Let the cob slingin' begin

It is finally time to dance with mud!

I decided to find a recipe so that each batch of cob is the same consistency. I am using the tarp technique described in the books. The suggested ratio is about 4:1 dirt to water. So I tried 6 bucketfuls of dirt with about 1 and a half buckets of water.

Mixing the first batch
So for the first batch I piled up the dirt, stomped on all the clods with my shoes and splashed on the water… which almost ran right off the tarp! TIP: I quickly discovered with future batches that its best to spread the dirt out; it makes it easier to smash up the hard clods and allows the dirt to hold the initial bucket of water.

It is referred to as dancing with mud because the best way to mix up the ingredients to literally “dance” on it. It’s critical that the clay and sand get mixed together well and the cob form what basically is a dough ball. With the tarp method you stomp all over it, then grab a corner or two of the tarp, roll the stomped out mud towards you, then dance again…. And again… flip the dough…. Dance some more. Well you get the idea. I found that for the first few dances it’s best to actually hold the corners of the tarp rolling the dry stuff into a heap, then after the initial water is soaked up, spread it out and stomp it flat, before rolling it. TIP: make sure some of the rolls flip the entire pile over to insure the very center gets mixed up!



Adding the straw
After dancing and flipping several times, I added the additional half bucket of water and continued the process. This batch amount is about perfect for one person, much more and it would have been quite difficult to flip. After a while the flipping motion rolls the dough into a burrito shape… you're aiming for a long ellipsoid shape.  (Watch the web preview). What I am looking for is for the material to become one solid elliptoid. If after I roll it the burrito is cracking and splitting a lot as in picture 1, then I need to keep mixing. Eventually when I roll the edges of the roll with flow into that elliptoidal shape without cracking. (Picture 2 is my first experience with this) At that point its time to add some straw. Shake a little straw on and dance away! The longer stands of straw apparently are the best for adding strength to the finished mixture. The process of mixing in the straw is more difficult. With just the mud I found that a “heel spin” or “toe run” worked nicely. Once the straw was added into the mix it became significantly more solid and more difficult to squish flat. I found that forming a burrito, sprinkling some straw and then doing a ballet style “toe dig” really helped mix the straw into the mix. Eventually it felt about right (picture 3) and I began adding the first layer of cob to the wall.

Putting the cob on the wall
Pulling flakes of cob out of the turd was more difficult then I expected. I formed large patty like shapes and began adding them on top of the foundation, trying to really squish it in all the nooks and crannies. Picture 4 shows the results of my efforts for the very first batch. Total time from shoveling the buckets of dirt to having no more cob to put on the wall? About an hour. Picture 5 shows two batches of work.  I have been adding layers and am quickly, learning by experience the best way do things. Stay tuned!

Ticker
Money spent so far: $92
Time spent so far: 29