[Cob] Seattle Area Cottage Update

[yew]

Dulane wrote:

 >Here's an update of my cottage, photo links below.

Dulane, it's *gorgeous*!  :)  I promise that once we get the roof built 
over here, I'll stop by and mix a couple of batches with you.

 >Any input on drying time for cordwood vs cob?

Having first-hand experience with both, I can tell you...I'm not sure.  
;)  I built my all-cob bench much more slowly than my current project, a 
cobwood cottage.  The previous layer of the bench was always fairly dry 
when the next one went up, and dry cob sucks up lots of moisture--far 
more than the dry, split douglas fir I'm using.  My gut says that dry 
wood probably aids the drying of cob, but it's only a guess on my part.  
As far as how high you can build in a day, I can say unequivocally that 
cobwood is *so* much faster.  And because of the support cordwood lends, 
there's much less slumping.  I love plain old cob, but I don't think 
I'll go without cordwood in my future cob projects.  I'm getting so much 
more done.

Brina