Glenn Herbert

There might also be an issue with the clearance of the workbench from toe stove. Check the manufacturer's specs for required side clearances.

I would definitely put a heat shield above the stovepipe chimney connection area. The general stove heat should be distributed enough by the time it gets to the ceiling that it is not a danger to those pipes, but the concentrated heat from the stovepipe could easily be too much. It may be required to have a ceiling heat shield over the whole stove area, and that would be a good idea in any case. Sheetmetal held 1" off any combustible materials with noncombustible standoffs would satisfy strict code requirements. The area above the sheetmetal needs to be freely ventilated so that heat can dissipate elsewhere.

Summer hibernation = estivation

Mine is still sleeping, though it may have to wake up later this week...

Yes, cob will not stick to metal, or even smooth stone or wood. Heavily textured substrates can work.

Chicken wire may be enough structure to keep the cob intact as long as it is securely fastened to a solid base. The thickness of the cob makes a difference. A couple of inches would not fare very well, while 6" or more of cob with straw reinforcement should be fine as long as it is anchored to the backing at intervals. Chicken wire or welded wire mesh (fencing) would distribute the anchoring stress through a large area of cob and hold well. I would "balloon" the mesh out to around half of the cob thickness from the anchor points so that the wire is pretensioned in effect.

The whole idea of a metal wall covered with a cob exterior would depend on a very dry climate and good weather protection. Is there any wetter season where the cob could potentially get moist? If it can hold damp against the metal, that is a recipe for eventual corrosion.

Canopies for shade that would also keep any rain from hitting the cob would be a very good insurance policy.

The video is now private. Any chance of summarizing it, or finding a different way to see it?

My land was a farm for something like 150 years before my parents bought it to build their house. Between two fields, essentially huge terraces on a hillside, was a drainage ditch which becomes a ravine. To get between fields the farmer threw rocks into the 5' or so deep gully to make a level driving surface. It still drains through the rock fill after probably 100 years or more. I have never seen the flow overtop the roadway in the heaviest storms.

I think if you start well below frost depth and slope the bottom positively, and use plenty of larger stone with little gravel or sand, you could have a dry footing for a lifetime or more.

Excellent idea to let the log clamp and stabilize the treads. It would take more careful and precise work. It might also give more chance for joints to hold moisture and foster rot. I would want this stair made from locust or other rot-resistant wood, or sheltered from direct rain.

Peter recently built a modified sidewinder Shorty core with the opposite exit port configuration you describe, and it worked. The fill in the lower part of the riser needs to be configured in a particular way, as he described.

A layer of polyiso board on top of the existing wall is perfectly reasonable. It will need to be covered with drywall for fire resistance, and some minimal wood framing at drywall joints at least so that the joints will not buckle or shift. It is possible that gluing the polyiso to the wall and the new drywall to the polyiso can make the centers of drywall sheets rigid enough for good looks. If you will want to put any shelves on the walls, you will need regular (2x2) framing behind the new surface.

As you have an attic, putting more insulation and bigger vents in it would definitely be a good idea. The ideal would be vents that allow breezes to flow freely through the attic space in summer, so heat does not build up there.

I think you would be best served long term by taking measures that will reduce heat buildup in your upper floor. Things like a ventilated roof skin above the existing one, vents high and low and taking advantage of prevailing breezes, screening of walls and windows that are exposed to direct sunshine...