Thanks so much for putting this video up. I'm interested in building a cob house, but was intimidated by the amount of work that goes into mixing by hand (or by foot, as many people seem to do it). Unlike so many of the people I've seen online who used this material, I will be doing this solo and won't have a busload of friends to help out. Knowing that something as simple as a cement mixer can make this possible really means the world to me.
I would highly recommend taking a cob workshop. You need the hands and feet experience too (if possible). Your cob house needs to be designed for YOUR climate. I live in Ga. It's HOT during the summer and even HOT at night, so a pure cob house wouldn't be a good idea. My house is slip formed clay straw slip, with an earthen plaster. That means it's great at keeping cool inside during the summer and warm during the winter. If you can, please have an experienced natural builder design your house, and then you just follow the plans however long it takes. Build a small house. No more than 500 sq ft if that works for you. I wish I'd done that... lol
I hope you have managed to build your house. When using this and mixing in large batches we used an excavator to do the hard work in a small trench. Worked a treat 😏
The cob workshop we attended in 1999 taught us to let the batches rest overnight before attempting to use them, this allowed them to firm up a bit with the ingredients giving gravity a chance to coat each other a little bit longer.
+David Knapp I agree. There are many ways to mix cob. Some put their clay in water over night, some don't, you can sift clay or not, the main thing is to test your cob. My mixing technique is based on one old guy working by himself. That's why I use a cement mixer. I couldn't do the tarp mixing all day, for days at a time. This works well for me.
For some reason, I haven't been able to reply to Ano Nymous Question. I'll try here: this mix has evolved over the years to be a little different that this three-year-old video. I still like to start with all the water. The main reason mixing cob in a cement mixer works is to have a wet mix at the start and keep the cement mixer tilted so the blades are fully doing the mixing. I've really been meaning to do another video because I do it so differently now. I don't even put sand in the mix anymore if it's a Base mix that will be covered in earth plaster. I don't even worry about the edges or doing a lot of clean up. It's not like cement that will ruin your mixer if bits are left in. The earthen mix that's left will just add to your next mix. The other thing that's important and I always liked, is that I use shredded newspaper. At the end of mixing if the mix is a little wet, I add small parts of shredded newspaper to bring the mix "up to" the exact mix I want. Let me know if you think I should do another video, AND, if you're mixing in a cement mixer, I'd like to see how you're doing it....
packymck, yes, do another video. I think it's funny that you in Georgia have red clay and Grey sand and. We in West Texas have red sand and I don't think we have any clay. We have caliche Rock which is a white crumbly gross stuff.
I apologize for not responding sooner. somehow I missed your comment. Now that it's getting cold in NE Ga it'll most likely be spring before I do a video. If you have any pressing questions please contact me via FB (not many packymck's there)
I apologize for not responding sooner. somehow I missed your comment. Now that it's getting cold in NE Ga it'll most likely be spring before I do a video. If you have any pressing questions please contact me via FB (not many packymck's there).......Where do you live in Ga? I'm in NE Ga
@@he7is7at7hand I'm in the Elpaso area if you look for the yellow or red color in the cutouts through the mountains that is clay, mostly pure with some rocks and fossils.
Thanks very much for showing this video which gives me lots more confidence in building with cob and perhaps, with fewer people to work with as it's already difficult to find people to hire.
I am from Georgia and was going to do the same darn thing...much more efficient. Thank you for posting the step by step. Very much appreciated. You guys are smart guys.
We're in Suwanee right now. Still trying to figure out where best to buy land and targeting April to June time frame. I am very much a newbie and need to take a course first.
I am still trying to decide. I thought that maybe I was sold on earthbag but cob seems very interesting to me. Earthbag certainly seemed more solid initially...but now I see how just cob can be very solid. What are your thoughts on the different building.
I ditto what dadga68 said. I've missed you I'm glad your back. As a film maker I know how a new equipment learning curve can slow you down. Keep up the good work.
thanks Hope! my problem was that I bought a new editing program and found that I didn't like it. AND my old faithful FLIP camera bit the dust. Took me a long time to buy a new camera. I just placed an order for an upgraded version of my old edit program: corel's VideoStudio Pro 7x....soon you should see some fancy edited video.
packymck no doubt it would be worth the investment if doing a cob structure by speeding the process up. i'm just not sure about using chopped straw. from the research i've been doing it seems as though longer strands of straw would be better. i thought a rototiller would be good, but i'd be concerned about the tiller cutting the strands. have you done any comparisons between long and short strand straw bricks? what are your thoughts? also, do you think the mixer would work with longer straw? i'd appreciate any feedback you may have on the subject.
Dennis Thompson You're right. You should use long straw for cob. This mix was for a plaster mix where shorter straw is necessary. There are people that use a rototiller to mix cob. They've been doing it for years with good results. I've even seen a cob mix done with a bobcat by the ton.
Dennis Thompson Kevin McCabe is the father of cob building in the UK. He's building a 10,000 sq. ft. mansion using a bobcat. the YT video is here: Grand Designs Season 13 Episode 8 - East Devon
As a former brickie's labourer, who did most of that sort of work under a bloody hot Australian sun, I might have a few extra tips for you, if you haven't cottoned onto them anyway. 1 ) Make sure your concrete mixer is close to the piles of material you are using. 2 ) Get rid of the buckets. Measuring materials out in buckets is just double handling - aka - a waste of time. Once you know what your mix ratios are going to be, and your mixer is close to your material stock piles, just count it out in shovels full. 3 ) Having to tilt the mixer bowl to get a better mix probably can be remedied by putting more mix in the bowl. Most concrete mixers work better with a full load. Also, it saves on the number of mixes you make which saves you time. 4 ) When you pour your mix out into the barrow, leave the mixer running and put in some, if not all of your water for the next batch of cob. While you're away slapping mud on a wall, your mixer is getting a good wash out and all of the clay it picks up will go into your next batch. Or you could start another batch as soon as you tip the first one out and leave it mixing until you come back. I guess it all depends on how much help you have at the time.
You've made the BEST comment in the five years this video has been on YT..! I do all those things except filling until full. I'm in my 70s (young'uns my helper) and usually work alone, so I have to keep it managable. If I EVER get back to making videos, I'll be sure and add your wise words. thanks
@@packymck It was my pleasure. I didn't think there would ever be a time when having worked as a brickie's labourer would be of use any use to anyone. It was something I did when I was very much younger than I am now and a damned sight sillier too. Still, the money was pretty good for the times and the only talents you really needed was a strong back and pretty feeble mind! On the positive side, there was the times when we would get to the point where no more bricks could be laid that day, so we were all in the pub early ( and usually out of the pub pretty late. ) Believe me, after a day under the sun, going like a scalded cat to keep up with two, sometimes three, brickies, that first beer never even touched the sides as it went down!
