bomb!

Now we just need an equivalent material that's 100% biodegradable...

Take parcel tape!!!!!

[hexayurt.livejournal.com]

Seriously, duct tape of that grade is going to very plausibly simply melt in the heat and leave you homeless on the playa. We recommend a very, very heavy duty tape because the tape is very very important.

However, there's a option which *will work* and is more widely available. It's harder to use (narrow seams) but if you're in a pinch - and you are - it'll keep your home together.

Get several rolls of strapping tape, also called filament tape. You can buy filament tape or strapping tape in 2" at most moving supply places, like U-Haul or whatever, and fairly often office supply stores carry it. When you get to the Playa, pop your unit up, and then re-enforce the tension ring (the loop of tape that goes all the way around the hexayurt, at the point where the roof connects to the walls) with the filament tape, and probably go over the roof a few times in a criss-cross fashion.

I know it's a hack, but this is a serious business: the tape is what holds a hexayurt up, and I'd hate to see your home blow away!

Without this, your Hexayurt stands a better-than-even chance of blowing down. Good luck, and I hope you get this in time!!!

Re: Take parcel tape!!!!!

[errantember.livejournal.com]

Thanks, also, for your attention and concern.

I ordered some 3M 3" filament tape, and it should be here before I fly out on Friday. I'm still considering the best path of fixing things. I think the 3" tape may be wide enough to simply cover the duct tape, but obviously that would make a weaker bond. I also used 2" duct tape *all* my edges. The cleanest long-term solution would obviously be to remove all the duct tape and start over, but I doubt that will be practical at Burning Man, especially with the levels of dust we'll see this year. I may simply use the 3M tape for the tension ring and spot-repairs as needed, then try to improve things when I get home.

Re: Take parcel tape!!!!!

[hexayurt.livejournal.com]

*Every* hexayurt that somebody builds ought to work hahahaha.

Even ordinary parcel tape - the thin grey-brown stuff - is better than duct tape because the glue doesn't melt in the heat.

As long as you have even ordinary parcel tape, you'll survive. With the 3" bidirectional on a 6' hexayurt, you're golden - wild horses can't drag it away.

Nice work, and I look forward to seeing it!

Re: Take parcel tape!!!!!

[errantember.livejournal.com]

That's good to know.

I realize you've already noted extensively the need for proper tape on your website, but maybe using my example as a cautionary tale would help prevent future problems. If I'd realized duct tape was absolutely not an option, I could have doubled-up on stranded parcel tape and made it work.

It will be at Poly Paradise at 9:00 and G. If I end up having to field-strip all the duct tape, I may try to find some large, more-dust-free area to do the operation. I just hope the remaining goo from the duct tape doesn't sabotage the good tape. I don't think there's any solvent that will remove the glue that won't melt the foam, also.

Re: Take parcel tape!!!!!

[hexayurt.livejournal.com]

Well... I'll tell you this. I saw an 8' hexayurt last year held together with duct tape.

I have *no idea* how it survived, but it did. Perhaps an act of god.

So you'd probably have survived but - and it's a big but - the first time you come back to camp and your house is gone and your stuff is in a sea of dust, what you can find of it - because I didn't say YOU NEED THE BIG TAPE?

Hahaha. My fault.

Duct tape is no good on the playa for anything, but especially for hexayurts.