Cob: Insulation

[Renewables at aol.com]

Shane,

Ash is a very good insulator, but only if kept dry.  It was one of the 
ingredients we used when making a portable rocket stove.  Kind of a Y2K 
camping stove made out of a 5 gallon pail with a 3 inch metal vent pipe (w/90 
degree elbow coming out).  Fill the pail with ashes and the vent pipe with 
small sticks and you have a snappy little camp stove that gets hot very fast 
and burns a surprising long time on a little scrap fuel.

As far as insulating your walls or ceiling, it would take a lot of it and it 
tends to smell real bad in enclosed quarters.  Most of mine ended up getting 
spread on the raised garden beds.  Others may have more practical ways to use 
it though.

Dave

In a message dated 7/7/99 11:45:14 PM Central Daylight Time, 
vanwey6 at bitterroot.net writes:

>  Does anyone know anymore about the ash used as insulation? I am getting
>  ready to burn quite afew cleanup piles and will have an abundance of the
>  stuff. I would love to investigate further building a cob home here in
>  SW Montana, but I am afraid of the lack of insulation value.
>  
>  Shane Van Wey