[Cob] plaster fineness

[Barbara Roemer and Glenn Miller]

For you folks with plastering questions:

In addition to what Shannon's described, I'd add that I screen everything
through plastic window screening when I want a fine plaster.  Horse manure
doesn't seem to need screening because it's already pretty finely crunched.
Combining it with plaster sand was interesting.  I used the manure anywhere
from 1-4 parts with very sticky clay, 4 parts, to 4 parts sand,
experimenting with the fineness of the sand - plaster sand, pool sand when I
wanted white sand to maintain the whiteness of kaolin, and contractor's sand
when I used it with our very sticky red clay.  When I'm not adding manure, I
use wheat paste, 1 part and the rest as above, for stickiness and a
slippery, easily floated finish.   Keep in mind that no one can provide you
with a recipe - your soil is unique, as is the surface to which you're
applying it, so you must experiment - sometimes until you are sick of
messing about!  Then you just settle on what's best so far, and sometimes
it's wonderful. 
  
Barbara