[Cob] Straw's Out. How About Palm Leaves?

[Patrick Newberry]

While straw is nice, even preferred, I do not believe it is necessary.
I've seen earthen structures built in west africa with a red clay that
did not use straw and was just fine. 

I'd still want to coat with lime however.


www.gypsyfarm.com

Pat.



-----Original Message-----
From: coblist-bounces at deatech.com [mailto:coblist-bounces at deatech.com]
On Behalf Of Amanda Peck
Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2005 8:54 AM
To: coblist at deatech.com
Subject: RE: [Cob] Straw's Out. How About Palm Leaves?




Would you have to spend lots of time cutting each leaflet (that isn't
what 
they are called, is it?) of, removing the rib down the center, then 
shredding the leaflet lengthwise?  Might tear up your hands (and feet).

And speaking of tearing up hands and feet:

Do you have those tall grasses that are everywhere in the Western
Pacific 
(called Sword Grass where I lived--for a reason! only thing that could
get 
me to wear jeans and shoes with socks when I was out wandering).  I
thought 
I'd seen pictures of something like that from the Caribbean.

Sugar cane--the parts they burn?

What do they use in Thailand?  Kleiworks does workshops there.
.................. Beno wrote:

I've tried to source grain stalks of any kind and the nearest source is
200 
Km away. So I'm wondering if anyone has had any experience with using
palm 
fronds. They're very sturdy but they don't have a cylindrical structure
like 
straw. I could experiment, of course, but I was wondering...



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