[Cob] Coblist Digest, Vol 7, Issue 45

[Henry Raduazo]

I always chop the straw. Laying out the flakes on the ground and  
running a mower across them and raking up the chopped straw is quick  
and easy. The only caveat is you must wear a n-95 or better dust mask  
and eye protectors. I do not live in an earth quake area, and I  
figure that even when using finely chopped straw the finished  
structure is many times stronger than adobe, and the application and  
sculpting of cob with chopped straw is much easier than with whole  
straw. This is particularly true when doing windows or any complex  
cob shape. Note, for example, the windows shown to the left of  
"WINDOWS, WINDOWS!" in The Sculpted House book. The windows mullions  
were made with finely chopped straw and I can not imagine trying to  
form these windows with whole straw. It would have been nearly  
impossible.
Ed


On Mar 5, 2009, at 3:02 AM, Robert Alcock wrote:

>
>> Date: Tue, 3 Mar 2009 12:28:24 -0800 (PST)
>> From: Mitch Ventura <h_anpyp at yahoo.com>
>> Subject: [Cob] Rototillers
>> To: coblist at deatech.com
>> Message-ID: <893907.81988.qm at web36808.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>>
>> Although there is no argument on my part as to the benefits of  
>> speed with the rototiller, as?I live in a seismic area I would  
>> question having to "chop" straw when using mechanical devices as  
>> that would seem to detract a bit of srength from the final  
>> product. Not saying that a rototiller produces an inferior cob,  
>> but rather it could be limited to more stable environments. Please  
>> correct me if I am in error.
>> ?
>> Saludos.
>> ?
>> Mitch
>>
>>
>>
>>
> Mitch,
>
> I didn't chop the straw. The extra work of cleaning the straw from the
> tines every so often is not that onerous - compared to chopping it in
> the first place.
> I would have chopped it if it was mixing cob plaster for instance.
>
> Robert
>
>
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