Cob: Mortar mixer

[Jeanne Leimkuhler]

Thanks for all of the advice about the mortar mixer. It looks like we will
try adding the straw at the last minute, so that it wont get too broken up.
My concern about the clay particles was in reference to something that I
heard Ianto say a few times about the stomping being a neccessary process
because you want the clay particles to flatten out and that this would make
them more elastic and therefore make the wall stronger. It sounds like our
mortar mixer cob will be plenty strong. I agree the noise and fumes are not
pleasant, but I'm willing to put up with it for a little while to get this
building finished.

I also want to apologize to anyone I might have offended with my comment
about the ants. I actually thought what some people wrote about living with
nature quite beautiful and moving, but what am I going to do when the ants
build a nest in the area that I need to cob on next. I thought it was more
humane to wash them off the wall giving them a chance to nest elsewhere,
rather than just cob on top of them, making them a permanent part of the
wall. I do rescue toads and caterpillars from the wall and I even stop on
the road and move box turtles to the side. Washing ants off the wall seems
no different to me than as if they were rained on.

Jeanne
Bloomington, IN


Jeanne Leimkuhler
Senior Designer
InterArt/Sunrise Publications
1145 Sunrise Greetings Ct.
Bloomington, IN 47402
812-333-9381  #2460