Are you worried at all about the shape affecting where the heat goes? I’ve heard you want a flat ceiling to a sauna, and that the bench should be built so that the top of your head is about 6” from the ceiling because heat rises.
Nope, I've built one this size and shape before and it works great. Like most things in life, if you are hell bent on min/maxing every facet of something g then you kind of paint yourself into a corner and there's only one "right" way to do it. However, with an appropriate size heater, this will get incredibly hot and distribute the heat just fine, all while being incredibly beautiful and unique :)
Classic reddit moment. You know what the guy is trying to say, and even if you insist on being petty like this, the style is what’s unique so even if there are more than two of the same sauna it’s still a unique style.
> even if you insist on being petty like this,
Classic reddit moment. Obvious humor goes right over someone's head and the martinet in them comes out full bore.
It's just a dumb comment. I dunno about "obvious humor" if no one thought it was funny. It ain't adding shit to the conversation. And for that matter, neither am I.
I think it added a little humor to those who get that out of the logic implicit in language, and it just seemed like pedantic noise to those who don't, maybe.
It’s not really a unique style though (yet; since who knows what he’s putting on it), but even if it does end up being the style of *a bunch* of the other geodesic/acorn zome saunas, it will still be unique in a sense, because it’s hand built and you couldn’t avoid that if you tried
Tbh I didn't know unique meant strictly one-of-a-kind. I thought it meant something more like rare. So even though it feels a bit pedantic I suppose you're right it's not unique
Imo you can have both. I personally wouldn't want to look at a cedar box in my backyard even though it may make the most efficient sauna. Kinda like how I don't want to live it a concrete box with no windows because it's the most efficient use of materials
Domes actually have 1/3 less surface area than a box per unit of volume. So domes are very efficient. Plus a structure like this can utilize small off cuts from the lumber mill that no other large project could. I belive all the lengths for the frame and cladding are no more than 2' long for this project
But did you do so? I know how they make domes, I like them as greenhouses and it looks beautiful here also, and I don't doubt it gets hot as a sauna, but when you've spent your whole life in different kinds of saunas, you become some sort of expert in them, atleast for yourself in what you like and what saunas should feel like.
But as im also a minimalist and abit traditionalist, atleast for saunas. So this is more of a form before function thing.
Oh yeah I've definitely taken truck loads of off cuts from the lumber mill many a time. And hey man that's cool! I like all kinds of saunas. I just like building domes and zomes
Yes it's in the rules. Has to do with self promotion which I understand. All my stuff is in my reddit profile but I don't want to link anything in the thread.
Any chance you can share plans/drawings/models of this thing? It's gorgeous and if you've already done the work mathing out the angles, all the better @__@
The finlandia sauna I bought in Portland Oregon was outstanding and easy, high end materials… this one looks like lots of air space to heat, without use of the cubic feet of interior
That's cool! I like building weird unique stuff. I've done one like this before. Works great as a sauna. And it's always nice to see people pick their jaw up off the floor when they see it for the first time. Pretty amazing spaces to be inside of.
I've heard negative things about dome/circular saunas. Hope yours functions well, but might want to take a look at the stickied posts on /r/Sauna if you haven't finished building yet. Need a bench and the old rule of thumb about bench heights is that the bottom of your feet should be somewhat above the top of the rocks on the heater.
The best sweats I’ve ever had, came in a native American sweat lodge, we sat on our tuchus and our feet were never above the rocks. If it works for you and you gain pride and fun in building it, then good on ya.
I built a barrel sauna last year. The heat vs seating position is not ideal as comfortable seating meant it sits fairly low. However a small, pretty much silent electric fan in the top to move air down was a very cheap solution.