Thanks so much for the video. I had been wondering why no one was using a mixer? I thought maybe the mix was too stiff. It does look tricky to get the mix just right without it clumping on the sides. I'd love to build with cob but you'll notice most cob construction sites have teams of people with some devoted to just mixing cob. For me the exhausting part would be the mixing. There's no way I could doing all the mixing and laying and be able to put in an 8 hour day. Getting too old for that so a mixer would be a godsend. Near as I can tell you got it mixed in 6 minutes which is at least twice as fast as I could mix that much and without all the exhausting mud dancing. Figure mixing and laying I could do three wheel barrows full an hour or 24 batches a day. That gives me hope I could build a cob house without it turning into a multi year process. I think with a little practice you can get it drier or as you said just wait a little bit for it to take up some. You can mix 3 or 4 batches then by the time you lay the first one the next would be ready to go.
I know what you're talking about. I'm almost seventy years old and there's no way I could mix using a tarp. Another point is, if you're going to build, build small. As in Tiny House small. Another thing you can do is have a timber frame structure built, infill with a clay straw slip, and then use an earthen plaster (that's what I'm mixing in the cement mixer) over the external and internal straw slip walls. Cob is way to labor intensive.
YES IT IS!!! We saw a few folks filter it to fine dust before mixing to stop clumps? Have you ever done that? Does it make any difference if you do filter it? Cool better that no shoes mud stomping like making grape wine etc... hahaha great video.
Because cob is mixed from clay soil you know there will be other stuff in it. Rocks, pebbles, silt, sand, etc. This is all fine if you're going to build a wall with it. But if you're going to make earthen plaster, you need to screen the clay soil to get the large particles out, so your earthen plaster will be smooth on the wall. More than likely, if you see someone screening/filtering their soil, it's because they're doing an earthen plaster mix.
packymck Thanks for such a fast reply most you tubers don't even bother. Sounds good the wall plaster and all. Maybe that is why they did that, we never thought of that. Thanks again!!
Thanks for posting this. I need to rebuild a cob oven this fall, and while I've mixed cob for the past two ovens by foot, this will save us a bunch of time and effort. I was wondering how well it would work to use a mixer, and it looks like this is the way to go.
Ed Murphy the key for a successful mix is to be able to tilt the mixer without dumping the contents. Changing the angle of the blades improves the total mixture. Have fun with your dirt project!
I was just research alt building meathods and thinking, rammed earth has pneumatic pounders, cob should have a better mixing method! -- thx for sharing. Cheers, Patrick
Cool process and I want to do it! But a lengthy process, ey? What happens when it rains in the middle of your build? I guess tarps are a part of every build? Thanks for going to the trouble of teaching us! I can't wait to make my own house!
I think you shouldn't add all the water at the beginning. You should keep some for washing the edges, so you don't end up adding extra water to do that, and having such a wet mix in the end.
Hi, very good video. I was wondering if you can give me a hand. I'm trying to do a cob shed for my tools. I do not have experience on this at all. I don't have any help so it will be only me. Where I can start? What did you do to learn this? Thank you in advance!
+Dave Wygonowski I've tried doing that too. I much more like mixing a wet mix. Then you can use the dry materials to bring the batch up to the perfect mix.....or, at least, in my experience...
oh was just about the ask the same question, but someone has probably though asked/answered it already, only took few scrows down the page to find it. but i still think doing a dry mix is better (sand first, then clay to reduce sticking), get less clumps of clay solids first, water can be fine tune later on. its the same with mixing concrete or cement, usualy do a dry mix sand first.
Is the clay easily found and how deep? Do you dry it, then crush it to a powder? Where I'm at if you dig it up it's usually damp and sticky. Normally about 8" of black soil on top of the clay. Then 5 - 6" of clay if you're lucky before you hit shelf rock!
it doesn't matter size. As long as all the buckets in your mix are the same size. If you use 5 gal, the mix can be way too big for the mixer. these buckets are prop a little over 1 gallon each.
Shouldn’t you mix the dry portions then add the water? Also, does the sand type matter at all? Would make a difference to omit some of the clay for portland?
Dry mixing is very common. But I like a wet mix. it's easier for me. I then add shredded newspaper to bring the mix exactly to the wetness/dryness I need. Yes they type of sand matters. You don't want beech type sand that gets rounded off due to the ocean/water action. You want quarry type sand that is gagged and course. That makes a much better, solid plaster. Being a "natural Building" I'm doing my best not to use portland cement. I'm not saying I've never used it but that's very rare for me. I use lime if I want added weather repellent properties or use asphalt emulsion if the earthen part (of what you're building) is next to the ground.
What if you added more water to the mix in order for it to mix faster and easier and then let the mix dry a little for a day..? Would it be a good idea?
is good to show the sample process but when come to pu building together in that tempo will take forever .. .. by the way ..where OR HOW I can get materials for making cob ? thanks , stan
You are correct. These are small batches of cob or plaster. But I mostly work by myself, so small mixes work perfect for me. The clay soil comes from my property. Right out of the ground. I have sand delivered to the construction site.
@@packymck, well I just googled that, which should mess up the algorithm 😉. My question is if that's better than doing Snow Coat over papercrete? Also, I keep dreaming about building like cob but with papercrete. Any information or thoughts on that? Thanks.
@@joantrotter3005 I'm a natural builder, so I use what I have on hand as much as possible. I've built several hyperbolic paraboloid roofs in the past and had those roofing materials on hand. Snow coat is another good way to coat a papercrete roof. There are papercrete houses that've been built. They're just not that "natural". My philosophy, as a natural builder, is to use what's at hand as much as possible. After that, what is practical, cost effective, and sustainable. I try to build so I don't go into debt too. Google: papercrete house
Please give the bucket capacities... 2 gallon, 3 gallon, 5 gallon, etc. (Litres, too.) Please do not assume people all over the world will know what buckets you are using just by looking at them. After watching videos of people using their feet then this one, I certainly will get a mixing machine!
I understand what you're saying. the mix is 3 parts clay, 2 parts sand, and the water and straw is enough to bring the total mix into the consistency you want. So you can use whatever size buckets that create a mix that will fit into your sized mixer. In fact, some people use a mortar mixer instead of a cement mixer. Mortar mixers are better to use than cement mixers. I can't afford an expensice mortar mixer for the small amounts I need. If you have a large project and will need tons of cob, and it's in your budget, buy a mortar mixer...You may need to get you a cob building book too. The most important part about earthen building is knowing your soil. This is the reason most earthen builders don't talk about mixes much, other than their mix and how many "parts" of clay, sand, water, straw, they use. Every soil is like people. Different. Some clay is brown, tan, chocolate, red, golden, blue, white, etc....so each and every type of clay takes more or less sand, all depending on it's makeup. Thanks for your question...
