Cob: Cob, starting to build

[Amanda Peck]

Bulldozer guy came through with a little road down the hill, where I'm 
planning to put a small car-port-like barn with an even smaller building 
which could be used as an office, guest house, storage inside it.  And I've 
got someone to help, a log cabin restorer, just at the moment at loose ends. 
  Bulldozer guy also regraded my driveway--badly needed, but I'm carrying 
clean shoes to the car when I leave for a while.  As if I needed reminding 
that the local chert has a high percentage of clay in it--removing the worst 
of the the stones, adding a bit of sand and there's the cob mix.

Since the bulldozer guy took down a bunch of trees on his errand, we're 
currently planning for the little office/cabin/storage to be made of 
vertical logs on top of a rubble trench foundation and a layer of blocks 
with metal flashing to (help) deter the termites.  Somebody mentioned that a 
while back with a question of how to insulate.  Light clay on the inside 
makes sense.

Rammed earth floor about level with the top of the block.

Since we're using ceiling joists, insulated, instead of rafters, after all 
it's inside a carport-like pole structure, using 6.5 foot logs instead of 6 
footers.

http://www.alaskacabin.net/

Not just because this is the cob list, one of those stoves with the smoke 
going through a cob-covered bench before hitting the chimney.

I've wanted a masonry stove since I first read about them in Dostoevsky--one 
of the Brothers Karamazov I think--climbed up on the stove and went to 
sleep.

Sizes?  12 x 24 with a 10 x 12 inside one end.

Comments will be read.  Not necessarily agreed to.



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