Thanks for the replies!
My thoughts were to make the blocks in a frame, then move them to the building area while they are still somewhat wet after compressing them with the backhoe. This way they can bond with other blocks & cob "mortar" easily, then dry together, and I can do a majority of the process quickly solo.
By creating 3x3x6ft blocks, the block shouldn't bulge under its own weight and should stay solid. Most resources I have read express that you can only build about 3ft tall with cob a day, else it wont harden enough for the next course, and will bulge out below. Moving the blocks won't be an issue, as they'll fit in the loader bucket and probably weigh around 3000-4500 lbs each.
I enjoy the thought process that most cob builders have, which is to construct an entire house off of local resources.
Being in the mountains in VA, I have an abundance of timber, stone, clay, sand, and lime. I have some creeks, streams, and lakes nearby.
Ideally, I want to build a timber frame house on a stone rubble foundation with stone walls and perhaps even hay bales for insulation.
I believe this practice structure would also provide good practice for solar and insulation requirements.
Being a novice with timber framing and stone masonry, I expect that process to take much much longer and to make many mistakes. I'll mill my own timber and collecting/quarrying rocks, which will be very time intensive.
Rammed earth building sounds pretty similar, this also seems to be the same as adobe blocks, but not completely drying the blocks prior to building. I'll have to look into those building methods as well!