Love the video! Do you have experience using cob in forms while building a structure? I plan on starting a project soon and would love to use cob but more of the rammed earth process. Anyone ever seen cob being rammed into forms?
+Lets Make It I've done an earthen floor using forms (search: earthen floor tessellation part 1) here on YT and I've seen CEB (compressed earth blocks) being used for construction, and "This Cob House" - here on YT - has done test blocks with rammed earth.....let me know how your project goes...
Research "shuttered cob" actual cob, not rammed earth, has been done in the past in Britain and France. In the 19th century if I remember often for interior walls in rural areas.
I think there are too many factors to consider, to come up with how long a straw bale will last, when mixing cob. Every geographic region is different in accordance to your clay/sand/straw ratio. You may need to ask a local cobber.
@@marioshadjikyriacou3381 Yes. Indeed. Rotor tiller is a great way. Some ppl even use a bob cat or tractor to make huge matches of cob. th-cam.com/video/pzZR-EP5kgw/w-d-xo.html
How did you mix your papercrete? By hand? in a cement mixer? did you build a pepercrete mixer? check out papercrete.com......or do a search here on YT for "DIY How to Make Papercrete in a Tow-Mixer"
GREAT Question. I used to do that. That's what you'd do when mixing concrete. But I've found that if I go ahead and mix the water and the binder (clay) together first and then the sand, as I add straw later, I can use the straw to bring the mix up to the EXACT consistency that I like. Mixing earthen materials isn't like mixing concrete. The sand and clay can be wet (rain) and every mix from day to day can be a little different. Hot dry days, takes more water. Raining days, less added water, etc...and because I mix back to back, one mix right after the other, the watery clay first mix picks up all the leftover previous mix and helps blend that into the new mix. I sometimes use shredded newspaper (if the mix is wetter than I like) to help bring the mix to the consistency I like. In earthen mixing, you get your hands right in the mix to feel it. That's how you know it's a good mix.
it all depends on your local soil. That's why you have to do a jar test first before you decide what your mix is going to be. That's why mixes can be different.
something must be going on with YT....or it takes a while for them to update subscribers. When I go to my channel, I have a button that, when clicks, brings up all my subscribers, and I have the ability to send them a message. Your name isn't on the list, and the subscriber totals have not changed. If the button says "unsubscribe" that means you are subscribed to my channel. Don't change that. I'll check it in a few days to see if you're on the list, and if you are, I'll send you a message with all the info to contact me directly....whew
I wouldn't use grass. It will rot. I used wood chips and clay slip as an insulator in one of my walls. I would Never use wood chips as a substitute for straw in a cob mix tho. Straw is like rebar in an earthen mix. It uses it's length to bind the mix together. Small wood chip cant do that.
Have you ever used a mortar mixer as opposed to the concrete mixer? I'm wondering if that would work better. Might just be splitting hairs by asking this, but if someone plans to do a lot of this, it may be a good question to ask
You have a VERY good question. That is exactly what's recommended for mixing earthen plaster. A mortar mixer. The paddles do a much better action of mixing the clay, sand, straw, and water. I have a cement mixer and wanted to show others, like me that have a cement mixer, that it was possible to use it for this purpose. A mortar mixer is out of my budget. If you're going to be doing a lot of mixing and can afford a mortar mixer, that is exactly what you should buy. If you're going to be mixing tons of cob, there are people that use a skid loader for that. It all depends on what your resources are....
+steven padilla ....Great Question Steven. I know it would work. It's been done (using slip forms) for hundreds of years. Google image "rammed earth". Although they do add approx 8% cement. I've always thought that ramming cob into a form would work. The only down side to that would be building TOO fast. The damp/wet cob could slump, and because the wall went up so fast, the whole wall could collapse. I once had a six inch thick cob wall built on a stone foundation (approx 12 foot section) collapse because it went up so fast and didn't have enough time to "cure" (dry) enough to support itself. So, building with forms would need to be a slow process, so the mix could cure. So then the question arrives. Why use the forms then? If you have to wait, or be concerned with slumping, etc. why not just build with cob and save the expense of forms? You may need to ask more Q's if I didn't explain enough.... The rammed earth construction cures fast because of the added cement. A natural earthen mix cures slowly as it drys naturally. The only other "bit" I would add is, Adobe builders add Asphalt Emulsion to their mix for stabilization. If you don't want to use any cement you could do some test with an 8% addition of AE to your mix. Check out my Earthen Tessellation Floor. I used asphalt emulsion in that floor. Let me know if I can help you in any other way. I love to answer questions!
+packymck this information is very helpful. I guess my reason for the slip form would be for the creation of a more clean, square shaping of the cob walls. I know so little on how this type of construction is done,I dont know how you would create level and straight walls and corners or smooth them out . by eye using trowels and levels I imagine.maybe i should read a book on it
steven padilla If you're serious about building with earth, your really should take a cob workshop and buy "The hand sculpted House" (amazon). The first thing I did when I got serious about building with cob was to fly across the country to Oregon, to take a cob workshop with Ianto and Linda of Cob Cottage Company. That was SO inspiring and gave me the zip to get on the task. That was 16 years ago and I'm still love'n it...Now, there are many people teaching earthen construction all across the USA and abroad (I'm sure there's probably someone in your area), because of Ianto and Linda's School....They've started a small building revolution, and now you're a part of it. Find a teacher, take a workshop, read the book and get busy....
John McGlone I bought mine at Home Depot. I would recommend a mixer that has an adjustable drum height. The drum normally sits back at a 45 degree (ish) angle. To mix cob or plaster, you need to be able to tilt the drum almost level, so the blades really turn the mix. I make do by propping mine up with a small step stool (that does the trick).
I live in north GA too. Did you have to go to your county/municipal government about building permits or anything? If so, was it difficult to obtain? And I saw someone else asked about a workshop; would that be possible? Thanks, it's great to see people doing this in the South, not only in the Pacific NW!
I moved to this county more than a decade ago because they had no building codes at the time. Today, like all counties in GA, the local county government requires permits to some degree or another. Where I live they only require a permit for your septic system. Others have a department dedicated to building permits. I had my building built way before the county ever required permits. But that doesn't mean that today, or some time in the future, they could come to me and give me grief....Do you live in NE or NW Ga?
@@packymck yeah it seems things tend to get more complicated rather than easier.. What kind of cob structures do you have on your property? Any other earthen materials? It's like central/NE. It's Hall, not too rural i guess. Do you know what agency or website I should go to?
