No Excuses! You CAN cob

Although mixing cob IS labor intensive, you can do it...Even this 62 year old BIG guy can. The earthen construction you see in the background was mixed by me. I'm now working on another cob wall on the North side of the building.

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[gaiatechnician]

Very good video of the tarp method.

There is another way too, you can mix in a wheelbarrow. My ground slopes making the tarp method difficult (and my knees are bad) so I pretty much had to. You need a shovel and a fork to do it. And the procedure for adding ingredients is pretty important. I have a video about mixing in a wheelbarrow, so if you have sloping ground or are tight for space, give it a try. For me it was a little quicker and took a bit less energy. Brian

[packymck]

Hey @gaiatechnician ,

to be honest, I don't use the tarp method very often. I usually use an electric concrete mixer to mix the clay and sand. then pour that mix onto a tarp to mix in the straw.



[RivenBloak]

The first place I built was mixed by foot, now I use a diesel mixer!

[packymck]

@RivenBloak 

[packymck]

@RivenBloak

Oh, Yeah! I don't do much cob because it's so labor intensive. Using

large machines to make it fast....priceless!

[5minutesoutdoors]

Watching this video makes me wanted to holler Yeehaw! and grab a partner and Dosi-do lol

[kingpen]

@kingpen Benny Hill

[kingpen]

play the Benny Hinn theme song~!

[packymck]

@11mac11s

.....aaaaaaaa, could be. You're the first to ask.

[Takiado]

Love this guy! Very inspirational video!

[patonmayne]

@gaiatechnician I have used a mortar mixer exclusively on several [of my over 20] cob homes that I have built. I put all the ingredients including straw in the mixer. These machines are powerful and loud but when you have a small crew they work well. Bobcats also make a mountain of cob in a short time. Mix on the weekend so when the builders arrive Monday morning, there is a weeks worth of cob waiting for them. pat@cobworks.com

[patonmayne]

@gaiatechnician I have used a mortar mixer exclusively on several [of my over 20] cob homes that I have built. I put all the ingredients including straw in the mixer. These machines are powerful and loud but when you have a small crew they work well. Bobcats also make a mountain of cob in a short time. Mix on the weekend so when the builders arrive Monday morning, there is a weeks worth of cob waiting for them. patonmayne

[gaiatechnician]

@packymck O, ok. That sounds good. I did not have room to get a mixer into my back garden. That also explains why your mix was pretty wet. But the straw addition sure dries it up a lot, doesn't it?

I think that mixing sand and clay underfoot does not get the same quality of mixing as mixing in a wheelbarrow or a mixer. We should issue a mixer health warning to people at this point. Do NOT put any straw in your mixer!

It would take hours to get it out!