Cob Fibro Cement- or *cellulose*

[crtaylor]

>
>In short, they've used (off the top of my head) one part cement, two parts
>sand and three parts _saw-dust_.  The resultant walls were a nice texture
>-- at a distance one could make out the curves of each pour (a couple of
>inches each) but on closer inspection the individual bits of saw-dust were
>clearly visible.
>Methinks that this could be a short-cut around the problem of how to shred
>up all the paper required for fibro-cement.  It's not as ethically apt as
>recycled paper, but it's not bad.


Rog-


Hi Rog, my understanding is that Sean Sands  ( on the cover of, and talked
about in EQ, and a FC builder with Mike McCain)is experimenting with wood
chips and sawdust in BC Cananda where he also lives.  Being on the Pac NW
COast, I knopw we have piles of it everywhere, and in the old days tons
were burned just to get rid of it.

I also had heard that Frank Andressen was using sawdust or wood to make a
similar strawclay infil, maybe it was also used in bags, as a suffing ( not
sure on the details of this one)

I also seem to remember something about wetness swelling the woodchips, and
possible rot or termite probelms? anyone know about the results of doing
this?

I was looking at Ted Howard's book Mud and Man- all about the Australian
cob houses of 1800s to 1960s...and I seem tot hink I saw wood dust
mentioned in there somewhere.

I just ordered 10 copies of that book from him, will take months to get
here by boat, but the photo examples and designs were pretty informative.

I also wanted to take this time to mention that I have been experiemtning
with "newspaper cellulose insulation"..a brand made by NaturGuard, with NO
chemicals for fireretardent in it, only boric powder (the stuff used for
eyewash)  and my results are still FAR from done being tested..but with
cellulose..you need NO MIXER...now wait...you may need a paint mixer
device, or still may need somethiong like a mortar mixer, I am still
working on this, as my version of Papercob...BUT  if cellulose can stay
true in brick and slurry form, and bind with the sand, clay, straw, grass
and cement ( if you are so inclined) then people may be able to mix up a
batch, ala "cob in a bucket" ( after Johanna Parry's book) and use it for
plaster, mortar, etc.  ALso if using cellulose, and no cement, you can
stomp on that stuff by foot as you do with cob..it just has to be wetted
enought to mix with the sand.  I am making very hard little bricks with no
cement in them..but they have NO tensile strength, which is why I am using
the dry grrass to test it.

I am pretty excited about the possibilities..and paper cellulose is simply
shredded newspapers...avaialble for a few dollars for a huge bale.  It
soaksd up water like crazy, and must drain longer when made like regular
FC, but it has possibilities for at least interior walls, stepping stones,
a shed wall or other non load bearing, serious building applications.  and
at the very least, cellulose lets people play with the stuff, with no big
honking mixer needed..so,,, guess what..back to my Butter Churn idea of
months ago!!

Charmaine R. Taylor
Taylor Publishing & Elk River Press
PO Box 6985 Eureka CA 95502  1-888-307-7650
'Books for people who want to build it themselves'
http://www.northcoast.com/~tms/elkriver.html
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