I'd go meet with them face to face and let them know you'd like to build a small house. Get them to talking about ALT building in Hall County first. Don't talk earthen yet. www.hallcounty.org/207/Building-Inspections
Thanks for the link! So if I understand correctly, you suggest a "keeping your cards close to your chest" type approach. Has anybody every contracted you to build something? Or is that something you would be interested in?
i did that but my amount is way small i think my portions are incorrect the last few i made held but i can break in half, i broke down portion of type that was recoomended. i have cement mixer maybe i was mossing something?
do you have a web site? or a place where you document your projects? What is your mix ratio? I'd like to see some pictures of what you're doing. Basically, papercrete is approximately 20 percent of portland cement mixed with pulped paper... look on my YT channel for my email address and send me your email so we can talk more in detail via email. and maybe you could send me some pix of your project. You need to google "Living in Paper". it's the site of one of the guys that started the whole papercrete movement.
Why am I watching mud and straw going round and round and I can't stop watching until the end? What would happen and/or would it be good/bad/$ to throw a half bag of cement in like the rammed earth people do? (I read the thread about cement mixers versus using your feet and a tarp. Like the colonial guy did to make his oven. I guess if your in the middle of no where and 5000 years ago with no tools, your feet will work. )
Building with mud is called "natural building". Some peeps don't want to use machines or concrete. Also, because natural building is outside the permit/code world people can be way-a-way from electricity. I like the tarp method. It's interesting building and creating without machines to do the work for you. But if you need things to move along a little faster, using machines where they're best suited works for me...
He probably got it from his own yard! I live in Georgia and if you dig down, there's about 2 ft of topsoil, then the deep red clay starts after that and continues until you hit bedrock, 20+ feet layer depending on where you live. Bedrock underneath me is limestone. I know this bc we had a well drilled.
Okay Chlebio....You got me. I hate it, but when you're renovating a house with recycled materials...well, ya have to keep um somewhere 'til you use them. I've got piles and piles of stuff everywhere. Hate it. But it's served me well over the years...reuse, recycle, up-cycle, salvage piles and piles....
Yeah, when you're a DIYer, you collect everything people are throwing away that could be used for something. I don't like them $500.00 + trips to town for building supplies either. That's why I live in the country, so I can have free material piles too.
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Thanks so much for putting this video up. I'm interested in building a cob house, but was intimidated by the amount of work that goes into mixing by hand (or by foot, as many people seem to do it). Unlike so many of the people I've seen online who used this material, I will be doing this solo and won't have a busload of friends to help out. Knowing that something as simple as a cement mixer can make this possible really means the world to me.
I would highly recommend taking a cob workshop. You need the hands and feet experience too (if possible). Your cob house needs to be designed for YOUR climate. I live in Ga. It's HOT during the summer and even HOT at night, so a pure cob house wouldn't be a good idea. My house is slip formed clay straw slip, with an earthen plaster. That means it's great at keeping cool inside during the summer and warm during the winter. If you can, please have an experienced natural builder design your house, and then you just follow the plans however long it takes. Build a small house. No more than 500 sq ft if that works for you. I wish I'd done that... lol
I hope you have managed to build your house. When using this and mixing in large batches we used an excavator to do the hard work in a small trench. Worked a treat 😏
The cob workshop we attended in 1999 taught us to let the batches rest overnight before attempting to use them, this allowed them to firm up a bit with the ingredients giving gravity a chance to coat each other a little bit longer.
+David Knapp I agree. There are many ways to mix cob. Some put their clay in water over night, some don't, you can sift clay or not, the main thing is to test your cob. My mixing technique is based on one old guy working by himself. That's why I use a cement mixer. I couldn't do the tarp mixing all day, for days at a time. This works well for me.
I agree, looks like a great way for a couple to make batches of cob outside of a workshop situation where there are other options for larger groups.
For some reason, I haven't been able to reply to Ano Nymous Question. I'll try here:
this mix has evolved over the years to be a little different that this three-year-old video. I still like to start with all the water. The main reason mixing cob
in a cement mixer works is to have a wet mix at the start and keep the cement mixer tilted so the blades are fully doing the mixing. I've really been meaning to do another video because I do it so differently now. I don't even put sand in the mix anymore if it's a Base mix that will be covered in earth plaster.
I don't even worry about the edges or doing a lot of clean up. It's not like cement that will ruin your mixer if bits are left in. The earthen mix that's left will just add to your next mix.
The other thing that's important and I always liked, is that I use shredded newspaper. At the end of mixing if the mix is a little wet, I add small parts of shredded newspaper to bring the mix "up to" the exact mix I want.
Let me know if you think I should do another video, AND, if you're mixing in a cement mixer, I'd like to see how you're doing it....
packymck, yes, do another video.
I think it's funny that you in Georgia have red clay and Grey sand and. We in West Texas have red sand and I don't think we have any clay. We have caliche Rock which is a white crumbly gross stuff.
I apologize for not responding sooner. somehow I missed your comment. Now that it's getting cold in NE Ga it'll most likely be spring before I do a video. If you have any pressing questions please contact me via FB (not many packymck's there)
I apologize for not responding sooner. somehow I missed your comment. Now that it's getting cold in NE Ga it'll most likely be spring before I do a video. If you have any pressing questions please contact me via FB (not many packymck's there).......Where do you live in Ga? I'm in NE Ga
@@he7is7at7hand I'm in the Elpaso area if you look for the yellow or red color in the cutouts through the mountains that is clay, mostly pure with some rocks and fossils.
Absolutely you should do another vid!
Thanks very much for showing this video which gives me lots more confidence in building with cob and perhaps, with fewer people to work with as it's already difficult to find people to hire.
You're welcome. Good luck with your cob project!
Great video thanks a million. I think about this every day ,soon I’ll make my cob house no dough about it
I am from Georgia and was going to do the same darn thing...much more efficient. Thank you for posting the step by step. Very much appreciated. You guys are smart guys.
Where are y'all in GA? When are ya gonna be building?
We're in Suwanee right now. Still trying to figure out where best to buy land and targeting April to June time frame. I am very much a newbie and need to take a course first.
what type of workshop are you looking to take? cob, strawbale, cordwood, earthbag?
I am still trying to decide. I thought that maybe I was sold on earthbag but cob seems very interesting to me. Earthbag certainly seemed more solid initially...but now I see how just cob can be very solid. What are your thoughts on the different building.
I live an hour north of you. Come see me and let's talk.
Fort Worth Texas appreciate your video and your knowledge.
Blessings and more Blessings to you and your family
thank you Charles..!
Thanks for the wonderful video man that was great this is what I’m planning to do as soon as I get to South America I’m going to build my own cobhouse
I ditto what dadga68 said. I've missed you I'm glad your back. As a film maker I know how a new equipment learning curve can slow you down. Keep up the good work.
thanks Hope! my problem was that I bought a new editing program and found that I didn't like it. AND my old faithful FLIP camera bit the dust. Took me a long time to buy a new camera. I just placed an order for an upgraded version of my old edit program: corel's VideoStudio Pro 7x....soon you should see some fancy edited video.
