gift
Living Woods Magazine -- 1st Issue
will be released to subscribers in: soon!
Win a copy of Sourdough Without Fail this week in the Bread forum!"
  • Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Carla Burke
  • Nancy Reading
  • John F Dean
  • r ransom
  • paul wheaton
  • Jay Angler
  • Timothy Norton
stewards:
  • Pearl Sutton
  • Tereza Okava
  • Nicole Alderman
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
gardeners:
  • M Ljin
  • Megan Palmer
  • Pete Podurgiel

Best recipe for cob?

 
Posts: 9
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
What is the best recipe for cob, mud, plaster for rocket mass heaters?
 
Rocket Scientist
Posts: 4809
Location: Upstate NY, zone 5
761
5
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
It depends on the characteristics of the clay and other materials you have. Natural clay can be a component of soil in amounts from 0 to nearly 100%; many subsoils (not topsoil) have 10% to 25% clay and make good cob, perhaps with additives.

This quote from Green Homebuilding is appropriate:
"The reason there is no standard recipe in The Hand-Sculpted House is that there is no standard recipe."

All cob has to be mixed to use the materials on hand, testing as you go to find the best mixture. You want to end up with something like 20% clay, 80% sand (and possibly gravel), and enough straw to give tensile strength to the cob - the page mentioned says up to 10% straw by volume. If your clay soil already has a lot of sand and gravel, you might not need to add much.

 
I am a man of mystery. Mostly because of this tiny ad:
Permaculture Voices 1, 2 and 3 - all 117 hours of video!
https://permies.com/t/voices123
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic