cob planters RE: Cob and Earthships

[Renewables at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/26/99 4:31:37 PM Central Standard Time,
wfirstbr at wcb.bc.ca writes:

>  Hi Dave,
>  
>  I wonder about making the earthship style planter out of cob and then 
> coating it with multiple coats of linseed oil. This should water proof it 
> somewhat, like the earthen floors. After that a coat of waterproof plaster
or 
> some waterproof paint of some type.
>  
>  There was an earthship I toured through that used thin long burlap bags (6"
> diameter) filled with stabilized earth and pined to each other using rebar &
> barbed wire to create the planters. They then coated the sides of the
planter 
> with cement. They also did this with some of the interior walls as well, 
> although they used an adobe/cob plaster for the walls.
>  
>  Regards,
>  Will
  
That sounds like some pretty good ideas.  EPDM might be a choice also if it
can be folded and made to work around the baffles.

Right now I envision building the basic building and leaving a gravel bed
where the planters might go someday.  I seen some folks do that and never
getting around to making their planter, but just having lots of potted plants
in front of the windows.

I looked at some land last week in SW WI.  The owner is hopefully going to
start their straw bale construction their this summer.  They are thinking of
subdividing and are toying the sale of 3 -- 4 one to two acre lots with decent
southern exposure.  They're thinking of starting a mini eco community.  We
talked about expanding their home business and maybe even organic truck
farming on some other land they own.  If we decide to buy into this
opportunity, I'd like to build a small cob tool shed to start off with.  I was
afraid the land was going to be all sand, but ended up being almost all sand
and sandstone.  So it looks like I would be seeking out some near pure clay
soil locally not far away then.  At least floating slab foundations would work
well there provided that the sandy soil can be properly compacted under the
wall footings.  I don't know if I'd go with the rubble trench or compromise
for concrete footings (Rob Roy style).  The are quite a few real cool mini
sand stone bluffs all over the property, but no limestone or granite.
Limestone can easily be found in the same places the deep red clay comes from.
Hopefully the deep red clay will make good cob, but I will also be making a
test wall (part of a bigger future project) with it in various slightly
altered proportions to see how it works or doesn't.  Of course a good decent
cob workshop is in order for us one of these summers somewhere before all of
that happens.

Will, do you check your geo cities e-mail from time to time?  Just wondering.

Dave  (whose employer was just taken over last week in a merger & further
amplifying the urgency to get out of yuppie-ville).