clay "slip" between layers of cob?

Hi all; New to using cobb, and i was told to use a paint brush to apply slip in betweeen layers of cobb. I made what I think is slip, by soaking powdered clay in a bucket with water. I'm preety sure that this is the proper stuff but i'm not sure how thick to make it ? How important is this step ? I was getting my dry cob wet before applying new layers but not using " slip" , will i have problems ? Thank you for any help Tom

T. R. : Ask a significant other, a good pancake batter is usually considered 'good enough'. If you want more information I can recommend Evans' et al "The Hand-Sculpted House''
and Michael Smiths' 'The Cobbers Companion' ! The "old surface that you have 'left behind' should literally be as ruough as possible as should be the joining 'Free-formed Cob " !

For the Good of the Craft ! As always, your comments / questions are solicited and Welcome ! Think like Fire ! Flow like a Gas ! Don't be the Marshmallow ! PYRO - Logically BIG AL !

Hi Thomas,

Timber framing is my primary wheelhouse, but many different forms of traditional cobb and adobe building are in my background. To answer you first question, slip, whether you are dealing with ceramics or cobb, is nothing more than the "clay body," you are working in, thinned to a consistency that you want, (i.e. thin as paint or thick as cake frosting.) So don't worry to much. Painting on is the least common method I have seen, most often (if used at all) it is just spread on like frosting between the "lifts" of work you do on your wall. When I personally do "mud work," I like to keep the wall area I am adding to moist, and if there is going to be a "cold joint," (i.e. where you stop working is a cold joint) I will insert (about 100mm to 150mm deep) small (12mm to 20mm diameter) sections of wood or bamboo every 150mm to 300mm apart, leaving proud about 100mm to 150mm, to take the next lift of cobb. Then the first course to go on is really 'wet' and 'squishes' out when I add consecutive material. That is my form of a cold joint with mechanical bonding as well as 'slip mortar.' Note this method is a culmination of several traditional methods including Dine' and Pueblo.

There are just so many different styles and approach methodologies, that you just find degrees of strength. The method I described above is for structural walls that could go as high as several stories. I would have to know more about your build to really get "picky." Sounds like you are doing good work and really making an effort to build well.

Regards,

jay

Hi Guys; thanks for the reply. I am having so much fun building my rmh that I did'nt want to make a mistake and have to start over. sounds like I'm on the rite track. Tom