[Cob] Pickling lime

[Amanda Peck]

Agricultural lime is usually the pelleted stuff.  Not at all sure about the 
rest--crushed limestone? clumped hydrated lime? a litte of both?.  But it 
affects your soil more slowly than spreading the finely powdered hydrated 
lime.

Quicklime is heated limestone.  There's a road here called Lime Kiln Road.

If somewhere other than at my house somebody adds water to quicklime (or is 
it quicklime to water, one can be quite dangerous), mixes it good, then 
dries it out, that's hydrated lime.

Pickling lime is food grade hydrated lime.

Lime putty--either quicklime in water OR hydrated lime put back in water.  
The longer it sets the better.  The Romans (this MAY have had something to 
do with ensuring that jobs remained in the family) specified three 
generations.  Well-aged IS a lot nicer.

Limewash--lime is weakly soluble in water.  What's in solution over your 
putty in the tub can be used as limewash.

The toad house, plastered with a maybe 4 sand to 1 lime putty, certainly 
doesn't rub off to speak of.  Just plain lime putty cracks like mad.  The 
toad house is pretty sandy feeling, but it just had sand-putty plaster put 
on, not worked the way you would concrete (or an earthen floor).

I hope this helps.

...........
Elizabeth wrote.

I know we keep going over lime every few months or so, but....

can anyone tell me what is the difference between agricultural lime and 
pickling lime?

I tried agricultural lime to whitewash a cob dollhouse I made for my 
six-year-old, and had to take it off because it showed white on my finger 
when I brushed against it (not good for playing in the house with...)

Will the hydrated lime rub off as well?  What is the finished texture like?