Cob: Rice Straw

[John Fordice]

Rosemary,
I see no reason or particular advantage to  soaking the straw.  Normally we
use the straw dry & it has a moderating effect on the mix - that is it soaks
up some of the water in the mix - there is an advantage to this, as it allows
a wetter mix in the beginning which is a bit easier to stomp the straw into.
I did make the mistake of using cheaper construction grade bales one time &
that straw was so hard & stiff that it was unpleasant / difficult to stomp
into the mix & also nasty to build with.  So in that case, we did wet the
straw prior to mixing & it did make it easier to use.

So I guess the answer is, if the Timor rice straw is like that from
California, then there is no need to soak it.  But if the straw there is hard,
stiff or otherwise difficult to use, soaking might be a help.

In other words, check it out & do what the situation demands.

john fordice



Rosemary Lyndall Wemm wrote:

> Would it help to soften the rice straw if it were soaked for a couple of
> days?  The villagers where I lived in Flores soak various leaves and stalks
> before weaving them.
>
> - Rosemary LYNDALL WEMM