I followed this recipe to a tee and the bread wouldn't rise and it was stone hard when I baked it
Good JOB..! Do that a few more times and it'll get harder and harder. Put a hat over it and it'll still be around in a 100 years.
this is definitely the way to go if you can afford to buy or rent a mixer. thanks for sharing. :)
Dennis Thompson These mixers a reasonably priced. I got mine at Loews.
packymck no doubt it would be worth the investment if doing a cob structure by speeding the process up. i'm just not sure about using chopped straw. from the research i've been doing it seems as though longer strands of straw would be better. i thought a rototiller would be good, but i'd be concerned about the tiller cutting the strands. have you done any comparisons between long and short strand straw bricks? what are your thoughts? also, do you think the mixer would work with longer straw? i'd appreciate any feedback you may have on the subject.
Dennis Thompson You're right. You should use long straw for cob. This mix was for a plaster mix where shorter straw is necessary. There are people that use a rototiller to mix cob. They've been doing it for years with good results. I've even seen a cob mix done with a bobcat by the ton.
Dennis Thompson Kevin McCabe is the father of cob building in the UK. He's building a 10,000 sq. ft. mansion using a bobcat. the YT video is here:
Grand Designs Season 13 Episode 8 - East Devon
packymck Thanks for the feedback. I'll definitely check out Kevin's project.
Wow! My best friend, Nice one video. Love for you also best wishes to you, Carry on dear.
That clay looks incredible. I've never seen such a rich color.
it's Georgia RED clay, some of the best in the world
man, so much easier than trying to use a tarp and stomp on it I want to make an earthen oven, and I can easily rent a cement mixer. good stuff
Happy earthen oven building! I use mine ALL the time..
Excellent vid - very informative - you're doing fun stuff!
As a former brickie's labourer, who did most of that sort of work under a bloody hot Australian sun, I might have a few extra tips for you, if you haven't cottoned onto them anyway.
1 ) Make sure your concrete mixer is close to the piles of material you are using.
2 ) Get rid of the buckets. Measuring materials out in buckets is just double handling - aka - a waste of time. Once you know what your mix ratios are going to be, and your mixer is close to your material stock piles, just count it out in shovels full.
3 ) Having to tilt the mixer bowl to get a better mix probably can be remedied by putting more mix in the bowl. Most concrete mixers work better with a full load. Also, it saves on the number of mixes you make which saves you time.
4 ) When you pour your mix out into the barrow, leave the mixer running and put in some, if not all of your water for the next batch of cob. While you're away slapping mud on a wall, your mixer is getting a good wash out and all of the clay it picks up will go into your next batch. Or you could start another batch as soon as you tip the first one out and leave it mixing until you come back. I guess it all depends on how much help you have at the time.
You've made the BEST comment in the five years this video has been on YT..! I do all those things except filling until full. I'm in my 70s (young'uns my helper) and usually work alone, so I have to keep it managable. If I EVER get back to making videos, I'll be sure and add your wise words. thanks
@@packymck It was my pleasure. I didn't think there would ever be a time when having worked as a brickie's labourer would be of use any use to anyone. It was something I did when I was very much younger than I am now and a damned sight sillier too. Still, the money was pretty good for the times and the only talents you really needed was a strong back and pretty feeble mind! On the positive side, there was the times when we would get to the point where no more bricks could be laid that day, so we were all in the pub early ( and usually out of the pub pretty late. ) Believe me, after a day under the sun, going like a scalded cat to keep up with two, sometimes three, brickies, that first beer never even touched the sides as it went down!
Liked your video its informative for me .👏👍 From Pakistan .
Thanks so much for the video. I had been wondering why no one was using a mixer? I thought maybe the mix was too stiff. It does look tricky to get the mix just right without it clumping on the sides. I'd love to build with cob but you'll notice most cob construction sites have teams of people with some devoted to just mixing cob. For me the exhausting part would be the mixing. There's no way I could doing all the mixing and laying and be able to put in an 8 hour day. Getting too old for that so a mixer would be a godsend. Near as I can tell you got it mixed in 6 minutes which is at least twice as fast as I could mix that much and without all the exhausting mud dancing. Figure mixing and laying I could do three wheel barrows full an hour or 24 batches a day. That gives me hope I could build a cob house without it turning into a multi year process. I think with a little practice you can get it drier or as you said just wait a little bit for it to take up some. You can mix 3 or 4 batches then by the time you lay the first one the next would be ready to go.
I know what you're talking about. I'm almost seventy years old and there's no way I could mix using a tarp. Another point is, if you're going to build, build small. As in Tiny House small. Another thing you can do is have a timber frame structure built, infill with a clay straw slip, and then use an earthen plaster (that's what I'm mixing in the cement mixer) over the external and internal straw slip walls. Cob is way to labor intensive.
@@packymck that's how it was long ago, building houses was a community work, everyone helped each other build their house
@@zazugee yep. You're right. Neighbors helping neighbors. That still happens today. It's just few and far between.
Very informative. Good job and thx.
Im glad I saw this. This is truly a time saver. thank you
Hey guys, that was a Great video! Thank you. I was debating whether or not to use a cement mixer, now I'm definitely going to.
Yeah...but not that small! No worth it!! Better for you to use a tiller!!
Nice vid. I just got myself a concrete mixer. Yea Cob.
thanks for the comment. Cob is where it's at..
YES IT IS!!! We saw a few folks filter it to fine dust before mixing to stop clumps? Have you ever done that? Does it make any difference if you do filter it? Cool better that no shoes mud stomping like making grape wine etc... hahaha great video.
Because cob is mixed from clay soil you know there will be other stuff in it. Rocks, pebbles, silt, sand, etc. This is all fine if you're going to build a wall with it. But if you're going to make earthen plaster, you need to screen the clay soil to get the large particles out, so your earthen plaster will be smooth on the wall. More than likely, if you see someone screening/filtering their soil, it's because they're doing an earthen plaster mix.
packymck Thanks for such a fast reply most you tubers don't even bother. Sounds good the wall plaster and all. Maybe that is why they did that, we never thought of that. Thanks again!!
packymck forgot to say we are sub's of your page
thx for the great tutorial!
Thanks for posting this. I need to rebuild a cob oven this fall, and while I've mixed cob for the past two ovens by foot, this will save us a bunch of time and effort. I was wondering how well it would work to use a mixer, and it looks like this is the way to go.
Ed Murphy the key for a successful mix is to be able to tilt the mixer without dumping the contents. Changing the angle of the blades improves the total mixture. Have fun with your dirt project!
Hey, thanks for the vid and your followup info in the comments.
"I'll probably cut this part out!" LOL
thx for sharing, awesome video
Nice to see a new video from ya. Thanks for sharing and take care.
