Cob: RE: earthbags

[Patrick Newberry]

I've used earthbags (aka superadobe per Nader Kahlili). While I've used them for whole walls, vaults and domes, I ended up pretty much using them for the foundations of my cob walls. They work great for that. I've also made walls that are made up of cob and join to an earthbag/superadobe wall. I ended up plastering the bags with earthen plasters and then putting a coat of lime over and it is hard to tell the two walls apart. Well maybe that isn't always true, as some times my cob walls got pretty "organic" looking, while my bag walls were a bit straighter. On thing I felt is that while the bag walls went up quicker, the cob walls are a lot easier to plaster, so in that regards you end up making up some of the time. Also the cost is lower with cob over earth bags as that envolves (at least in my case) barbed wire and purchased bags. 

Another point is I was able to make my arched windows with no forms using cob. I just built it a bit at a time with some stiff cob. To make arches with bags, you need forms. Not a big deal and they are reusable, but just a fact. 

What are you thinking of building?

Pat Newberry
www.gypsyfarm.com 
(photos of cob and earthbags / superadobe building + crazy man)



-----Original Message-----
From: Rainbow [mailto:rainbow at rainbowolf.com]
Sent: Friday, September 12, 2003 4:00 PM
To: coblist at deatech.com
Subject: Cob: earthbags


Peace be with you all.

I'm fairly new to the list, and wondered whether anyone here had used 
earthbags, and if not if there is an earthbag list anywhere.

Thank you and best of evenings to you,

rainbow



"A Native American grandfather was talking to his grandson about how he 
felt. He said, I feel as if I have two wolves fighting in my heart. One 
wolf is the vengeful, angry, violent one. The other wolf is the loving, 
compassionate one. The grandson asked him, Which wolf will win the 
fight in your heart?  The grandfather answered, The one I feed."