re [Cob] Papercrete cob

[Amanda Peck]

I haven't tried it yet, glad someone is!

I'm also glad to see a thread here!!!

But I can see a couple of potential problems--answer these, and then go for 
it!

a) be sure and test your mix for FIRE.  Rumor hath it that with too much 
paper, it will smolder, not appear to be burning at all until it collapses 
in a pile of ashes.  More concrete, or maybe clay and sand will be what it 
needs.  Also test for shrinkage and cracking.

b) how are you going to drain your paper mix?  hope that dry clay and sand 
will be enough?  It might well work that way, but I suspect that you do need 
your paper to be well soaked--no longer paper, but just fiber.

c) one of the reasons for using straw is that those long strands have a lot 
of tensile strength, which the short fibers in chopped paper will not.  Do 
you need that?  maybe, maybe not.  I sure wouldn't start a house until after 
I'd seen what a bench and maybe a fairly thin wall (back on the bench?) 
would do.

...............
D. Strong replies to Pam:

That's funny, I was all ready to ask  if anyone had
tried cobbing with Fidobe-should probably  call it
someting like "fob" as fidobe goes more with
making-bricks.

I tried to make a little fob-house model, it turned
into a flop-house. LOL! I did it wrong, I didn't even
let the paper dissolve in water first. I am going to
make another model, first dissoving the paper in
water, but only  mixing it minimally with my hand-to
simulate what would happen if we  were to mix it in a
tarp instead of a washing mashine.

I'll tell you how it goes, LOL!

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