[Cob] Land search...pressed earth blocks vs. cob

[Amanda Peck]

Speed of production on the CEBs has attracted me to them.  There seem to be 
two (or three if you can count adobe) basic kinds.  With the first-- blocks 
made with a machine like the Cinva Ram, not too expensive (some under 
$1000)--do seem to have to cure before you can build.  And making the block 
might be a pretty arduous task.  Somebody here's doing it, we'd like a 
report!

http://www.ferncometal.com/00

The second uses for the most part internal combustion engines and hydraulics 
to pour out the blocks at a couple a minute--from two on up to your budget 
can't stand it and beside you can't build that fast.  The machines may not 
run worth a flip if they are not kept fed and running, they're noisy and 
heavy and.....is that what we really meant when we talked about natural 
building?   And they cost from about $15,000 up.  Way up.  But for optimum 
efficiency, you would have some sort of huge crew stacking the blocks onto 
the building as they came out of the machine--no curing.  Maybe somebody's 
got one to RENT, with or without the owner.  I've never used either one, 
never seen one in action in person.  (one of the manufacturers had an 
on-line video but I can't find it right now.)

these guys are out of Decatur, Alabama, not too far from me.  And I think 
they're down near the lower end of the powered machines, powered by a 20 HP 
Kohler gas engine.

http://www.defcoinc.com/Adobe/Blockmaker_Hox.html

These guys are or were running specials on two of their models.  The big one 
has an 80 hp John Deere Diesel.

http://www.adobe-block.com/spec_offer.htm

..............
Besides the obvious:  Speed of production-blocks  Low
cost of production-cob   what are the pros and cons?

Thanks, Luanna




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