[Cob] Sill plates?

[Marlin]

from my perspective a tiller would be of more use for cob than for gardening....I'm firmly convinced that tilling is the worst thing we do for the soil, in many ways, write me if you want more details on that - i teach classes on mulch gardening and permaculture

On to the subject: Cob - I'm sure that it's been mentioned many times before but what's been the consensus on tiller cob? Tractor cob appears to be very inferior from what I've seen in mixing but suspect that tillers might do a pretty good job.....I hate the idea of gas fumes though (maybe a biodiesel tiller or electric?) right in your face all day

Any thoughts? I'd also be interested in the production difference experienced.

thanks

Marlin


-----Original Message-----
From:     Amanda Peck <ap615 at hotmail.com>
Sent:     Tue, 26 Oct 2004 09:33:51 -0500
To:       kwest at arkansas.net;coblist at deatech.com
Subject:  RE: [Cob] Sill plates?


Glad to hear the report on tiller mix cob, although I'd agree with you that 
the butter beans were a higher priority.  Glad to hear you're working again.

I'd think that a plate or box between the cob and the ceiling joists would 
prevent the joists from burying themselves in the cob--when people were 
jumping up there, or there was a biggish wind.  Maybe not quite the same 
idea as spreading out the load.
...........
Kim West wrote (snipped):

All that aside, we do have a couple questions if anyone here has answers. We 
are almost to the top of the door frames on the first story, and the second 
story will be stick frame or something similar. We are wondering if a sill 
plate will be necessary under the floor joists between the first story cob 
and the second story, or can the second story be added with each floor joist 
sitting in the cob, or sitting in the cob atop a short piece of wood, or 
what?  Wouldn't it be more stable if a sill plate were used to distribute 
the weight of the second story across the cob much the same as the wide 
foundation was needed to distribute the weight of the cob across the earth?

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