clay/straw bricks (not sure if this is the right forum)

[Jared Drake]

Ok, I promised my step son that this summer we would make and bake in the sun some adobe bricks. We've got six bales of straw right now, but I'm not sure what else needs to go in them besides mud. And I don't know if any old mud will do. I plan on doing some research online, but since I love this forum and everybody's ingenuity, I thought I'd ask here, too. Anybody do this before?

And as an aside: John, are you in Israel right now?
Jared

[glenn kangiser]

The ideal mix of clay /sand for earth building is 30% clay and 70%aggregate and sand including the sand and rock in the clay --

Top soil clay is not very good.  What you want is the mineral clay that is usually at least a couple feet below the ground, to get a way from the organics -- and no guarantees what type soil you have.  Straw can be added in enough quantity to provide reinforcement -- to taste as Becky Bee says.

Adobe bricks of only clay can be made with the addition of a lot more straw.  They will shrink a lot more if they dont have the sand in them but the straw will hold them together.

Just stay away from the top soils and experiment.  The clay if good enough should be able to be rolled out into a ribbon or snake as you roll it in your hands.

..and  I think John is still there.

[glenn kangiser]

Clay- sand - straw - "Cob" clay oven.

[MountainDon]

I think a dragon would be nice. So I could say "there be dragons!"   

[desdawg]

That is a neat puddy tat. Looks like she has been in heat at least once.

[glenn kangiser]

More than once, desdawg. 

That's one hot ...cat.

If it was free standing it would be a better oven ans I had to put a chimney out the back and it cools too fast but it aint bad.

[jwv]

Used straw-clay bricks in several places in our house.  I used leftover cob or plaster mixed with straw for mine. You do need to watch your mix or they will crumble.  Also I would suggest chopping your straw.



I built this from straw-clay blocks and then later plastered them.  There is a slight curve backfilled with junk mud, straw, floor sweepings, etc.



This is an outdoor shower at Canelo, AZ.  This has been up for 5 years with no finish plaster.  It is s-c bricks with a rough plaster. (I didn't build this)

ed to add:  We built 2 forms with scrap lumber 8"x4" and then packed the mix in, let it sit for a few minutes, removed the form and went on to the next.

Judy