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Various adobe and cob built structures projects thread

 
Kris Johnson
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posted 10 years ago
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I'll be using this thread to post pics of my various build projects. This is a test post to see if I am posting pics correctly.

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
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That didn't work. How do I post pics here?

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Burra Maluca
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This thread has instructions on different ways of posting photos - how to make your posts better

But in your case, part of the problem seems to be that the permissions are set wrongly. You might need to make the album permies.

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Kris Johnson
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Small mortared stone stem wall
0923151133-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0923151133-00.jpg]
mortered stone stem wall

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
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Burra Maluca wrote:This thread has instructions on different ways of posting photos - how to make your posts better

Sweet! it worked! Thanks Burra!

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
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Some pics of progress on my adobe brick sawdust toilet outhouse.
1007151356-01.jpg
[Thumbnail for 1007151356-01.jpg]

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
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Other angles
1007151353-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 1007151353-00.jpg]
1007151356-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 1007151356-00.jpg]

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
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Alright! I'm going to be a picture posting maniac now!

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
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A wicker basket that I plastered with soil cement and tadelakt.
0903151229-01.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0903151229-01.jpg]
1007151240-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 1007151240-00.jpg]

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
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A cob bowl that I did tadelakt over
0903151345-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0903151345-00.jpg]
0903151426-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0903151426-00.jpg]
0904151302-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0904151302-00.jpg]

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
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Whew, now that I got those out there I'll try to keep this thread focused on the small adobe block outhouse. And once this project is completed I'll move on to the next so as not to have posts of scattered projects all over the thread. Questions and critic's greatly appreciated!

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Rebecca Norman
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Hi Kris, thanks for your posts.

Are you casting the adobe bricks right in place in the wall? That's what it looks like in the pictures. If that is the case, why don't you make a bigger frame and just cast whole pieces of wall in place? That's what we did (low tech ancient style rammed earth, or I suppose it should be called packed earth, or formed cob). It has proven to be wonderfully durable, hard, strong, warm, etc etc.

The disadvantage of adobe bricks is that the wall is not composed of one monolithic piece of material but many small pieces that have less structural connection. Rammed or packed earth or cob are monolithic, and in my experience clearly stronger than adobe brick walls.

The advantage of adobe bricks is that you can make the bricks and turn and dry them from all sides before you are ready to build the wall. Then when you're ready to build, it's faster to slap them into place than to place forms and fill rammed or packed earth layer by layer. Also if the bricks are already dry, the wall dries quickly, as just the mortar needs to dry.

If you're placing brick molds on the wall and casting in place, it looks to me like maybe you're getting the disadvantages of both and the advantages of neither.

Or maybe I've misunderstood the pictures?

Works at a residential alternative high school in the Himalayas SECMOL.org . "Back home" is Cape Cod, E Coast USA.

 
Kris Johnson
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What in the pictures would make one think the bricks are cast in place?

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
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This is a traditional adobe brick wall where bricks are made first, allowed to dry and then laid in mud mortar. I like to try to keep the mortar and the dry brick that is in contact with the mortar as moist as possible so the brick and mortar create a covalent bond and the wall becomes one solid mass. Perhaps the gringo block gave the cast in situ impression?

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Dale Hodgins
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How are you making the bricks?
 
Kris Johnson
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The bricks I'm using for this are about 3 years old now and about the third project they've been used for. I mixed raw soil with water and straw and packed the mixture into a wooden form, removed the form and allowed to dry. Where I am now I have to mix 2.5 parts sand to 1 part raw soil to make a sufficient brick that doesn't crack, add straw if available. Use the same mix for the morter. These bricks are 12"x9". Maybe I'll post some pics of the process.

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Jay C. White Cloud
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Hi Kris,

I am really enjoying looking at your "earth work!" It is wonderful. The mixed medium with tadelakt is impressive. Great job, and thanks for sharing...
 
Kris Johnson
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Location: Pahrump NV
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Here's a few progress photos.


First pic is after a good desert rain, 2" in 72 hours, almost half the average yearly rainfall in 3 days!