I've had camera and editing software learning problems.....:^)>
+packymck
If I wanted cinematography, I'd go to Cannes Festival. Your video clearly teaches me what I need to know, just as it is. Thanks
I appreciate the comment Tom....that's exactly my phylosophy...thanks
great idea! so 2 1/2 buckets of water and second 1/2 bucket to use to rince the edges so it dont come out toi wet
excellent work thanks for sharing keep it going
thank you for your comment
Good job 👏 Could one add some “lime” to the recipe? For better fireproofing, anti-mold/funguses and insect 🕷 🐜 repellent characteristics?
Shut up camara guy. Jeeeeeesss.
The guy who did the mix You did a awesome job.
I was just research alt building meathods and thinking, rammed earth has pneumatic pounders, cob should have a better mixing method! -- thx for sharing.
Cheers, Patrick
UR welcome Patrick! Depends on your climate whether you should use cob. Check out straw/clay slip for insulation, with a cob/earthen plaster...
Great video thank you
you're Welcome!
really useful video guys. Cheers!
+Gordon MacPherson
thanks
thanks
Wow! that's a very fast mixer. The material would probably drop from the top and mix easier if the rotation was a little slower.
It feels like the camera man has kidnapped this dude and is forcing him to say and do things on camera or the camera man's gonna kill him.
Funny😂😂
That was cool! Thank you!
you're welcome....now, go get some mud in your eye!
Thanks , respect
Cool process and I want to do it! But a lengthy process, ey? What happens when it rains in the middle of your build? I guess tarps are a part of every build? Thanks for going to the trouble of teaching us! I can't wait to make my own house!
the rule of thumb in earthen construction? Build your roof first. Then you can in-fill your walls under a roof that protects you from the weather....
Brilliant!
Nice tool investment! For Poppa
Never know when he'll come around building something from norhing
great job!
thanks...
Good thing we moved to Georgia!
Mixing inside a mixer...Cool. Although for that batch amount, wouldn't a shovel do a quicker, better job?
People have asked if a cement mixer can be used for earthen plaster, cob, etc. This is the video showing them how to do it.
I think you shouldn't add all the water at the beginning. You should keep some for washing the edges, so you don't end up adding extra water to do that, and having such a wet mix in the end.
nice idea! thank you :)
I can't believe you were doing that in a white shirt
not white anymore...lol
А если добавить к этому связующему ведер восемь песку, будет неплохой штукатурный раствор.
Большое спасибо
Hi, very good video. I was wondering if you can give me a hand. I'm trying to do a cob shed for my tools. I do not have experience on this at all. I don't have any help so it will be only me. Where I can start? What did you do to learn this? Thank you in advance!
Thanks, I thought a mixer would do it.
just be sure to tip the mixer to a level position and mix the straw in slowly
genius!
This mix helped by ACE Hardware red small bucket
Would it be easier to mix the dry ingredients first and then add the wet, sorta like when baking?
+Dave Wygonowski I've tried doing that too. I much more like mixing a wet mix. Then you can use the dry materials to bring the batch up to the perfect mix.....or, at least, in my experience...
oh was just about the ask the same question, but someone has probably though asked/answered it already, only took few scrows down the page to find it. but i still think doing a dry mix is better (sand first, then clay to reduce sticking), get less clumps of clay solids first, water can be fine tune later on. its the same with mixing concrete or cement, usualy do a dry mix sand first.
Is the clay easily found and how deep? Do you dry it, then crush it to a powder? Where I'm at if you dig it up it's usually damp and sticky. Normally about 8" of black soil on top of the clay. Then 5 - 6" of clay if you're lucky before you hit shelf rock!
You are not telling us what size buckets. What I thought was 5 gals are not. What size are they all?
it doesn't matter size. As long as all the buckets in your mix are the same size. If you use 5 gal, the mix can be way too big for the mixer. these buckets are prop a little over 1 gallon each.
Camera work is extra shaky - just the way I like it!
Thank you for this video. I have to ask, why so much clay? Didn't it crack too much and offer not enough stability? (depends on the purpose I guess)
Shouldn’t you mix the dry portions then add the water? Also, does the sand type matter at all?
Would make a difference to omit some of the clay for portland?
Dry mixing is very common. But I like a wet mix. it's easier for me. I then add shredded newspaper to bring the mix exactly to the wetness/dryness I need. Yes they type of sand matters. You don't want beech type sand that gets rounded off due to the ocean/water action. You want quarry type sand that is gagged and course. That makes a much better, solid plaster. Being a "natural Building" I'm doing my best not to use portland cement. I'm not saying I've never used it but that's very rare for me. I use lime if I want added weather repellent properties or use asphalt emulsion if the earthen part (of what you're building) is next to the ground.
Great is this mixture suitable only for internal wall ?
this particular mix was going to be used on an inside wall.
Seem like you should put the straw in right after the water.????
to each his/her own. I'm doing what works for me and sharing my experience. The bottom line is a good mix and work flow.
What if you added more water to the mix in order for it to mix faster and easier and then let the mix dry a little for a day..? Would it be a good idea?
I agree. I like to mix it wet. Then I'll add more straw or shredded newspaper to bring the mix to exactly what I want.
Im gna try
is good to show the sample process but when come to pu building together in that tempo will take forever ..
.. by the way ..where OR HOW I can get materials for making cob ?
thanks ,
stan
You are correct. These are small batches of cob or plaster. But I mostly work by myself, so small mixes work perfect for me. The clay soil comes from my property. Right out of the ground. I have sand delivered to the construction site.
thank you, has anyone ever done paper crete? i think well try this, i cant find a large amount of clay i dont want to buy any ideas?
The roof on the shed in this video is papercrete. Sealed with a latex concrete mix...
@@packymck, well I just googled that, which should mess up the algorithm 😉. My question is if that's better than doing Snow Coat over papercrete? Also, I keep dreaming about building like cob but with papercrete. Any information or thoughts on that? Thanks.
@@joantrotter3005 I'm a natural builder, so I use what I have on hand as much as possible. I've built several hyperbolic paraboloid roofs in the past and had those roofing materials on hand. Snow coat is another good way to coat a papercrete roof. There are papercrete houses that've been built. They're just not that "natural". My philosophy, as a natural builder, is to use what's at hand as much as possible. After that, what is practical, cost effective, and sustainable. I try to build so I don't go into debt too. Google: papercrete house
@@joantrotter3005 my paper adobe: th-cam.com/video/Nz-O6nlj5s0/w-d-xo.html
What brand of mixer is that? Are you plugged into a gen or directly into an outlet? Nice that it isn't too loud while you are working. Nice!
Cassity ART It's an electric Kobalt 4 cubic .5 HP mixer bought from Loew's
Please give the bucket capacities... 2 gallon, 3 gallon, 5 gallon, etc. (Litres, too.)
