Stucco and earth plaster.

[patrick newberry]

I was putting stucco on the outside of a straw structure today and well its
going on slow but sure.
Anyway (yes this is about Cob)
In order to be economical and such I used one of the receipes for earth plaster
Natural Plaster (from Robert  LaPorte's Moose prints)

Rough coat:
                         1 part creamy clay slip (from site or mixed water
and clay)
                         2 parts medium sand
                        1/2 part fiber (chopped straw)


Finish coat
                        1 part creamy clay slip (etc)
                        2parts medium sand
                        1/2 - 1 % oil or eggs (by volume)
                        fiber optional

well I started on the intererior wall with (rough coat only) and it was
great to work with. I Mean it applied much easier than the comercial
mason/stucco mix I used for the outside. I realized that this was only a
little different from cob. I mean cob is 20 to 30 percent clay and the rest
sand with straw for fiber.
Right.
I really enjoyed working with it. 
I could see where some rubber gloves might be usefull for longer work times
and to prevent wrinkled hands.

The  sand I used in from our road. it's very sandy here and the road gets
plowed every so often. It's very easy to dig and free from most organic
material. It has some (i mean only very little) dirt (loam) mixed in with
it. I have enouph of it to make several buildings.

I was looking at lime plasters in "the strawbale book" 
and it was (summerized)

Lime water  (2 to 3 percent lime)
1/3 shovel of type -N lime
  mix with a 55 gallon drum of water.


Lime putty
5 bags type-N lime in a 55 gallon drum of water.
Soak as long as possible 
The longer it sets the more plastic it becomes
(I'd say a week to 10 days are minimume)


Basic lime plaster
first coat
5 parts sand
1 part lime putty
Wet walls with lime water first
(impoves the bond)


Second coat.
3 parts sand
1 part lime putty
(can be applied almost  immediately)

 third coat
1 1/2 parts sand
1 part lime putty



Well I went to a store to find this type-n lime
all I find is some in the garden shop to be used on one's garden.
Is this the right stuff?
If not where should I look.
I did find some type-n cement. 
So any way I got some garden lime 
and type-n cement, what ever type-n means.


Cob requires more patience but is a much more relaxed way to build.