Cob: plasters/chopping straw

Thu Sep 6 13:26:35 CDT 2001

Steve Lewis Wrote:

>I am doing several adobe (call it cob for this crew!) plasters this 
>fall ( on two adobe houses and a straw-bale)  On one (or both) adobe 
>houses we need some chopped straw.   Does anyone have a good 
>technique for chopping?  A chain saw on the edge of a bale, did not, 
>surprisingly, yield much fine straw.
>

Steve,
I was just at a workshop where we needed chopped straw for plaster. 
We built a make shift box in a corner of the building with plywood 
and straw bales and then ran a lawn mower over straw in the box. Put 
a piece of plywood on the bottom too. You have to keep pushing the 
straw under the lawn mower to get it fine enough. It's not easy, but 
it works. Good luck.

Jeanne
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<div>Steve Lewis Wrote:</div>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Trebuchet MS" size="-1">I am
doing several adobe (call it cob for this crew!) plasters this
fall ( on two adobe houses and a straw-bale)  On one (or
both) adobe houses we need some chopped straw.   Does anyone
have a good technique for chopping?  A chain saw on the edge of a
bale, did not, surprisingly, yield much fine
straw.</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Trebuchet MS"
size="-1"> </font></blockquote>
<div><br></div>
<div>Steve,</div>
<div>I was just at a workshop where we needed chopped straw for
plaster. We built a make shift box in a corner of the building with
plywood and straw bales and then ran a lawn mower over straw in the
box. Put a piece of plywood on the bottom too. You have to keep
pushing the straw under the lawn mower to get it fine enough. It's not
easy, but it works. Good luck.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Jeanne</div>
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