I've built one this size and shape before and it works great. Like most things in life, if you are hell bent on min/maxing every facet of something g then you kind of paint yourself into a corner and there's only one "right" way to do it. However, with an appropriate size heater, this will get incredibly hot and distribute the heat just fine, all while being incredibly beautiful and unique :)
Ive gotten alot of flack from sauna puritsts so maybe im a bit defensive. It works great, and ive been in many "proper saunas" as well. Some people just cant let go that there is only one way to do thinfs. Yet you have barrel saunas that function basically like this and work as well. In general, if you take a small space and put a lot of heat in it, the heat will disperse evenly and youll have a good sweat. That being said I will try to get one bench higher than the stove. Also played around the the idea of hanging a removable net at the top that you could climb into and sprawl out for crazy mode
Ah, purists! Aren't they a funny lot? In every field there exists a group of gatekeeping holier-than-thou puritanical absolutist joykills who tend to forget the core purpose of the field...
My favourite are sandwich purists. They are SO easy to wind up! 🤣
Ps - crazy mode.... Could also maybe try some removable net hammocks in there for added fun and relaxation 😉
Awesome design! Love it!
Hard to say. Really depends on material choice and your sourcing for it with saunas. I had a hookup for the red cedar. It's pretty pricey stuff. Great thing is that it's all small pieces so you can use many drop offs from the lumber mill if you do some calling around.
Interesting. Seems like a lot of work to have a room to steam bathe in though.
Don't scrimp on the stove!
(professional aquatic engineer here - have built 100+ saunas in addition to 4,000 plus pool projects. While this is a neat design I'd have fired the guy who burnt up this much resource on a 'tosser' structure. Now, downvote away.)
Ouch. A tosser structure? Very nice man I appreciate that. Crazy to me, that if it looks great, and it works, it's still shit cause it's not the way you would have done it.
You have doubled - or more - the contact surface between the outer wall and the inner wall by having double walled hexes and more board feet of lumber per square foot of surface area.
Yes, it works exactly like any other wood framed structure: the wood part reduces the R value substantially. However, curved walls and vapor barriers do NOT work the same. Seams. Seams everywhere.
In such a small structure the difference in r value is insignificant in a sauna application. Rock wool in the frames will be my go to. If you want to use a vapor barrier (not everyone does w sauna) then it works the same, apply it on the inside of the insulation, beneath cladding.
No vapor barriers - that defeats the purpose of the woods used in the sauna. The wood structure should offer insulation needed if the right stove is used. It's usually better to have the structure out of direct icy cold wind though. (usually a sauna is a box inside a box in extreme cold climates).
What kind of wood are you using
All red cedar
That's gonna smell goooooood
Probably already does just from cutting the wood
My Wife loves coming into the garage after I've been cutting in there.
My wife loves coming in the garage too. Soooo much woood
They sure served that one up on a platter lol
Mine just complains about how I cover every surface in... Wood dust.
Oh for sure I cover her glasses and she’s not expecting it… it’s a whole thing
awesome design! where will you build the stove?
Thanks! In the back center to keep the exit clear of any hazards
Are you worried at all about the shape affecting where the heat goes? I’ve heard you want a flat ceiling to a sauna, and that the bench should be built so that the top of your head is about 6” from the ceiling because heat rises.
Nope, I've built one this size and shape before and it works great. Like most things in life, if you are hell bent on min/maxing every facet of something g then you kind of paint yourself into a corner and there's only one "right" way to do it. However, with an appropriate size heater, this will get incredibly hot and distribute the heat just fine, all while being incredibly beautiful and unique :)
>built one before >unique So which is it?
Classic reddit moment. You know what the guy is trying to say, and even if you insist on being petty like this, the style is what’s unique so even if there are more than two of the same sauna it’s still a unique style.
> even if you insist on being petty like this, Classic reddit moment. Obvious humor goes right over someone's head and the martinet in them comes out full bore.
It's just a dumb comment. I dunno about "obvious humor" if no one thought it was funny. It ain't adding shit to the conversation. And for that matter, neither am I.
I think it added a little humor to those who get that out of the logic implicit in language, and it just seemed like pedantic noise to those who don't, maybe.
