Cob wall raising device ?

I've been doing a bit of research into machinery to help with cob building. I happened across the following item while googling something completely unrelated.

http://www.finnbuilder.co.za/gemini.htm

The basic principal is that the device is rammed with a concrete mix and "floated" to the side along the edge of the wall, eliminating the need for brickmaking, since your "bricks" are actually formed in-place on the wall.

I am currently sitting in an office building about as far away from a cob wall as one can get, and my cob-walled cottage in the countryside remains a twinkle in my eye.
However I'm hoping someone on the thread will take a stab at raising a cob wall using one of these devices and documenting their experiences.

Cheers
Stephan

Hi Stephan; Cool tool ! I will be very interested if this will work with cobb. I am wondering if cobb mite be stickyer than concreat ? Or does the cobb take to long to set up? Not sure but neat find! My only experience with cobb has been making a rocket mass heater, and it takes a lot longer to "set up" than concreat. If this tool is not cost prohibitive than it could be worth a try.Remember that you wont be sitting in an office forever ! Soon you can be out playing in the mud building that cobb cottage of your dreams! Good luck Tom

slipform. Never seen it used for cob.

It used to be common for farmers to use them for concrete, sized to match a batch from their concrete mixer. Troublesome to make it work without getting cold joints.

I had considered the same thing for rammed earth, but gave that up when I realized I needed more concrete and sand to make rammed earth than just using concrete blocks.

Strikes me as something that sort of misses the point of cob.

One of the great features of cob is its sculptural quality. This little machine is a way of preventing cob from looking handmade and helping it look like any masonry construction.

It might work, but personally I wouldn't try it.

Where I want big, squared away straight walls I'll go with rammed earth, I think.