Cob: cob mix

[lightearth at onebox.com]

Hey Natalie,

>From my experience of trying 'test' mixes it sounds like you have real clay. The only disintegrating stuff I've run into is silt soil that crumbled when made into bricks. I  would make your test bricks thicker AND put in alot of straw fiber, well mixed in, as that may be a big key to the strength.....

Keep truckin

Marlin Nissen

-- 
     Marlin Nissen
   - Outta The Box-
  lightearth at onebox.com
(608) 213-9405  Cell/voicemail




-----Original Message-----
From:     "Espresso Leopard, Betty's Bay" <espresso.leopard at telkomsa.net>
Sent:     Thu, 7 Nov 2002 20:27:06 +0200
To:       <coblist at deatech.com>
Subject:  Cob: cob mix

Hi
I am starting a small cob project. I have to mix builders sand and clay as I don't have clay soil. The clay is grey in colour and dry and in hard lumps. I have soaked the clay in some water until it is mush then mixed it in differing quantities with the sand without adding more water. I made small bricks about 1inch thick. Once dry they are very brittle and break easily. Would you say this is the mix, or the clay, or are the bricks to thin or is that how they should be? I did a 1clay to 5 sand and 1to 4 and 1to 3.
Please help
Natalie