I've started a project! I'm still looking for suitable and affordable land for my cob home so in the meantime I'm getting familiar with some natural building materials. I live in an old house, built around 1890 with multiple additions. My west wall isn't well insulated and my kitchen pipes freeze every winter (I'm in central IL,USA). My plan is to tear out the entire kitchen wall, pack the space between studs with slip-straw, and finish with an earthen plaster. I'm starting with a small section as a learning lab. Yesterday was demo which I finished today, and started my first foray into slip-straw. Lessons on day 1: I definitely need to round the handle of my pounder. Even though I sanded the edges and corners, my hands are still feeling it. Slip-straw has a bounciness I didn't expect. I hope I compacted it enough. We'll see tomorrow. I'm starting to understand slow, yet immensely enjoyable building. Heart and soul are ingredients you don't see on any materials list. I have read differing opinions on how quickly you can remove the forms. Some say let it dry at least overnight, some say you can remove it right away and keep building the next level. I wonder when you keep working right away if the base put. Anyone have experience in that?

We had a heavy rain storm come through and wash so much of our cob away. I feel defeated 💔💔

Hey all! I'm getting ready to start breaking ground for a sauna and was thinking about experimenting with a hybrid. I'd like to make the stem wall from stone and make the north wall slip straw and the rest cob. My question is: when setting up the slip straw forms, how do they attach to the stem wall or do they attach? Thanks for any info!

This is the first lift of cob that our workshop class did back in April. I peeled the forms off a few days ago, and it looks great! The next class comes in on Monday to learn how to do the next cob lift.

An article on pigeon towers built with cob in the Middle East. I’m interested to know if the inclusion of salt in the mix makes any difference to the integrity of the structure. https://thecommontable.eu/buildings-for-the-birds/