Cob: a first project/ natural building symposium-Bath, NY

[Charmaine R Taylor]

Hi Sara, I built a cob type bench on a base of broken cement pieces laid in a
long rectangle, easy to do; just  pour small stones/gravel  around the big  bits
to stabilize it. Next time I might pour a lime slurry over the broken bits to
weld them together before starting the bench. My mix is different than cob, it
uses sawdust as filler, but was plastered over with clay -lime-sand mix to help
protect it. Unless under a tree you'd need a thick plaster with dung in it, or
maybe a limewash over it to help from eroding.

Don't dig a pit for the stone base, water will pool there, just begin on top the
ground so base of earth is one foot or so off the ground to keep from wicking of
water.

We get a ton on rain here, I let the half-done base sit all winter unprotected
and it looked like a soggy  grave  in the Spring (big long  dome shape on the
ground), but came to life again with many buckets of cobwood. I pressed in sand
dollars and seashells to the backside for an extra touch, and next time would
use glass marbles, pretty stones and other driftwood too.

hope this helps. there is a picture at http://www.northcoast.com/~tms/new.html



Charmaine  Taylor
Taylor Publishing
PO Box 6985, Eureka CA 95502
1-888-441-1632
http://www.northcoast.com/~tms
sara fishkin wrote:

> hello everyone, i am a newcomer to this list, and a newcomer to the world of
> natural building. before i ask my question, i want to say that there is a
> natural building symposium in Bath, NY june 3-10. it sounds great, and if
> anyone wants details they should email: ketsie at aol.com.
>
> okay heres my project: i would like to build a curved bench for my garden
> this summer. i want to build it out of cob, and i know what i want it to
> look like, but i am not sure what to use for the "foundation" or support to
> make it a strong bench so that anyone can sit on it and so that it could
> survive eastern PA seasons. i thouhg that this would be a good first project
> for me to get my hands into the mix and feel what the materials feel like,
> how they work, etc. but i have never ever done anything of the sort before!
> so, i am hoping to have some response with good advice, in general, and
> specifically about the support for the bench.
>
> thanks!
> -sara fishkin
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