Cob mini bale alternative

[bufflocp at telusplanet.net]

Hello, Pearl:
I'd be happy to correspond with you regarding my stackwall building
experiences if you like, but I think we should do it directly rather than
in a "Cob" discussion group. My email address is
<bufflocp at mail.telusplanet.net>
 As for your question regarding curing time for Cob walls: I probably rank
at or near the bottom of any list of people who are qualified to answer
that for you. I'm a newbe too. 

Now:  Cordwood for a stackwall home is best cut in winter when the sap is
down in order to reduce curing time to a minimum. Even at that, a full year
of drying is best. Some impatient builders will, however, start sooner and
just live with the shrinkage. Calking around logs will be necessary anyway
as even well-cured wood will take on a little moisture from the mortar,
then shrink back with time.

And: Pine makes excellent wood for a stackwall building. Actually, any
well-cured wood will do very well. If you'd rather not deplete your
personal woodlot, there may be scrap long-ends and odd-shaped pieces
available somewhere in your vicinity (one of my resources was timber that
had been downed as a result of oil exploration; some other had been
fire-killed).
           Ron


At 02:39 PM 3/12/98 EST, you asked:
>
>* How long does cob have to cure before you can move in? I've read up to a
>year - is this true?
>
>* How long does the wood have to dry for cordwood before you can use it in
the
>walls?
>
>* Can you use pine for cordwood?
>
>Thanks a bunch,
>
>Pearl
>http://members.aol.com/frugally4u
>
>