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Kiko Denzer on Art


[nbc] Re: Cob: bicycle powered cob mixer

P. Ferbel pferbel at yahoo.com
Mon Mar 18 10:00:51 CST 2002 

Hello Everyone: I think what was not explicit in
Brian's inquiry was that the reason to make a bicycle
powered mixer has to do with mixing cob in the colder
April, May months when feet literally get too cold to
mix by foot. Mixing by shovel on a tarp, especially
with wet clayey earth, is time and labor intensive. So
if you wanted to mix cob in these months and not use
electricity or gas, how could it be done most
efficiently?

Keep on, Brian, when you figure it out lets get it
hooked up to our washing machines!

Pedro  




--- "Michele H. Brooks" <brookdancer at hotmail.com>
wrote:

<HR>
<html><div style='background-color:'><DIV>
<P>I see Brian's curiosity about mixing cob with a
bicycle as neither the result of a "problem" nor as a
result of an "unfortunate" lack of knowledge. 
This list is about exploring possibility, answering
questions, building community and shared
knowledge.  If folks don't know if something is
possible in this realm, where else can they ask?</P>
<P>Michele Brooks<BR></P></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>From: Ocean <OCEAN at PEACEMAKING.ORG>
<DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: Ocean <OCEAN at PEACEMAKING.ORG>
<DIV></DIV>>To: "j. gann" <JMYGANN at YAHOO.COM>,
<BUFFALOKILLER at HOTMAIL.COM>, <COBLIST at DEATECH.COM>,
<NBC at LISTS.RISEUP.NET>
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: Cob: bicycle powered cob
mixer 
<DIV></DIV>>Date: Sat, 16 Mar 2002 00:22:01 -0800 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>>The proposed "bicycle powered cob
(cement) mixer" is an example of the lack 
<DIV></DIV>>of realistic info being blended with a
supposed environmental solution...to 
<DIV></DIV>>a problem that doesn't exist! 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>>I think the problem arose from the fact
that the folks who are organizing 
<DIV></DIV>>the Natural Building Convergence this
May in Portland are planning to do 
<DIV></DIV>>four different cob projects, and intend
from the start to use cement mixers 
<DIV></DIV>>to mix the cob. 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>>Brian, I must say it is unfortunate
that you don't seem to know that cob is 
<DIV></DIV>>best mixed by human power to begin
with...not a bicycle-powered mixer (which 
<DIV></DIV>>even if you could build--I agree with
your reservations--you'd never get the 
<DIV></DIV>>thing turning the heavy mix that cob
is)...but with our own two FEET!!! 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>>Ianto and Linda are big on emphasizing
that THE FEET are the only way to mix 
<DIV></DIV>>cob, so much so that folks seem to
"rebel" a bit and go whole hog out the 
<DIV></DIV>>other way, and mix with as big a
tractor as possible. We in fact use a 
<DIV></DIV>>tractor to mix cob at the restaurant
(http://www.intabas.com), and up at the 
<DIV></DIV>>Garden Kiva
(http://www.peacemaking.org) 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>>The reason to mix with a machine is
lack of human power (not enough FEET) 
<DIV></DIV>>and a time constraint. Cement mixers
aren't very useful anyway, since to 
<DIV></DIV>>mix well one must first puree the clay
in 50 gallon buckets with a half-inch 
<DIV></DIV>>drill and a drywall mixer paddle. But
if you don't have time and you do 
<DIV></DIV>>have the machinery, cob can be machine
mixed. It only uses a little 
<DIV></DIV>>electricity, so I wouldn't worry about
trying to save the environment by 
<DIV></DIV>>hooking up a bicycle to the
contraption. 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>>No, if you want to "go green" and mix
cob by human power, please just take 
<DIV></DIV>>off your shoes and stomp it, the good,
old-fashioned, "Cob Cottage" way. 
<DIV></DIV>>Ianto and Linda will be proud of you! 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>>Ocean 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>>on 3/15/02 9:13 PM, j. gann at
jmygann at yahoo.com wrote: 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>> > I'm not sure that cob is mixed in
a mixer. The little 
<DIV></DIV>> > I did, I mixed in a wheelbarrow
by hand. Seemed too 
<DIV></DIV>> > thick for a mixer. If mixed with
hands and feet why 
<DIV></DIV>> > add a bicycle. 
<DIV></DIV>> > 
<DIV></DIV>> > 
<DIV></DIV>> > --- brian besold
<BUFFALOKILLER at HOTMAIL.COM>wrote: 
<DIV></DIV>> >> Hello. The following message
was received by 
<DIV></DIV>> >> Michelle Brooks, who
suggested 
<DIV></DIV>> >> that I foward it to this
address for potential ideas 
<DIV></DIV>> >> with my project. Thanks 
<DIV></DIV>> >> in advance for anything,
Brian. 
<DIV></DIV>> >> 
<DIV></DIV>> >> 
<DIV></DIV>> >> I'm interested in building a
bicycle-powered cob 
<DIV></DIV>> >> mixer. I have some ideas, 
<DIV></DIV>> >> but without having ever
worked with cob, there are 
<DIV></DIV>> >> things that I need to ask 
<DIV></DIV>> >> some of you who have worked
with cob. I'll explain 
<DIV></DIV>> >> my ideas so far. These 
<DIV></DIV>> >> are based on the use of a
cement mixer, but I'm also 
<DIV></DIV>> >> wondering if a cement 
<DIV></DIV>> >> mixer, since it's so heavy to
begin with, is the 
<DIV></DIV>> >> best container to use. 
<DIV></DIV>> >> Initially, I thought I'd use
the drive-train from 
<DIV></DIV>> >> the bike- connect it to 
<DIV></DIV>> >> the gear on the mixer and
it's done. The problem 
<DIV></DIV>> >> comes when it's time to 
<DIV></DIV>> >> dump the mix. Either the
drive-train on the bike has 
<DIV></DIV>> >> to disconnect or the 
<DIV></DIV>> >> bike has to dump with the
mixer. As fussy as I've 
<DIV></DIV>> >> found home-made chain and 
<DIV></DIV>> >> gear driven toys to be, I
don't think this is the 
<DIV></DIV>> >> best design. A simple 
<DIV></DIV>> >> friction drive where the
mixer rests on the back 
<DIV></DIV>> >> wheel of the bike might 
<DIV></DIV>> >> work though. The back of the
bike will be mounted on 
<DIV></DIV>> >> a stand lifting the 
<DIV></DIV>> >> back wheel off of the ground,
and be completely 
<DIV></DIV>> >> independent of the mixer. 
<DIV></DIV>> >> I'm wondering if mixing the
cob will even be 
<DIV></DIV>> >> possible though. Will it be
too 
<DIV></DIV>> >> heavy to get the mixer
rotating? Can anyone tell me 
<DIV></DIV>> >> where I might be able 
<DIV></DIV>> >> to get an old cement
mixer(w/out a motor) to play 
<DIV></DIV>> >> with? 
<DIV></DIV>> >> 
<DIV></DIV>> >> 
<DIV></DIV>> >> 
<DIV></DIV>> >> 
<DIV></DIV>> >
_________________________________________________________________

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<DIV></DIV>> >> 
<DIV></DIV>> > 
<DIV></DIV>> > 
<DIV></DIV>> >
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=====
"If there is no struggle there is no progress.  Those who profess to
favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, want crops without plowing the
ground.  They want rain without thunder and lightning.  They want the
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but it must be a struggle.  Power concedes nothing without a demand.  It
never did and it never will."  -- Frederick Douglass

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