Cob: Re: Cob Machine

[SANCO Enterprises <Paul & Mary Salas>]

jeanne keevan-lynch wrote:

> > The solution in my opinion is for someone to devise a machine which will
> prepare the raw materials, mix the cob, and place it ON the >wall.  When this  is
> done, then we will be very close to providing to folks such as you the means to
> build with cob at a low cost amidst the >demands of everday life.

> Will machine-applied cob give us the sculpted-house look of current cob design?
> What benefit would there be in building with machine-applied cob rather than
> rammed earth?  Wouldn't you need forms to apply the cob to?

The machine I designed and constructed does all of those things you mentioned and
much more. The machine mixes and pumps the earthen material out of a 2" hose.  The
process is identical to conventional cob only you don't have to handle the material
unless you want to.  There are no forms of any kind.  The material comes out of the
hose similar to a long continuous sausage.  You have to mold and shape the material
as you build.  There is no comparison to rammed earth in this process.

As for energy efficiency and resource utilization, I would rather consume 2.2 gals
of diesel during an 8 hour day in the cob machine than have 5 or 6 volunteers each
drive their vehicle to the job site to accomplish only 1/50th the output that the
machine can produce. Mechanization is not for everyone and if you're a purist, then
hand mixing and hand application will prevail along with months/years of labor.  As
some have stated, how do you manage a full time job, family and all the other
things that come up and still be able to build an cob/earthen home in a reasonable
amount of time?

Paul Salas
SANCO ENterprises, LLC
Albuq., NM