Cob Fibre

[vtrac]

>Can anyone help?
>
> We are just getting to the stage of beginning our first little cob
>project and are lucky enough to have good sources of clay and sand on
>site. However with our fibre content we are not sure of this stuff that
>we have here in New Zealand that we call hay(long cut and dried summer
>grass used for cattle tucker) is any good. People have mentioned
>everything from saw dust to pine needles. How far can we push this as in
>regards to long term suviability?
>
>Otherwise cob seems like a greatly beneficial time all round.
>Invitations are going out for a summer camp'n'cob so anyone in the
>vicinity of NZ Dec/Jan and wants to cob by the river send a note.
>
>david paterson

I'm not sure if if what you call hay in New Zealand is the same as the
stuff we call hay here in Canada. If so, hay is the feed for cattle. It is
principally organic and will quickly decompose and loose its structural
quality. The preferred material we are using is wheat or oat straw, the
stalks or by-product of the grain. Straw has a much higher mineral content
giving it the strength to stand up in the wind. With its mineral content,
along with cellulose, silica and lignin it will not rot as fast. Hay can be
used if that is all you have. The stalks of other wild grasses may also
work well. Barley, rye and rice straw works well. Also look for straw or
grasses with hollow stems  in which air increases insulation.

Good luck,

Ian Marcuse