Cob: RE:Mixers in general, was bicycle powered cob mixer

[Patrick Newberry]

 I've been using an old cement mixer for years to help in mixing my cob.

 It's electric but the princple remains the same. What I've found is
that 
 the mixer sucks at mixing cob, but excels at mixing mud. So what I do
is mix
the mud in the mix, dump the mud mix in a wheel barrel (so I don't have
to bend over)
the lay a (not too thick) layer of straw on top of the mud, mix some
"Loafs" of cob, 
with the top layer of mud and the straw. Lay the "loaf", or pass it to
someone else to 
lay. then repeat the process. By the time I get to the bottom of the
wheel barrel, 
there is enough straw in the mix that the laying of a layer of straw is
either not 
needed or only a small amount of staw. This method of mixing requires
very little in 
the way of phsyical strength and is easier on the back than other
methods I've tried. 


With a group, a couple of people can run the mixer, then with a few
wheel barrels, in line, 
the can be filled, mixed, and placed by different folks within that
group. 

Oh yea: the trouble with mixing the straw in the mixer is that it
catches on the fins in the mixer
and does not mix properly with the cob. 


Pat 
www.gypsyfarm.com