[Cob] pine needle cob

[Amanda Peck]

I'm with Quinn on questioning pine needles in cob.  After all we used to 
sled and ski on them when I was a kid.  One goes very fast, next to no 
control.  In fact my dad broke his ankle quite badly showing me how to ski 
on pine needles.  My recollection is that they were two season's before's 
needle drop.  They're pretty waterproof, make nice baskets.

I've thought that dog hair would be better as as fiber in lime plaster, not 
as good as chopped mane and tail horsehair, or, depending on breed, chopped 
human.  But it would allow us to think that our dogs are helping with the 
house.  I'm putting clumps of Major hair into my lime barrels.
................
Quinn replies to Brad Calvert's report of pine needle (pinus species) cob:

I wonder how that cob would hold up to stress?  The reason I ask is because 
it seems to me that pine needles, even old ones, are inherently resinous, 
therefore water repellant.  And that that would make them cob-repellant at 
some intimate internal level.  Although maybe soaking them releases the oils 
and allows the oils to bind throughout the clay mix, making the cob stronger 
and somewhat more waterproof?

How's it holding up?  Anyone have any insights?

I'm thinking about dog hair as a binder, but maybe that's just because I'm 
being inundated by three dogs shedding in the newly warm weather.  
Seriously, has anyone used it?  Any thoughts?

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