[Cob] Cob in Madison, Wisconsin

[Jennifer Roberts]

Dave,

That sounds great. I would also recommend hands on learning, which it looks 
like you will do in your oven project. It sounds like you watched the 
cobbers but did not participate. I learned from my brief time helping a 
friend with their house the hands on knowledge- such as how tired I get when 
mixing cob with feet, and how dry my hands got after just a few hours of 
cob, what it feels like to cob during mosquito season. These are good things 
to know and account for when starting a bigger project, like a house, and 
what I am weighing now that I am making final decisions about an alternative 
building method.


Good luck with your project!
Jennifer


>From: Dave Brown <quahog at netnet.net>
>To: coblist at deatech.com
>Subject: [Cob] Cob in Madison, Wisconsin
>Date: Tue, 09 May 2006 08:19:17 -0500
>
>This past weekend Kathleen and I drove down to Madison to see Marlin Nissen 
>and crew and their learn a thing or three abut cob building.  We didn't get 
>there Saturday, which was their big, not to mention busy, day.  On Sunday 
>things were a bit more calm.  We got there late, but still with time to 
>watch some people mixing cob with their feet and forming the balls or 
>loaves to use in their project.
>
>I'm one of those "visual" learners.  I can read, talk, and listen until my 
>head spins, but I learn more and faster from watching someone (like Marlin 
>and his crew) actually doing it.  Probably the biggest thing that I 
>noticed/learned was the texture and consistency of the cobs.  It was clear 
>that it would be easy to leave the mix too wet and that the effects of this 
>can, at a minimum, a real nuisance and at the worst a real disaster.  I 
>also gained a clearer understanding of the need to put all those finger 
>holes in the surface to provide a grip for the next layer as it is applied.
>
>Marlin had some slip handy also.  Looking at and feeling the slip and 
>comparing that to the shake test that I did supported my thoughts that what 
>I had in my yard (about 18" down) was some pretty good near pure clay.  I 
>showed a lump that I had brought to Marlin who also thinks that is good 
>clay.  Now to make some test bricks/balls to see how it works.
>
>My first project, after making test balls, will be a cob oven.  The idea is 
>to build one in the Quebec oven style, as it would be historically 
>appropriate for this part of Wisconsin.  Additionally, my mother's family 
>is from Quebec and the Three Rivers area.  Our family tree (Paquin) traces 
>back to the mid 1500's in Quebec.  The experience will also be a benefit to 
>me and Heritage Hill State Park here in Green Bay where wattle and daub 
>walls exist and there is a beehive brick oven and a cob oven in need of 
>some attention.
>
>You can learn a little about Marlin and his Out of the Box group at 
>www.outtathebox.org and some on the Cob Archway at 
>http://midvaleproject.net/cob.htm
>
>Thanks again, Marlin.
>
>Dave Brown
>Green Bay, WI
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Coblist mailing list
>Coblist at deatech.com
>http://www.deatech.com/mailman/listinfo/coblist