[Cob] more on papercrete

Tue Oct 19 10:14:55 CDT 2004

Peace be with your day.  I am very keen to work with papercrete as the
'plaster' [interior and exterior] on an earthbag dome.  [I hope this is not
too far off the thread here....]  I have Kelly Hart's video and found it
very informative, however I don't think I am a competent enough engineer to
construct something for the mixing of the papercrete.  I wondered if anyone
had some simple ideas for mixing the paper and water into a slurry without
using electric power.  Any and all advise is appreciated, thank you.  Best
of days to you.

rainbow
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Amanda Peck" <ap615 at hotmail.com>
To: <Coblist at deatech.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 10:03 AM
Subject: RE: re [Cob] Papercrete cob

> 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!
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Check out Election 2004 for up-to-date election news, plus voter tools and
> more! http://special.msn.com/msn/election2004.armx
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Coblist mailing list
> Coblist at deatech.com
> http://www.deatech.com/mailman/listinfo/coblist
>
>