[Cob] converting a log home

[Raduazo at aol.com]

      Regarding log cabins, earth plaster can be used either for chinking 
spaces between logs or for plastering walls. If the inside wall is very smooth 
(so that earth plaster will not adhere to the surface) you can cover the wall 
with lath strips nailed on to the wall. Traditional earth plaster is made with 
dung from some grass eating animal like cows or horses and clay. I used horse 
manure and clay on my cob and lath walls and they came out well, however many 
North Americans do not like dung. For my wattle and daub birdhouse classes I 
find that paper is superior to dung in many ways, Paper gives you a finer finish 
and if you can get shredded white paper the color of the plaster is much 
brighter. 
            The main problem with paper is turning it into pulp before you 
add the clay. If I am making a small quantity (20 gallons) I put the paper into 
a cut-in-half 55 gallon drum to soak for a couple of days, Then I get into the 
drum and dance it into pulp. At first the paper will squash down to the 
bottom of the barrel, but tear it up off the bottom and mash it down again. Soon 
you will find that your feet pass through the paper to the bottom of the barrel. 
It is now ready for screened clay. Note if your thinnest layer of plaster is 
1/2 inch thick then your largest piece of aggregate must be 1/4 inch. This 
prevents the trowel from picking up pieces of aggregate and streaking your 
finish. 
     Earth plaster is superior to paper crete in that there is no time limit 
for applying your plaster. If you do not finish today add water and finish 
tomorrow. Borax is nice if you are worried about termites.
     If you need to make very large quantities of plaster you can dig a 
shallow pit and soak the paper in the pit for a few days then use a front tine 
rototiller to pulp the paper and mix it with clay. You might have to tear the wet 
news papers into strips before you hit it with the tiller.
     With different amounts of clay and you can make plaster or fire 
retardant insulation from this material. If you add this to rock dust you can make a 
floor material. The recipe depends on your clay. Insulation is mostly paper 
pulp. Plaster may be one part pulp to one part clay, but that depends on your 
clay try different formulas. Flooring material is mostly rock dust with a little 
plaster added to bond it together. You must be both a the scientist who 
determines the best recipe and the engineer who figures out how to make 100 gallons 
of stuff and get it up on the wall.
Ed


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