Khana
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  The Khana, or Lattice Wall, is the backbone of the Ger.  It is constructed of many criss-crossing strips of wood to form a lattice work which is then bent around in a circle and attached to a door frame.  The Khana can be made from almost any material that bends. 
For this construction, I used 3/4" thick poplar that I ripped down to 3/8" thick strips (nominal).  The overall width of the individual strips ended up being 1 1/2".  The length of each strip will depend on the number of roof rafters used, but for this construction I used eighty-five (85) total strips (fifty (50) full length and thirty-five (35) cut).  Traditionally, the Khana were held together with rawhide strips.  I used 1/4-20 Bolts and Nyloc Nuts.  When assembled, the Khana will have enough spaces for thirty-seven (37) Uni, or Roof Rafters (Two Uni will be supported by the Nars, or Door Frame).		  
     
  Materials Needed
 3/4" Poplar (width is determined by how many Khana are needed and how many can be cut from each piece of poplar; Length is determined by length of Khana, in this case 8ft.)  I used 3/4"x8"x6' Poplar.  I like my walls a little shorter than most people.  So, for this project, nine (9) 3/4"x8"x8' poplar boards are needed.
Table Saw
Drill Press, or Drill
1/4" Drill Bit (I like using a 9/32" drill bit as it gives more room for bolt to go through)
Strapping Tape
Various Large Squeeze Clamps
Saw Horses, at least one (1) set
Approx. (298) 1/4-20x1 1/4" Bolts
Approx. (278) 1/4-20 Nyloc Nuts
Approx. (20) 1/4-20 Wing Nuts
Paint of your choice
Sealer of your choice (I used Helmsman)		  
     
  Construction Procedure  
 
  1. Begin by ripping all the poplar to the proper width for each Khana, 1 1/2".  For an 8" piece of poplar, there should be five (5) pieces per board.
  2. After all the boards are ripped to width, it is now time to rip them to thickness, 3/8" (nominal).  The strips will be slightly shy of 3/8" after ripping.
  3. Cut each strip to length.  In the case of this Ger, 78".
  4. After all the strips are ripped, it is now time to stack them together in stacks of 4-5 strips per stack.  Using strapping tape will effectively hold the Khana together in the stack.  This makes it easier to drill the holes in multiple Khana instead of doing it individually. 
  5. Mark the location of all the holes on the top Khana.  In the case of this Ger, there will be seven (7) holes and two (2) spaces.  The holes are 9" apart, starting 2" from the top, and leaving 4" at the bottom.  The two (2) spaces are 18", with one (1) at the bottom after the first 9" is measured and the second is at the top prior to the last 9" is measured.
  6. Using the Large Squeeze Clamps, clamp the stack along the sides to keep the stack even for drilling the holes.  The holes need to line up during assembly, so the use of squeeze clamps makes this possible during the drilling phase.
  7. Drill all the holes in all the stacks of Khana.  You may need to swap out the squeeze clamps to each stack as you go.
  8. Un-tape all the stacks of Khana and place on Saw Horses to be painted.
  9. Paint and seal the Khana remembering to paint the ends.
  10. Take a break and allow the paint to dry for a couple of days.
  11. Break over. Get back to work.
  12. Now it is time to assemble the Khana into a lattice.  The lattice will have to be done in at least a couple of sections.  In the case of this Ger, there are three (3) sections to make.
  13. This process is time consuming, so expect to spend a whole day assembling the lattice.  I usually spend a couple of afternoons doing the assembly.  that way I do not get too bored doing it.  Also, it is easier to assemble the lattice while it is standing up, than to do it while it is laying on the floor or ground.  I lean it up against my workbench and do the top set of holes, first, then flip it over and do the bottom holes.
  14. To start the assembly process, take two Khana, top up, and place them side by side.  Now, take the right one and place it behind the left one.  The holes should line up.  Take a Bolt and put it through the top most hole, from the back, so the Nyloc Nut goes on the front.  Tighten the Nyloc Nut only far enough so that the two Khana are secure, but can still move freely, like a pair of scissors.  When all the bolts and nuts are installed, the nuts will end up on the inside of the lattice when the Ger is set up.
  15.  Now spread the two Khana apart and place a Khana on top of the, now rear, Khana.  Place a Bolt into the second from the top hole, where the Khana meet, and install and tighten the Nyloc Nut.  You should start to see a pattern emerge of how the Khana are to go to together. 
  16. Continue bolting together Khana, inserting Bolts and Nyloc Nuts into all upper holes, until there are sixteen (16) Khana assembled, eight (8) front and eight (8) rear.  This is the first section of Khana.
  17. Now assemble two (2) more sections.  There will be Khana left over.  They will be used at the door frame area and be cut down to a shorter length.
  18. Once the other sections are assembled, set them aside.  The final steps will be explained later. 
  
References: http://www.mongolinternet.com/GenghisKhan.htm
                The Complete Yurt Handbook. Paul King. Eco-Logic, Bath. 2001
                     Mongolian Cloud Houses: How To Make a Yurt and Live Comfortably. Dan Frank Kuehn. Shelter Pulications, California. 2006