A way to make straight and plumb openings in earthen buildings.

I spent a lot of time and effort trying to sculpt straight corners and openings in my cob/ earthbag house. This little innovation has enabled me to be precise and much faster. I nail thin boards into the cob surrounding the opening to act as forms/shutters/straight edges. Into the cavity I pack cob and then use a trowel to smooth the material to the straight edge, much how the surface of a concrete form is used. This makes for very uniform and square openings and tricks the eye into thinking a wall is more uniform than it actually is.

Nifty! I know the Greeks would use column measurements to trick the eye. Congratulations on this innovation, and keep enjoying your work process. Cheers!

Nice! Thanks for the info and excellent pics.