I built a round hut using palm thatch and mud walls to replace the damaged A-frame hut built a few months ago. The A frame hut was damaged due to torrential rain and poor design elements considering the wet conditions. The thatch had rotted in the part of the roof that gets shade. Moth larvae and mold grew and consumed the thatch in these places. The hut also tilted forward due to the back post being hammered in only 25 cm into the ground. So on returning to the property (it was cut off by flooded bridge) I began work on a new hut.
The new hut was positioned further into the open clearing to get more sunlight. A 3 meter diameter circle was scribed and 12 wooden posts were hammered into the ground, each 50 cm deep for a sturdier structure. Lintels were then tied to the top of the posts joining the posts together. A tripod ladder was made from poles lashed together at the top and a platform lashed to its frame. The roof poles were then attached to the top of the lintels and lashed together at the top to form a conical roof frame, 3 meters at the highest point. Loya cane was then tied on the eaves to act as support for the ends of the palm thatch.
700 palm fronds were then cut split and thatched onto the roof. The tripod ladder was used to climb up and thatch the roof from the inside. A cap was then made to put on the very top of the cone when the roof was almost finished.
A drainage moat was dug around the hut and the excavated soil was placed on the hut floor to raise its level above the damp ground. A deluge tested the hut’s water shedding abilities. Torrential rain fell while a fire was kept going inside the dry hut. The drainage moat flowed like a stream during the heavy rain event.
Loya cane was then harvested and woven between the posts. This formed a low wall. It was then daubed with mud inside and out. The clay from this was taken from the drainage moat. Rain falling into the moat meant that water didn’t need to be collected from the stream to mix the mud. This is another benefit of the drainage moat.
The low wall allows light and air into the hut. With a fire going in the central pit, mosquitoes are kept at bay. The central fire pit produces smoke and heat that will hopefully prevent moths laying eggs in the roof (the caterpillars of which eat thatch) and will prevent mold from growing. The hut will be used as an undercover work space for future projects.
What was that pit for? The one that you made it in the end outside the hut?
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Storing water for work uses (not drinking as it would be dirty). Clean drinking water comes from the river in the video. Thanks.
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Is there a technical reason why you didn’t build the hut out of the clay bricks/tiles you fired in a previous episode? Just curious.
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I needed housing straight away. After I make a kiln in this new area (several kilometers from the original place) I’ll start making ceramics again. Thanks.
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Hello PT-guy,
Really enjoy all these videos and all the information. I would like to ask if you will be doing any more pyro-technology stuff at the new site?
Thanks!
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Yes kilns and charcoal fueled furnaces. Thanks.
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How long do you expect the walls to hold up? With that much rain, won’t it melt the walls eventually (i’m assuming there is some level of splash back from the ground etc).
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They last as long as the roof does. As soon as the roof goes the walls go too. Thanks.
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What place is that?
It looks like my country
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FNQ, Australia. Thanks.
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Hi PT! About how long would you say this project took you?
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40 hours say. Thanks.
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Thank you so much for taking the time to make these videos. Very time consuming. With camera working, editing, keeping up with feedback. Im glad to see more people re-discovering our past’s. Also may i ask what is your favorite book? Regarding history. Thanks again.
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Mastery and uses of fire in atiquity by J.E. Rehder. It’s all about furnaces which is my favorite aspect of primitive technology. Glad you like the videos, Thanks.
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Great video and thank you for sharing. Quick question… How long did the build take? 40 hours? More? Keep up the great content.
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I built it in the span of 19 days beginning to end. I think I only spent 14 days working on it though. I probably did no more than 6 hours work on the longest day (the mosquitoes were hell, hence the constant fire). 40 hours sounds like a good estimate. Thanks, I’ll keep it up.
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I don’t think I have seen this question asked before, but why do you only wear shorts? Do you just not want to wear a shirt? Aren’t there lots of bugs that would drive you crazy? And also is the property you work on far away from your house? How far do you travel to get to your property?
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The minimal modern equipment necessary. I’ll eventually make clothes, probably from palm fiber. The bugs, particularly mosquitoes are really bad. Sometimes I wear a shirt in the forest when not filming or light a smudge fire to keep them away. The property is about 40 minutes from home. Thanks.
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