Second pic showing progress and a lintel/bondingish beam/gringo block.

Third pic is a closer view and the platform that will have a toilet seat over a 55 gallon dry toilet.
1106150844-01.jpg
[Thumbnail for 1106150844-01.jpg]

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
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Damn, just when I thought I had the picture thing down!
1016151346-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 1016151346-00.jpg]
After the 2" in72 hour rain
1106150844-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 1106150844-00.jpg]
Progress pic lintel/bondingish beam/giant gringo block

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
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More pics and more to come!
1106150845-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 1106150845-00.jpg]
Another angle
1106150845-01.jpg
[Thumbnail for 1106150845-01.jpg]
More angle
1106150952-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 1106150952-00.jpg]
Close up of crude laped dove tail joint

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
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A few pics of in-situ arch frame work. Bricks stacked on top of one another and then mortar piled on the outside and smoothed over to the radius of the arch.
1112151354-01.jpg
[Thumbnail for 1112151354-01.jpg]
Front view
1112151354-02.jpg
[Thumbnail for 1112151354-02.jpg]
Close up radius with 2X4 attached for creating the arch form
1112151355-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 1112151355-00.jpg]
View from "inside"

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
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Location: Pahrump NV
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posted 9 years ago
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Sorry its been so long since I've posted on this project, I've been internetless until a week ago so here are some update photos, enjoy!
1123151138-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 1123151138-00.jpg]
Arch being built
0406161346-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0406161346-00.jpg]
Walls going up around arch

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
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Location: Pahrump NV
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posted 9 years ago
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More pics
0421161615-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0421161615-00.jpg]
0428161447-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0428161447-00.jpg]
0428161447-01.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0428161447-01.jpg]

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
Posts: 84
Location: Pahrump NV
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posted 9 years ago
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More pics bond beam
0516161551-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0516161551-00.jpg]
0516161552-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0516161552-00.jpg]
0516161554-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0516161554-00.jpg]

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
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Location: Pahrump NV
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posted 9 years ago
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more pics begining of brick roof
0522161545-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0522161545-00.jpg]
0524161509-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0524161509-00.jpg]
0524161548-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0524161548-00.jpg]
view from above

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
Posts: 84
Location: Pahrump NV
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posted 9 years ago
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more pics
0528161831-01.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0528161831-01.jpg]
Starting to close in

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
Posts: 84
Location: Pahrump NV
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posted 9 years ago
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more pics
0530161529-01.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0530161529-01.jpg]
top view
0624161646-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0624161646-00.jpg]
inside view of completed roof
0715161524-01.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0715161524-01.jpg]
standing on top of roof where eventual cuppola will be

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
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Location: Pahrump NV
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more pics?!
0822161523-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0822161523-00.jpg]
"back" door
0825161707-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0825161707-00.jpg]
stairs? leading up into toilet area
0829161257-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0829161257-00.jpg]
back side with door attached

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
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Location: Pahrump NV
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... more pics
0831161355-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0831161355-00.jpg]
inside wall plastered, polished and white lime washed
0901161659-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0901161659-00.jpg]
0901161700-00.jpg
[Thumbnail for 0901161700-00.jpg]
white washed brick inside roof

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Kris Johnson
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Location: Pahrump NV
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posted 9 years ago
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The brick roof was covered in a layer of magnesium phosphate cement that I got from grancreate. I still have to make and attach a door, finish the interior floor and toilet area and plaster the outside in lime. But that is it for now!

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
Rebecca Norman
gardener
Posts: 2573
Location: Ladakh, Indian Himalayas at 10,500 feet, zone 5
909
I like...
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Hi Kris, These photos look great, thanks! I don't know why I made that comment up there in 2015 thinking you cast your adobes in place. I dunno.
Your structures are gorgeous.

Works at a residential alternative high school in the Himalayas SECMOL.org . "Back home" is Cape Cod, E Coast USA.

 
Kris Johnson
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posted 9 years ago
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Thank you Rebecca!

Stay where you are, work with what you have, do what you can

 
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