Please do not assume people all over the world will know what buckets you are using just by looking at them.
After watching videos of people using their feet then this one, I certainly will get a mixing machine!
I understand what you're saying. the mix is 3 parts clay, 2 parts sand, and the water and straw is enough to bring the total mix into the consistency you want. So you can use whatever size buckets that create a mix that will fit into your sized mixer. In fact, some people use a mortar mixer instead of a cement mixer. Mortar mixers are better to use than cement mixers. I can't afford an expensice mortar mixer for the small amounts I need. If you have a large project and will need tons of cob, and it's in your budget, buy a mortar mixer...You may need to get you a cob building book too. The most important part about earthen building is knowing your soil. This is the reason most earthen builders don't talk about mixes much, other than their mix and how many "parts" of clay, sand, water, straw, they use. Every soil is like people. Different. Some clay is brown, tan, chocolate, red, golden, blue, white, etc....so each and every type of clay takes more or less sand, all depending on it's makeup. Thanks for your question...
How much did it cost you to build your cob house? And how long did it take you?
I bought 10ac with a mh on it....I've been adding to, and renovating that MH for a decade using nat build techniques
done
Love the video! Do you have experience using cob in forms while building a structure?
I plan on starting a project soon and would love to use cob but more of the rammed earth process. Anyone ever seen cob being rammed into forms?
+Lets Make It I've done an earthen floor using forms (search: earthen floor tessellation part 1) here on YT and I've seen CEB (compressed earth blocks) being used for construction, and "This Cob House" - here on YT - has done test blocks with rammed earth.....let me know how your project goes...
Research "shuttered cob" actual cob, not rammed earth, has been done in the past in Britain and France. In the 19th century if I remember often for interior walls in rural areas.
Also about how much cobb is produced with one bale of straw?
I think there are too many factors to consider, to come up with how long a straw bale will last, when mixing cob. Every geographic region is different in accordance to your clay/sand/straw ratio. You may need to ask a local cobber.
@@packymck I think the best way to make big amount of cob, is with rotor-tiller! Have you ever seen anyone did that??
@@marioshadjikyriacou3381 Yes. Indeed. Rotor tiller is a great way. Some ppl even use a bob cat or tractor to make huge matches of cob. th-cam.com/video/pzZR-EP5kgw/w-d-xo.html
i cant seem to get the paper crete mix correct thank you for suggestions :0)
How did you mix your papercrete? By hand? in a cement mixer? did you build a pepercrete mixer? check out papercrete.com......or do a search here on YT for "DIY How to Make Papercrete in a Tow-Mixer"
И через сколько ты угандонил бетономешалку? Ножками это делается, ножками, ну или лошадью, если есть.
лошадь убежала и у меня только одна нога
Why do you put the water in first rather than mixing the dry components together first and then adding the water?
GREAT Question. I used to do that. That's what you'd do when mixing concrete. But I've found that if I go ahead and mix the water and the binder (clay) together first and then the sand, as I add straw later, I can use the straw to bring the mix up to the EXACT consistency that I like. Mixing earthen materials isn't like mixing concrete. The sand and clay can be wet (rain) and every mix from day to day can be a little different. Hot dry days, takes more water. Raining days, less added water, etc...and because I mix back to back, one mix right after the other, the watery clay first mix picks up all the leftover previous mix and helps blend that into the new mix. I sometimes use shredded newspaper (if the mix is wetter than I like) to help bring the mix to the consistency I like. In earthen mixing, you get your hands right in the mix to feel it. That's how you know it's a good mix.
Cheers. Thanks for the reply. Most informative. I'd be mixing it on my own and using a tarp seemed and awfully tiresome procedure.
What’s good framing material to use with cob?
Terrible shaky camerawork. That's it! 4:25. Can't watch this anymore.
i seen a video where its 2 sand to 1 clay, i guess it dont matteR?
it all depends on your local soil. That's why you have to do a jar test first before you decide what your mix is going to be. That's why mixes can be different.
it didnt go through? i did that earlier today the only thing it says now is unsubscribe. i pushed on your picture and it comes into posted videos
something must be going on with YT....or it takes a while for them to update subscribers. When I go to my channel, I have a button that, when clicks, brings up all my subscribers, and I have the ability to send them a message. Your name isn't on the list, and the subscriber totals have not changed. If the button says "unsubscribe" that means you are subscribed to my channel. Don't change that. I'll check it in a few days to see if you're on the list, and if you are, I'll send you a message with all the info to contact me directly....whew
Do you need a permit to build a Cobb house in Georgia?
Can grass or chipped wood be used instead of straw?
I wouldn't use grass. It will rot. I used wood chips and clay slip as an insulator in one of my walls. I would Never use wood chips as a substitute for straw in a cob mix tho. Straw is like rebar in an earthen mix. It uses it's length to bind the mix together. Small wood chip cant do that.
@@packymck
Cool thanks
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏😇✌
Have you ever used a mortar mixer as opposed to the concrete mixer? I'm wondering if that would work better. Might just be splitting hairs by asking this, but if someone plans to do a lot of this, it may be a good question to ask
You have a VERY good question. That is exactly what's recommended for mixing earthen plaster. A mortar mixer. The paddles do a much better action of mixing the clay, sand, straw, and water. I have a cement mixer and wanted to show others, like me that have a cement mixer, that it was possible to use it for this purpose. A mortar mixer is out of my budget.
If you're going to be doing a lot of mixing and can afford a mortar mixer, that is exactly what you should buy. If you're going to be mixing tons of cob, there are people that use a skid loader for that. It all depends on what your resources are....
good ❤️
متشکرم
Where did you find such a large supply of powdered clay?
+hkd11 That's red clay right out of the ground....and then sifted through a .25" screen to get the larger rocks out of the clay.
do you think this would work in a slipform construction of a home. instead of using concrete and stone just pour in your mix
+steven padilla ....Great Question Steven. I know it would work. It's been done (using slip forms) for hundreds of years. Google image "rammed earth". Although they do add approx 8% cement.
I've always thought that ramming cob into a form would work. The only down side to that would be building TOO fast. The damp/wet cob could slump, and because the wall went up so fast, the whole wall could collapse. I once had a six inch thick cob wall built on a stone foundation (approx 12 foot section) collapse because it went up so fast and didn't have enough time to "cure" (dry) enough to support itself. So, building with forms would need to be a slow process, so the mix could cure. So then the question arrives. Why use the forms then? If you have to wait, or be concerned with slumping, etc. why not just build with cob and save the expense of forms?
You may need to ask more Q's if I didn't explain enough....
The rammed earth construction cures fast because of the added cement. A natural earthen mix cures slowly as it drys naturally. The only other "bit" I would add is, Adobe builders add Asphalt Emulsion to their mix for stabilization. If you don't want to use any cement you could do some test with an 8% addition of AE to your mix.
