[GSBN] FW: bales

[Derek Roff]

Obviously, people can do whatever they want to, but I think this note shows the contrast of the isolated inventor compared to the SB movement, whose members have shared ideas, information, and experiences, to come up with better approaches to building with bales.  Michael may be serving his needs well, but most of the people on this list have solved the bale building questions in a more elegant way, and are looking for ways to reduce the use of concrete, not increase it.  

I see some of his suggestions as trying to improve on things that bales already do well, or solve imagined problems, which in fact are not problems.  For example, bales are already more than strong enough, render already sticks well to bales (although application is more labor intensive that I would like), few people pound stakes through bales anymore, and if anyone needs wire mesh for seismic or other concerns, chicken wire is a poor structural choice.  On the other hand, Michael's approach means introducing more water to the bales, which can cause problems, and rendering with a less permeable material will impede the drying of that water.  

Bale on,
Derelict

Derek Roff
derek at unm.edu


El 18/08/2011, a las 3:39, Joyce Coppinger escribió:

> Received this email message today – just passing it along to see what responses you may have. You can reply to Michael at the email address included in the message and view his sculpture at the web site noted. Does anyone know Michael?
> 
> 
> Joyce
> --------------- 
> Joyce Coppinger
> Managing Editor/Publisher
> The Last Straw, the international journal
> of strawbale and natural building
> PO Box 22706, Lincoln NE 68542-2706
> Phone 402.483.5135
> <thelaststraw at thelaststraw.org>
> web site: www.thelaststraw.org
> and our new blog at http://thelaststrawblog.org
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ------ Forwarded Message
> From: Michael Meredith <meredith848 at yahoo.com>
> Reply-To: Michael Meredith <meredith848 at yahoo.com>
> Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:41:03 -0700 (PDT)
> To: "thelaststraw at thelaststraw.org" <thelaststraw at thelaststraw.org>
> Subject: bales
> 
> 
> hello, I am an inventor, and would be curious to know if you have ever tried pre-soaking bales in a clay/concrete mix.
> 
>  Easily prepared with a mixer in a bucket, this slurry can be poured over bales sitting in a plastic trough. 
> 
> This pre-soak will, of course, result in a stronger bale, as well as improving the bonding to the stucco.
> 
> usually, a mix of 10% or 30% portland cement to clay soil is used.
> 
> Stacking these moderately wet may allow the elimination of staking bales, etc. For example, clay-crete mortar between the bales bonds them, chicken wire is stretched over the walls, and a clay /crete stucco is applied. This provides a continual tension member from the roof, to the foundation.
> 
> The clay/crete soaked bales will take the stucco more rapidly than a bare bale, the stucco will stick better, and go on faster, too. This will certainly strengthen the walls.
> 
> 
> To fill in with insulation here and there, add in a mix of hay with crete. Hay/crete has a very interesting texture ( it is lovely), and any mulch can be used.
>  Burlap dipped in  clay/crete or in plaster can be draped over any form, and will take the shape of the form. You can make furniture this way. i make sculptures this way.
> 
> Really going wild, hang steel mesh( sheep mesh should do) from the ridge line to the walls' top plate. Place hay/crete on this, and mesh with concrete stucco on this( perhaps ferro-cement). Then waterproof with Duraback polyurethane. Add copper powder to the duraback if you wish, and you now have an inexpensive copper roof, which will need a cheap re-spray in 30 yrs. or so. It can be well insulated with the hay crete.The tension forces are counteracted by the compressile forces of the concrete once it sets. Of course, you may also wish to try a ferro-cement dish roof, or a sheet metal dish roof.
> 
> 
> You can print this if you wish to...
> 
> Michael
> statueofmotherhood.com
> 
> 
> ------ End of Forwarded Message
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