Cob: Jelly Roll Design-some feedback

[Charmaine R Taylor]

>>>>The first is costs....

Bob..the cost of adobe or cob is very little,  what are you referring
to? Only  people power is needed, with a small amount of tools.  Even
manual rammed earth can use  wooden form boards which can later be used
in the house as floors, ceiling, shelving, etc. Only the expensive
"Pise" system  (registered by D Easton) is costly.

Plastic is a bad idea for any cob or earth mix as it won't breathe or
dry out. Mold can grow in the rotting straw that is kept wet or damp.

>>>>"and a rebar "rolling pin". "

The idea of just and hemp or coir cloth is very good, and has been used
by Ken Kern back in the early 80s,   and is used now in Germany by Frank
Andresen ( a reel of clay-straw is wrapped around  wood stakes or poles,
dried  like big flat  "ice cream bars" and laid into ceilings AS the
ceiling) then plastered.

I have a 90' roll of coir ( coconut fiber woven like fabric- from a
landscap co.) that I have used to roll up sawdust clay lime/and paper
mixes.

Rolling up cob is cumbersome, and is very labor intensive so you aren't
saving on human energy, or community there.  The rolls of fiber unravel
when cut, so you have to deal with a "unraveled sweater" problem if
cutting short lengths.

A roll might be heavy and how is it lifted up to higher levels?  Plus
the COST of using fiber adds to the overall cost and adds a STEP to the
cob or RE process.
You could PRE  Shape & DRY  rolls on the ground or over a hooped arch,
to be lifted into place later, but only papercrete will be light enough
to handle.

Mike McCain went away from filling bags with papercrete becuase it took
more time to fill, tamp, dry, un wrap, et, so he pours a mix in a form
on the gorund, lets dry and cuts up "ie brownie blocks"

I'm not knocking the idea, but I see MORE labor involved, and cost, but
once you start making these logs please do keep us appraised of how it's
going.  You may find a faster better way to do what youhave designed in
the process!

Charmaine  Taylor/ Taylor Publishing
http://www.dirtcheapbuilder.com
http://www.papercrete.com
PO Box 375, Cutten CA 95534