[Cob] Sand / hybrids

[Marlin]

I've seen sand/finds for Cob mixing that were too coarse for all but the most calloused of feet, suppose that this would be a good application for a mortar mixer or such thing....also have used the tarp itself to step on instead of putting the feet right into the mix, lift the corner of the tarp and step on the plastic and smear and push the stuff underneath the folded end of the tarp. Often this is because of cold feet more then rough sand I suppose.

I want to second what Taylor Publishing was saying about using hybrid materials with earthen construction and gaining speed and insulation value. Pure "cob" is wonderful, strong, massive etc. but requires a large effort to mix in any quantity, more then most people would put up with for an entire building. 

If the massiveness is not a neccessity then mixing say 1/4 the amount (mixed with filler for the rest) to gain the same wall coverage will encourage more buildings to actually get built and if you get more insulation in the process (paper, wood chips) - all the better!


We love earthen buildings !
Nous aimons les bâtiments de terre ! 
¡Amamos edificios de tierra! 
Wir lieben tönerne Gebäude!
Amiamo le costruzioni di terra!
私達は土製の建物を愛する! 

===========================
www.outtathebox.org
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-- 

     Marlin Nissen
   - Outta The Box-
  lightearth at onebox.com
(608) 213-9405  Cell/voicemail

"Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love." -- MLK



-----Original Message-----
From:     Kim West <kwest at arkansas.net>
Sent:     Tue, 11 Nov 2003 18:03:40 -0600
To:       "Cob List" <coblist at deatech.com>
Subject:  [Cob] Sand

Do you make cob with this barefoot? If I remember correctly, the first sand
that we got, the one that cut our feet, was called "concrete" sand. I had
asked for coarse sand and that is what was delivered. Due to its varied
particle size and the sharpness of it, I thought that  it would be great for
cobbing--until the feet got raw and bled.

Kim


----- Original Message ----- > The rock dust I'm refering to is a by-product
of crushing large rock into gravel. It is dark grey in color (at least it is
here) and is anywhere from a fine powder to a course sand in size.
>
> Phil Hawn, President
> The North Carolina Natural Building Coalition
> http://naturalbuilder.org
> cob, strawbale, cordwood and other sustainable earthbuilding techniques


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