Cob building with Maya
  • • What is cob?
  • ALL PROJECTS SUMMARY
  • Spring 2022
  • NEWEST IDEA F/650 SQ.' HOUSE. NOV.2021
  • • Pandemic project phase 1: Earthen oven
  • Pandemic Project phase 2 & 3: Bench & Roof
  • Pandemic Project Phase 4: Pajareque wall
  • Pandemic Project Phase 5: Solarium
  • Pandemic Project Phase 6: January 2021
  • Pandemic Project Phase 7: Rocket Stove
  • Pandemic Project Phase 8: Cob/adobe floor
  • Pandemic Project Phase 8 : Plastering
  • Pandemic Project: November 2021 SOLARIUM MOSTLY DONE
  • • Cob wall: first project
  • • I. "ATV Shed": Rural building SITE & DESIGN
  • II. "ATV Shed": STONE PIERS & COB LIZARD BENCH
  • III. "ATV Shed": SUMMER 2012 STONE FOUNDATION STEM WALL
  • IV. "ATV Shed" spring 2013 STONE COMPLETE
  • V. "ATV Shed" SUMMER 2013 WINDOW PREP/COB WALLS BEGIN
  • VI. "ATV Shed" Fall 2013
  • VII. "ATV Shed" SUMMER 2014 SETTINNG WINDOW FRAMES
  • VIII. "ATV Shed" Summer 2015 FAMILY HELP
  • IX. "ATV Shed" Fall 2015 GOT ROOF
  • X. "ATV Shed" Spring 2016
  • XI. "ATV Shed" Summer 2016 PORCH TIMBER WORK
  • XII. "ATV Shed" Fall/winter 2016 STUCCO TESTS
  • XIII. "ATV Shed" Spring 2017 FINISHING COB WALLS
  • XIV. "ATV Shed": Summer 2017
  • XV. WALLS DONE! "ATV Shed" PORCH ROOFING f17
  • XVI. "ATV Shed" Winter 2018
  • XVII. "ATV Shed" SUMMER 2018 EXTERIOR COMPLETE W/STUCCO
  • XVIII. "ATV Shed" SU18 INTERIOR WORK
  • XIX. Late summer STUCCO DETAILS
  • XX. "ATV Shed" NORTH WALL INSULATION
  • XXI. "ATV Shed" fall 2018 CEILING INSULATION
  • XXII. "ATV Shed" 2020 Where it's at now
  • XXIII. "ATV Shed" 2021
  • • Cob Chicken Coop
  • • CSU-Pueblo Bench Spring 2019
  • • Mud Mural Workshop WITH KIKO DENZER
  • • Cob Mailbox
  • • Cob Oven at Pueblo Music House
  • • Rough Timber Frame Shed
  • • Cob bench workshop WITH ANNE FROBEEN
  • • Horticulture
  • • Mountain Park Environmental Center Fire Circle Benches
  • • Xeriscape garden
  • • Ecohouse model
  • • Natural Building on show
  • • Nature, art, fun and other photos
  • Info about Maya

May 19, 2018

Today was my eighth day plastering since school got out May 5th. My camera disappeared when I was in Seattle and my iPad memory is full! ...so my photo documentation is minimal.

I've been applying earthen plaster (sand, clay, cow dung, chopped straw and a bit of lime putty), and waiting for wet cooler weather to start lime stucco and IT CAME TODAY! Fresco over south windows!

BELOW: Far right, raw cob wall. Middle of photo is earthen stucco scratched for some texture, far left is lime stucco that will calcify bright white.
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Late August 2018

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Below: As I stuccoed the north side, I was surprised to feel so sad to see the warm earthen walls disappearing under the lime stucco which, though it is highly protective, felt so different than the cob I'd grown accustomed to.
So I decided to leave a "truth window" and designed a motif which shows the raw cob at the bottom with the tan color showing the under-stucco of natural plaster. To me it ended up looking kind of like a turtle which suited me just fine.
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On the drive home I thought, "Who puts imagery on their buildings?! ...maybe I'll chip it off tomorrow..." Then last night by chance I opened a folder of images I took in Spain and today realized, Gaudi! That's who puts motifs on their building! 
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Above:  The first layer over cob is earthen stucco. You can see some of it in the light tan of the motif which is:
6.5 parts sifted sand/using a tupperware bowl to measure
3 parts creamy pottery clay (very sticky)
1 small handful of chopped straw
1/2  scoop fresh wet cow manure
about 1/4 - 1/3 cup lime putty
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Final layer, lime stucco (wear eye & hand protection when mixing):
2 part sifted sand to 1 part lime putty
Nopal cactus juice.
I use a cut off vitamin bottle to measure and make each batch with six measures of sand to 3 putty. To this I add about 3/4 Tbsp. nopal.
Me on scaffolding stuccoing West wall.
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Rocket stove:

My son has an excellent scientific mind and has been doing the work for the rocket stove. He built a model in town and fired it up. Construction has begun on site.
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