Cob Workshop - Tractor Cob

clay

sand

straw (and some water)

smoosh it all together

stir it up

eventually you will end up with a pile of cob like this

Tractor Cob

-a much faster method of mixing cob than by foot

-roughly 3 buckets of clay, 2 buckets of sand, 1/2 bale of straw

-spread out each ingredient and run over it thoroughly before mixing with the bucket

-add the hay after the dry ingredients are combined, cover the pile completely

-soak the whole mixture down with the water hose

-tractor cob must be mixed wetter than by foot, it may need to dry out before use

-larger, more heavy duty forms must be used with tractor cob as so much weight will be on them

scraping out the tractor cob

spreading out the cob

watching :)

the heavy duty braces for the tractor cob wall

That's our instructor, Diane, climbing in the frames to stomp the cob!

The second day of the workshop, after we learned to mix the cob by foot, we learned how to make it with the tractor. It is much faster, less labor intensive and it can be mixed several tons at a time. It doesn't get mixed quite as thoroughly though, there are drawbacks to either method. Once it is mixed it may need to set out overnight to dry out enough to use. On the third day of the workshop we poured it into the forms on the shop building. The cob must be scraped out of the bucked of the tractor with rakes and shovels, not dumped as the weight will most certainly break the forms. The cob still needs to be tamped down thoroughly, but if the forms are big enough you can just hop in and stomp around on it.

Until next time,

Angela Kelly

Comments

puppy play date

Yesterday Trilli got to have a puppy play date with her best friend, Oreo, and a new boyfriend, Yeti. Everyone in our group has a dog or two, so socializing them is essential. With several large breeds covered in our pack, they can be a bit much at first. Oreo (the pit bull) is quick like lighting, nudging the others with her nose and batting her paws. Trilli (husky and lab) loves to play but has the biggest mouth, constantly barking. We're working on that. Yeti is a basset hound and great Pyrenees mix, still growing and just beautiful. He got along with the girls wonderfully, outside taking turns pouncing on each of them. It's great to watch a pack of dogs together, it's so natural for them, their own kind; friends. Hopefully next time I'll remember to bring my camera! Until next time, Angela Kelly

the dogs of luna acres - always ready to go

Our little farm is quite over run with animals, although most of them not the working farm type. The three dogs take turns guarding the place and sleeping on the couch. They all have their flaws and strengths, but not one of them what most would consider "well trained". We love them all the same, we know it our own fault for not working harder for them. We are blessed with space for them to run relatively free on their own. The yard this time of year is littered with deer legs and bones, the occasional head or spinal cord. It's a good life for these dogs. Trilli and Dakota ready to go Dakota eating the snow Bandit, the oldest pup, is still always ready for a walk, even if he doesn't make it all the way there the view this afternoon It's funny, even with all the freedom, they are always ready to go for a walk. Until next time, Angela Kelly

a new project

I stumbled upon a website last week about low impact woodland homes, essentially: hobbit houses. Dug into a hillside and covered with earth to create an efficient and beautiful house. They are made with roundwood framing, using oak trees left whole as the timbers. Straw bales are used for insulation in the walls and under the floor. They used a natural lime plaster on the walls, recycled materials for everything possible, thrifted doors and windows. All together this husband/father and his father in law built a house for under $4000 in about four months. I have been blown away by the ideas and resources available on the subject. We have spent hours already discussing the outbuildings we will need in the future, such as barns, root cellars, storage sheds, animal shelters, and well we could definitely use a few cabins around. If we can utilize the materials around us in this way, it's possible for us to create an incredible farm, beautiful, efficient, and sustainable....

luna acres

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