Cob Yoda's cob house

[Vernon B. Johnston]

Will Firstbrook wrote:
>
>Next July were starting our adventure into building with Cob we
>purchased 9.26 acres in the Salmon Arm area in the BC interior. house

    Congratulations - Your adventure will only get better & better!!!

>And I don't think I could corbel cob to the center top of
>the room

    In my experience corbelling a cob dome was a very unique adventure.
Once the cob wall reached the 3 to 4 foot high level and the curve was
really beginning to turn inward I had to use a modified waddle and daub
process in order for me to complete the dome.  I drove or shoved sharpened
tree branches into my wall to help support the wall as it gained heighth.
    With each bit of gain in heighth it became very apparent that I would
require even more support if I was to keep my 10' inside diameter
sweat/suana dome from rising too tall.  Criss-crossing the branches allowed
me to finish, even in the wet cold weather we have been having in
Washington. I finished just yesterday and what a good feeling that was!!!
And the look...  the look and feel inside made it worth the effort.
    Another thing that I recommend is if you are considering your floor to
be a cob floor, then put the first layer or two in before you start your
walls.  It was very nice to be able to work on the cob subfloor while I was
constructing the sweat/suana.  Plus it was curing while I was working on the
walls.  I will do the same for the home we are building.

Again...Congratulations!!!  Sincerely,

Vernon vajohnston at nas.com

ps: How far north of the  U. S. border is Salmon Arm?