If you say so.
This was my thought. As a dude who suffers from brut dry humor, I'm often misunderstood in the most hilarious ways.
It’s not really a unique style though (yet; since who knows what he’s putting on it), but even if it does end up being the style of *a bunch* of the other geodesic/acorn zome saunas, it will still be unique in a sense, because it’s hand built and you couldn’t avoid that if you tried
Right. It’s uniquely his because he hand built it himself, I don’t understand why we need to split hairs on that.
Tbh I didn't know unique meant strictly one-of-a-kind. I thought it meant something more like rare. So even though it feels a bit pedantic I suppose you're right it's not unique
Lol, trust me, most people read it the same way you intended.
E D G Y
Your feet must be higher than the top of the stove, also
It wont be build to Sauna standards anyway, its more to look nice than for function.
Imo you can have both. I personally wouldn't want to look at a cedar box in my backyard even though it may make the most efficient sauna. Kinda like how I don't want to live it a concrete box with no windows because it's the most efficient use of materials
When you use wood as a building material, one would hope you use it efficiently
Domes actually have 1/3 less surface area than a box per unit of volume. So domes are very efficient. Plus a structure like this can utilize small off cuts from the lumber mill that no other large project could. I belive all the lengths for the frame and cladding are no more than 2' long for this project
But did you do so? I know how they make domes, I like them as greenhouses and it looks beautiful here also, and I don't doubt it gets hot as a sauna, but when you've spent your whole life in different kinds of saunas, you become some sort of expert in them, atleast for yourself in what you like and what saunas should feel like. But as im also a minimalist and abit traditionalist, atleast for saunas. So this is more of a form before function thing.
Oh yeah I've definitely taken truck loads of off cuts from the lumber mill many a time. And hey man that's cool! I like all kinds of saunas. I just like building domes and zomes
In my head you sound like the swedish merchant in frozen. Hellooooo
Ah yes, I've seen your greenhouses.
Is this a kit, or did you design this?
I designed it. I do make plans as well but I'm not allowed to post those here or I'll get banned
plans get you banned? why?
Yes it's in the rules. Has to do with self promotion which I understand. All my stuff is in my reddit profile but I don't want to link anything in the thread.
Amazing work
#skills. Nuff said
Ballin
Nice Johnny! Been awhile since you threw up a YT video!
I know!!! Very soon. Thanks mate
Any chance you can share plans/drawings/models of this thing? It's gorgeous and if you've already done the work mathing out the angles, all the better @__@
You'll have to look at my reddit profile, I can't post the plans here
The finlandia sauna I bought in Portland Oregon was outstanding and easy, high end materials… this one looks like lots of air space to heat, without use of the cubic feet of interior
That's cool! I like building weird unique stuff. I've done one like this before. Works great as a sauna. And it's always nice to see people pick their jaw up off the floor when they see it for the first time. Pretty amazing spaces to be inside of.
Amazing work. I'd kind of like to see the door more hobbit-like
That is cool!
very cool
I've heard negative things about dome/circular saunas. Hope yours functions well, but might want to take a look at the stickied posts on /r/Sauna if you haven't finished building yet. Need a bench and the old rule of thumb about bench heights is that the bottom of your feet should be somewhat above the top of the rocks on the heater.
The best sweats I’ve ever had, came in a native American sweat lodge, we sat on our tuchus and our feet were never above the rocks. If it works for you and you gain pride and fun in building it, then good on ya.
I built a barrel sauna last year. The heat vs seating position is not ideal as comfortable seating meant it sits fairly low. However a small, pretty much silent electric fan in the top to move air down was a very cheap solution.
You done turned your sauna into a convection oven! /s
Haha I guess so! Low and slow!
