[Cob] Re: pre-Ianto cob

[Raduazo at aol.com]

An quote from: Earth For Homes prepared by International Housing  Activities 
Staff Office of the Administrator Housing and Home Finance Agency  Washington 
25, D.C. for the use of The United States Operations Missions. Third  printing 
Revised September 1956 (How pompous is that for a title.)
 
Cob
In cob construction, as it is used in West Africa, the soil is  prepared by 
mixing it with other soils if necessary, by adding water, and by  treading with 
bare feet. After curing a period in a pile to insure uniform  moisture 
content and, possibly, bacteria action, the pile is broken down and  retrodden 
immediately prior to use. Balls of material about the size of  footballs are then 
formed and manually pounded into a solid mass to make a  course on the wall. 
Each course, 12 to 18 inches high is left to dry for from  one to three days 
before the new course is laid. Faces are pared off with a  stick or trowel and 
worked smooth.
As the height of the courses  increases the workman sits astride the wall and 
balls of earth are thrown up to  him. Thus no scaffolding is required.
As the walls dry shrinkage occurs  over the entire external and internal 
surfaces of the wall. When shrinkage is  complete a mud plaster is spread over 
both surfaces. This coat must be renewed  periodically.
If you substitute tiller mixing for foot mixing and add  straw at the second 
mix this is the way I am doing it.
This publication  is from my library at the US Patent and Trademark Office. 
They got real cheap  about buying us books and publications while I was there 
so I paid  for my own and took them home when I retired. I may have the last 
copy of  this in the world.
Ed