[Cob] traditional building, sort of

[Damon Howell]

I've been using the pitchfork to heave the cob onto the wall. After I  
throw several heaps up there I climb up on the wall and walk around  
on it, letting it splooge out the sides if it needs to. I go back a  
day or two and slap it down with a 2x4 to the shape it should be.  
This goes surprisingly fast. I don't work on it much though, so I  
have no idea how much I could put up in a day. I have really noticed  
how important the straw is while using the pitchfork. If there isn't  
enough straw the mix just slips through the tines. I haven't done the  
mixing with the cattle because I don't have any. I mixed a huge pile  
of cob with the bobcat in about 10 minutes, which would have taken me  
several days, and a lot of labor, to do by the tarp method. All you  
have to do is get the proportions right, so if it dries out a little  
too much, just wet it down and stomp on it to pack the clay together  
and it's ready to build with again!

Damon in Ga