Cob: Tractor Cob-->>small cob housing

[Taylor Publishing-DirtCheapBuilder]

yes Mary, the answer is TRACTOR cob...two guys here in Nevada City, CA  
perfected a system  of using a small bobcat to "pad mix" on a flat spot, 
and use the bucket to load large amounts of cob into  forms (they 
designed these too) and they built an 1100+ sq ft cob house in 3 weeks 
with this method..allowing enough  dryness of mix to not need weeks 
between layers, it went  up fast, and they are finishing a booklet  on 
it as we speak...I hope to have it published this fall.  it will be 
called Tractor Cob Building (working title)   

but the basics are
1. big flat spot to work on OR  work INSIDE the footforint of the home, 
driving back and forth over the cob to be mixed, loading wall forms from 
inside the house, tamping a bit by hand with tools, and voila..done!


they constructed a 100' long 8'tall running wall with living roof, and a 
small meditation (round ) dome hut with this method...the walls are 
extroardinary. I posted some pictures last year. here are a few..the red 
clay there is wonderful...stays the same deep rich shade.

http://www.northcoast.com/~tms/ANarchwindow.jpg
http://www.northcoast.com/~tms/ANfront1.jpg
http://www.northcoast.com/~tms/ANSeat.jpg
http://www.northcoast.com/~tms/ANwindows.jpg
Cement   mixers  don't mix the cob properly, but a paddle style mortar 
mixer does, but it is NOISY and people say they mix  a load and work in 
peace, then more noise...so  there are drawbacks.


Ms. Charmaine  Taylor/ Taylor Publishing
http://www.dirtcheapbuilder.com    http://www.papercrete.com
PO Box 375, Cutten (Eureka) CA 95534 707-441-1632     tms at northcoast.com