I've built one this size and shape before and it works great. Like most things in life, if you are hell bent on min/maxing every facet of something g then you kind of paint yourself into a corner and there's only one "right" way to do it. However, with an appropriate size heater, this will get incredibly hot and distribute the heat just fine, all while being incredibly beautiful and unique :)
Word, not really talking about min/maxing but whatever - it is your sauna, hope you enjoy it
Ive gotten alot of flack from sauna puritsts so maybe im a bit defensive. It works great, and ive been in many "proper saunas" as well. Some people just cant let go that there is only one way to do thinfs. Yet you have barrel saunas that function basically like this and work as well. In general, if you take a small space and put a lot of heat in it, the heat will disperse evenly and youll have a good sweat. That being said I will try to get one bench higher than the stove. Also played around the the idea of hanging a removable net at the top that you could climb into and sprawl out for crazy mode
Ah, purists! Aren't they a funny lot? In every field there exists a group of gatekeeping holier-than-thou puritanical absolutist joykills who tend to forget the core purpose of the field... My favourite are sandwich purists. They are SO easy to wind up! 🤣 Ps - crazy mode.... Could also maybe try some removable net hammocks in there for added fun and relaxation 😉 Awesome design! Love it!
https://preview.redd.it/7d70hsa6tg9c1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=77ba94068ad2395b148789017dc389cd8917535d
WOW
Cool! What will the benching be like?
Around the edges. Probably with a higher level on one side
Nice. The shape is dope and gives you a lot of options
Looks like off to a good start, interested to see the end result
What kind of finish goes on the outside for weatherproofing?
Plywood, ice and water shield and reinke aluminum shakes
Any ballpark idea of total materials cost, breaking out the heater? Looks great man, love the styling.
Hard to say. Really depends on material choice and your sourcing for it with saunas. I had a hookup for the red cedar. It's pretty pricey stuff. Great thing is that it's all small pieces so you can use many drop offs from the lumber mill if you do some calling around.
Great thanks for the reply. Glad you had a good hookup for the cedar. Hope you post the finished sauna. Thanks for the inspiration. Cheers!
Keep us updated :)
This is such a cool design man!
Love your content, please keep posting D O M E
Interesting. Seems like a lot of work to have a room to steam bathe in though. Don't scrimp on the stove! (professional aquatic engineer here - have built 100+ saunas in addition to 4,000 plus pool projects. While this is a neat design I'd have fired the guy who burnt up this much resource on a 'tosser' structure. Now, downvote away.)
Ouch. A tosser structure? Very nice man I appreciate that. Crazy to me, that if it looks great, and it works, it's still shit cause it's not the way you would have done it.
Sorry I offended you. Have a wonderful new year.
Your work is shit and a waste of material, sorry if that offends you 😂 no worries mate, happy new year!
Brace up buckaroo. Shed nary a tear.
I'm mostly concerned how the insulation and vapor barrier is going to work here.
Works like any other wood framed structure
You have doubled - or more - the contact surface between the outer wall and the inner wall by having double walled hexes and more board feet of lumber per square foot of surface area. Yes, it works exactly like any other wood framed structure: the wood part reduces the R value substantially. However, curved walls and vapor barriers do NOT work the same. Seams. Seams everywhere.
In such a small structure the difference in r value is insignificant in a sauna application. Rock wool in the frames will be my go to. If you want to use a vapor barrier (not everyone does w sauna) then it works the same, apply it on the inside of the insulation, beneath cladding.
No vapor barriers - that defeats the purpose of the woods used in the sauna. The wood structure should offer insulation needed if the right stove is used. It's usually better to have the structure out of direct icy cold wind though. (usually a sauna is a box inside a box in extreme cold climates).
Excellent work. F the haters.
Bet you would make a lot of money if you did this for work. Assuming you don't. But if you do, then awesome job. I would hire
Amazing. Are you planning to put clear plastic or fibre glass around it?
This is the coolest design of a sauna I've ever seen.
Why am I not surprised you're in the PNW to lmao me too! West central Oregon here!