Finishing the cob bench

August 14, 2014 - Backtracking a couple of months

 The cob bench served as an experiment for us first-time cob-makers. It's about as thick as the walls we plan to make for our house, which is now in progress. This post is mainly a photo gallery as I go through the steps of plastering the bench, to protect it frm the elements and make it prettier.

Gathering subsoil from an area of our property that will eventually be a fish pond.

Sofia and Guy sift sand to add to the soil/sand/straw plastering
mixture. The sand is left over from the construction of our first house

Sofia mixes the cob.

Water to wet down the bench that has dried out completely, and scraping
to prepare the surface for the new cob plaster to adhere.

Testing the plaster mix by flinging it from a few feet - if it sticks it's good.

Guy and Greta start applying the plaster.

Sofia and Greta pat on the plaster.

It's a sensual earthy experience.

Guy and Sofia adding final layer of plaster.

Smoothing it down. We added a significant amount of fresh cow dung to the final
mixture for increased strength and added impermeability.

Here it is! It had to dry for a few days. It's as solid as we hoped and we feel confident 

about the walls we'll be making for our cob house.

My son from the States and his son (Zeke and Luke) came to Brazil for the World Cup in June and early July. Along with my daughter, Sofia, and other son, his wife and their daughter (Victor, Ana Claudia and Camila), they spent a lot of time on the farm where we watched most of the games together.

Family gathered on porch of farm house.

My grandchildren enjoying the bench.

And where was Fofo during all this? Just hanging out, paying attention.