Check out my Earthen Tessellation Floor. I used asphalt emulsion in that floor.
Let me know if I can help you in any other way. I love to answer questions!
+packymck this information is very helpful. I guess my reason for the slip form would be for the creation of a more clean, square shaping of the cob walls. I know so little on how this type of construction is done,I dont know how you would create level and straight walls and corners or smooth them out . by eye using trowels and levels I imagine.maybe i should read a book on it
steven padilla If you're serious about building with earth, your really should take a cob workshop and buy "The hand sculpted House" (amazon). The first thing I did when I got serious about building with cob was to fly across the country to Oregon, to take a cob workshop with Ianto and Linda of Cob Cottage Company. That was SO inspiring and gave me the zip to get on the task. That was 16 years ago and I'm still love'n it...Now, there are many people teaching earthen construction all across the USA and abroad (I'm sure there's probably someone in your area), because of Ianto and Linda's School....They've started a small building revolution, and now you're a part of it. Find a teacher, take a workshop, read the book and get busy....
You left us hanging. How much curing time is needed with A.E. before forms can be removed? For cement? For rammed cob?
Was this mixer everything you wanted? What model/make? Would you recommend a different one?
John McGlone I bought mine at Home Depot. I would recommend a mixer that has an adjustable drum height. The drum normally sits back at a 45 degree (ish) angle. To mix cob or plaster, you need to be able to tilt the drum almost level, so the blades really turn the mix. I make do by propping mine up with a small step stool (that does the trick).
packymckJohn McGlone ....look at the video at 327 in....for tilt of drum I'm talking about...
packymck Yep I caught the tilt, thanks for the tips. What hp was your motor?
John McGlone Okay...I went and looked. Mines a Kobalt mixer, bought from Loews.....4 cubic ft, half horse power.
packymck Thanks for the trouble Packy!
So this works with cob as well as earthen plaster?
If your plan is to use earth as the plaster. Today, most people use lime in their plasters.
Do you live in Georgia? By coincidence, I'm looking for JD Stonecyper in Toccoa.
is that cement sand you are using?
there's no cement in the sand. Only clay, sand, straw, water...4 cobb and/or earthen plaster
this is probably the way pyramid where build
+Nelson Dacosta indeed..!
Hey, what kind of mortar do you use to bind the cob together?
cob is a mixture of clay soil, sand, straw and water. Cob is the mortar.
I live in north GA too. Did you have to go to your county/municipal government about building permits or anything? If so, was it difficult to obtain? And I saw someone else asked about a workshop; would that be possible?
Thanks, it's great to see people doing this in the South, not only in the Pacific NW!
I moved to this county more than a decade ago because they had no building codes at the time. Today, like all counties in GA, the local county government requires permits to some degree or another. Where I live they only require a permit for your septic system. Others have a department dedicated to building permits. I had my building built way before the county ever required permits. But that doesn't mean that today, or some time in the future, they could come to me and give me grief....Do you live in NE or NW Ga?
@@packymck yeah it seems things tend to get more complicated rather than easier.. What kind of cob structures do you have on your property? Any other earthen materials? It's like central/NE. It's Hall, not too rural i guess. Do you know what agency or website I should go to?
I'd go meet with them face to face and let them know you'd like to build a small house. Get them to talking about ALT building in Hall County first. Don't talk earthen yet. www.hallcounty.org/207/Building-Inspections
I've done earthbags, cordwood, cob, straw, slip straw, slip sawdust, papercrete, and art projects.
Thanks for the link! So if I understand correctly, you suggest a "keeping your cards close to your chest" type approach. Has anybody every contracted you to build something? Or is that something you would be interested in?
i did that but my amount is way small i think my portions are incorrect the last few i made held but i can break in half, i broke down portion of type that was recoomended. i have cement mixer maybe i was mossing something?
do you have a web site? or a place where you document your projects? What is your mix ratio?
I'd like to see some pictures of what you're doing. Basically, papercrete is approximately 20 percent of portland cement mixed with pulped paper... look on my YT channel for my email address and send me your email so we can talk more in detail via email. and maybe you could send me some pix of your project.
You need to google "Living in Paper". it's the site of one of the guys that started the whole papercrete movement.
I heard there's a paper home in Columbus NM :0)
I don't see your email
the only way I know how to do it, is if you subscribe to my YT channel. Then I can send you a message with my email info
+packymck. got it done, samzstuff21@gmail.com
Hi, is there a good source to buy sifted clay locally in my area (Eugene, Oregon)? Thank you!
There's a lot of great earthen building going on in Oregon. Ask Cob Cottage about local vendors....albeit, you might have to sift your own clay.
how much straw? is that bucket size a gallon?
The buckets I use are almost two gallons each.....and I usually put two buckets of straw into each mix.
Why am I watching mud and straw going round and round and I can't stop watching until the end?
What would happen and/or would it be good/bad/$ to throw a half bag of cement in like the rammed earth people do?
(I read the thread about cement mixers versus using your feet and a tarp. Like the colonial guy did to make his oven. I guess if your in the middle of no where and 5000 years ago with no tools, your feet will work. )
Building with mud is called "natural building". Some peeps don't want to use machines or concrete. Also, because natural building is outside the permit/code world people can be way-a-way from electricity. I like the tarp method. It's interesting building and creating without machines to do the work for you. But if you need things to move along a little faster, using machines where they're best suited works for me...
Do u need permit to build a cob home?
I built this house years ago, before my county had an inspector. Today? Most counties require a permit for any major construction.
alright alright just gotta find a cement mixer now
....or, you can use the tarp method if a cement mixer is out of the question.
not out of the question, just gotta find one :). this seems like it really speeds things up if you're doing most of this solo
UR right....this is perfect 4 solo mixing
so inspiring!
where did you get the red clay? And what size cement mixer are you using?
He probably got it from his own yard! I live in Georgia and if you dig down, there's about 2 ft of topsoil, then the deep red clay starts after that and continues until you hit bedrock, 20+ feet layer depending on where you live. Bedrock underneath me is limestone. I know this bc we had a well drilled.
20ft layer of red clay... Then bedrock ... Sorry if that was confusing.
Very informative but hell your backyard is a mess... hahaha work in progress i suppose
Okay Chlebio....You got me. I hate it, but when you're renovating a house with recycled materials...well, ya have to keep um somewhere 'til you use them. I've got piles and piles of stuff everywhere. Hate it. But it's served me well over the years...reuse, recycle, up-cycle, salvage piles and piles....
Yeah, when you're a DIYer, you collect everything people are throwing away that could be used for something. I don't like them $500.00 + trips to town for building supplies either. That's why I live in the country, so I can have free material piles too.