Cob: RE: more Cob and Labor (Day).

[John Schinnerer]

Aloha,

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Carter and Carol Cannon [mailto:cobcrew at sprynet.com]

I do have one example, actually - at a week-long cob workshop I was at, we
(all brand new to cobbing except for instructors Ianto and Elke) put up
about 2/3 of the wall height (including working with windows, door, gringo
blocks, niches, undoing and re-doing some mistakes, etc.) for an approx. 12'
x 18' single-story oval-shaped structure, wall base width about 18" - 20"
We were at times out-producing the drying rate of our previously placed cob
(not as much of a factor in TX as in the Pac. NW, I bet... ;-).  In some
climates, making cob "fast enough" is not really a problem 'cause it doesn't
firm up all that fast.

>What makes cob different from any other building process?  If I tried to
>frame a house for the first time, it would take me a long time - (which is
>why I hire carpenters).

Yeah, and then after the framing you'd have to sheetrock the inside, then
tape and finish the joints, and also sheathe the outside plus side or stucco
or shingle or whatever over the sheathing...etc. etc.  If one has never done
this for an entire house (even a small one), it's easy to be unaware how
much work it is and think that somehow it's less work than cobbing.  I've
done both...in most circumstances I'd rather cob.  It's not always less work
but it's usually more fun!

John Schinnerer