Cob: Milk Paint, Lime Wash and Cob

[Rosemary Lyndall Wemm]

And for those who are interested the recipe for LIME WASH is:

1.  5 parts co2 [hydrated lime] + 1 part salt + skimmed milk [to full cream
milk consistency]
Daub on in several thin coats.

Which led me to recipes for MILK PAINT.  Here are a few of them:

1. 1 part skimmed milk powder + 1 part dry pigment + 2 parts h2o
2. 1 part skimmed milk powder + 1 part h2o + powdered paint pigment [until
desired colour is reached]
3. 1 part lime [co2] + 12 parts skimmed milk + pigment
4. co2 [=hydrated lime] + h2o [to thick paste] + skimmed milk [to paint
consistency] + pigments
5. 240g gypsum [=plaster of paris] + 30g co2 + 1.5 cups skimmed milk +
pigments.
Mix skimmed milk with the lime, add gypsum and pigment.  Leave to sit for an
hour until it stops bubbling.
Stain the lumps through muslin cloth. [I wouldn't know a "muslin" cloth if I
saw one.  Will any open weave cloth do?]
When painting stir every five minutes to prevent solid ingredients settling.

I think I saw a milk paint recipe with egg in it some time ago, but I can't
find it now.  Does anyone know of it?

Of course, if you're lazy you can always get these products commercially
through Porters Paints, an Australian firm based in Sydney: they advertise
on the Web.

How are these concoctions likely to fare on cob walls?  Will they breathe?

Since the paint is marked by water it is recommended that it be finished
with linseed or Danish oil.  [What is Danish oil?]
[Does anyone know of a recipe for home-made linseed oil? I doubt if the
commercial variety will be easily available in East Timor.  My best guess is
to crush flax seeds, boil and skim off the oil.]


- Rosemary

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Rosemary LYNDALL WEMM,
 B.A.(Hons), M.A.(Neuropsych.), B.Mus.(Inst.), T.S.T.C.,etc.   _--_|\
 Clinical Neuro-psychologist                             Perth/      \
 Perth, Western Australia    lyndall at neurognostics.com.au  -->\_.--._/
 ------------------- http://www.neurognostics.com.au ---------------v-