Cob Farmer's Bulletin #1500 on Weatherproofing Earth

[Jack C. Thompson]

I've taken the liberty of cutting out big chunks of Paul Salas' posting to
comment on a few items.

(snip)
>casesin (lactic) is produced by acidifying good
>quality skimmed milk which causes the casein to precipitate.

Only modern casein is manufactured with acid; you can still make it in the
old way by adding lime to cottage cheese.  Use fresh.  Joined wooden panels
from the Middle Ages and furniture from ancient Egypt are still holding up,
when casein was the adhesive.

(snip)

>table salt- sodium, natural mineral; unknown if harmful
>rock salt- sodium, natural mineral; unknown if harmful

Common salt, whether table or rock, is sodium chloride; sodium and chloride
are each harmful; combined it is not a harmful compound, unless used to
excess.

>ground rice -common food, unknown if harmful

If it's been used for food for millenia, it is probably alright....

>Spanish whiting -ordinary food fish found in the Atlantic Ocean (fresh not
>>recommended immediate application; use in powdered form for whitewash)

Whiting is also chalk; calcium carbonate.  I suspect that chalk, not fish
is intended here.

>white glue -made from animal bones or fish (scotch glue); traditional glue
>of >furniture makers

White glues are modern synthetic adhesives; PVA's (poly vinyl acetate).
The traditional glues of furniture makers was hide glue or bone glue;
collagen.

>molasses -common food, unknown if harmful

See "ground rice" above.

>alum -used in food canning as a crisping agent; pickles for example

This one is trickier.  There are many chemicals which are called alum.
This recipe may call for potassium, ammonium, or aluminum sulfate.  Or
another one.

>flour paste -common food, unknown if harmful

See "ground rice" above.

Jack


Jack C. Thompson
Thompson Conservation Laboratory
7549 N. Fenwick
Portland, OR  97217

http://www.teleport.com/~tcl

503/735-3942  (voice/fax)