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Will my clay soil shrink

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posted 2 years ago

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I have studied building cobb ovens for years. Our neighbor just dug a pool. I got several loads of the soil. We are in SE Texas with montmorilinite soil, the heavy, black gumbo, sticky clay. My question:
Will this clay work for cobb if I add sand and straw or does it shrink too much?

Toni

Angela Wilcox

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posted 2 years ago

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H Toni, Welcome to Permies!! Congratulations on your first post.

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R Scott

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posted 2 years ago

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Try it. Buy a bag of sand and make a few loaves at different percentages. Set them in a windowsill to speed drying.

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Glenn Herbert

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posted 2 years ago

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And with these test loaves, make marks 10" apart while wet, and measure the distance after they dry. This is an easy way to get an accurate percent shrinkage measurement.

John C Daley

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posted 2 years ago

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Testing clay for its suitability has been well covered here and elsewhere.
Have you done any research for more information?

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