Cob: where to get clay and straw

[Theodore Schluenderfritz]

Yes I did the jar test... it all looks the same black color...the bottom 
stuff has a recognizable grains, but looks much like the top layer. The 
top stuff is smooth, doesn't stick my fingers together if I squeeze it.

T

On Monday, April 15, 2002, at 12:43  AM, Darel Henman wrote:

> You mentioned mostly silt.  How much sand do you have?
>
> Did you do the jar test.   Put a sample of the soil in a jar, soak it
> well, stir it up and let it sit for a couple of hours or so and look at
> the strata.  Does anybody have the details of this test?   Anyway from
> what I remember the
> 	the top floating stuff is organic material that is not good for cob.
> 	top layer under water is the clay
> 	below this clay layer is silt
> 	below this layer is sand (of which there may be from lighter to heaver
> sand going down to the bottem of the jar.
>
> To get real technical you could then dry out the sample and way each of
> the layers for % content by weight.
>
> Darel
>
> Theodore Schluenderfritz wrote:
>>
>> gonna start on a small cob project this spring,
>>
>> tested my soil and it looks like it doesn't have any clay...mostly 
>> silt.
>>
>> any ideas where to get clay and straw?
>>
>> (sorry to be such a city kid, but that's what I am...Milk comes from 
>> the
>> grocery store...what's a cow?)
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Ted
>
>
Theodore Schluenderfritz
Illustration & Graphic Design
816 12th Avenue, Scranton, PA 18504
Phone:570.343.3767 FAX:775.307.1516