Cob: wattle & daub workshop leader

[Darel Henman]

Jamei Tierney wrote:
> 
> > Havest bamboo from mid October to November when bamboo doesn't have as
> > much starch content in the culms.
> 
> About the only bamboo harvestable on the island at this point is bambusa
> vulgaris.  It's not the greatest species for building, and the bugs tend
> to attack it.  Are you sure that the time window you stated for optimal
> harvesting is true for all bamboo species in all locations?

You'd just be using it for the wattle. Would it be good enough for that?

I'm not a bamboo expert, but bamboo goes through cycles and the date I
gave you is for the bamboo
normally used in Japan.  For your local bamboo, ask you local bamboo
expert when the most nurishment, starch in a bamboo culm goes down into
the roots.  In America, mainland this is also the case. 

Granted you don't have much of a winter there in hawaii (I'm not
counting the top of a high volcanic mountian for skiing), but more
average elevations, but your bamboo should also go through the normal
bamboo cycles.  I sugguest you ask a local plant nursery for
verification.


> This would
> be very surprising to me.  I'd imagine it has something to do with the rainy season.
I'm sure a lot of things surprise you.  Like I said above, it should be
a seasonal process, so just verify the timing of the process.


> I understand that if a soil doesn't have clay in its composition, no
> amount of organic matter will make it work for plastering.  And I don't
> believe that true clay exists on these islands -- but I'd be glad to be
> wrong!
Hopefully your wrong.   Last time I saw a pinapple plantation in Hawaii,
the soil wasn't all sand. 

Also, the last time I visited the Okinawa area islands, they had sources
of clay.  The Hawaiian islands are a similary made chain of islands
(volcanic), so at some level at some location there should be a soil
suitable for a really nice wall.   Maybe you could learn some more by
asking a veteran pottery maker.  Preferrable someone who likes to go
clay hunting locally, if you have such over there.  "Lua-palolo"  means
pit-of-sticky-clay, so if they have a word for it,.... it should exist. 
Question is, is it accessable to you

good searching,
  Darel