One could imagine that spraying the slip may actually provide better keying of the plaster into the straw by driving further into the bales. Seems like a great process improvement!
Bill I love how you and Yvonne are learning as you go but use insightful and intelligent ways to do things like creating the right formula for the slip and using that inexpensive looking but very effective slip spray tool. I am thinking our intense heat could work in your favor as the slip/cob is applied and bake quickly? Lots of hard work but if the end result is anything like that sharp looking solar shed this home is going to be one to admire. Way to go!
Your cactus selection, Prickly Pear, apparently makes very good jam! My Little Homestead has a video about how to prepare that! When they get a bit bigger, or you can't wait and go out to forage, enjoy the fruits of your labors!
We live I'm Tonopah, Arizona. And are planning to build a straw house. Glad to see someone else who lives in the desert building one! Thank you for the video.
I know I keep saying this, but... It's so exciting to see how close y'all are getting to having a home. Even more exciting is that you're building with your own two/four hands, and four paws 🐾 (can't forget about Cloe) Love you guys! ❤️🌵☀️⛈️🌈☮️🐎🐕🦍🐐🐿️🐓🦃
I always thought straw and cob houses were such an abandoned super concept from money and environment perspective and that if the process can be improved it might be used more again. This is just whats needed! love it!
About straining your slip. A simple section of nylon screen is all you need. Pour your slip into the screen and sift out those rocks and such to make your spraying much less annoying. The straw bale walls look fantastic, and your brown coat is beautiful. You are going to love living in your new house. (We've been living in our straw bale house for the last 5 years.)
Thanks for your suggestions and comments James! We are so looking forward to moving in. Even in it's current state, you can "feel" the difference when you go in. Have a great weekend!
Nice ! An other approach, is to dip each bales into a bathube of slip before placing it. But i like the idea of the sprayer, for something like the roof insulation, it could be lighter and easier to carry a not heavy and wet bale
@@TheAlmightyGod1 wich gaps ? into the bale or beetween ? Between you can complete manually if you need/want to do. At least its easyer to coat or complete after a first dip or spray, because the dry straw is a bit water proof at first (straws are kinda covered with a kind of natural wax)
What's funny is, the wall prep with slip has become ( with the addition of the mud shooter) a short step in the process. Literally a few minutes and the wall is covered with slip. This definitely belongs on the "Top 5 Things" list for straw bale building.
@@theupsideofdownsizing Exactly. But just for a minute imagine, one of you with the paint brush and the other one with the sprayer...... Who would end up messier?
There are so MANY of you in Cochise county! Tiny Shiny Home is there, Green Dream Project is there as well. One of the neighbors of Tiny Shiny Home went and did a work shop at CalEarth. Scratch coat to keep it on is 9 parts earth (your soil) to one part Portland. Tiny Shiny had the same issues you did and after they added the Portland, the issues went away.
As long as you're having fun, it's not really work. We also try to pace ourselves. If we can get 8 -10 feet of wall done a day, that's plenty. It usually takes about 4-5 hours including the materials prep and clean up. Heck I still need time to put videos together. 🤣
Waited with bated breath for this video. The process is fascinating. Watching how you are doing your cob process is great. Who knew there were so many ways 😊. And that garden...beautiful. An oasis in the desert...literally.
you have one of the best straw bale build video series i've seen. thanks for all the great hands on detailed work in explaining your techniques. going to do a timber frame with straw bale infill.
@@theupsideofdownsizing Thanks for the reply, but I know your very busy so if your tired or too busy no need to reply. I just enjoy your watching you build your home. On the the last video the the clip of yavonne against the solar shed was good.
Thanks again. I caught her off guard. She is very particular about letting me film her. I try to tell her that people are interested in learning more about her and hearing her perspective on the build. Baby steps. It's why we've never done a "Live". She's just not ready for that.
@@theupsideofdownsizing you're a great couple , it was great to see her in a clip. Buy the way you were styling the mud splatter. I can relate every time I get near sheet rock mud I wear more than I put on the wall it seems.
That's a great idea! You might want to make that suggestion to Jim. Their soil is so clay rich, he could make a slip thick as pancake batter and it would be an excellent, and fast way to protect his bags.
I sure enjoyed this one and previous on the strawbale mudwork. I been thinking of doing a small farm structure using strawbales but I had planned to put chicken wire on sides and do a cement mixture like stucco because of our weather here, I'm in northwest Florida. I have an old cement slab that probably was an old garage back in the 1930s when the house on this property was built. The slab is about 14x16; I was thinking of making it a little farm structure with a shed style roof by having one wall higher than the other. I have some cypress poles, I harvested trees from my property, I was thinking of using for main pole barn type structure, and for the rafters for roof, then cover it with tin. I thought strawbales could be the walls, it would be cool in summer and warm in winter I would think. I didn't realize it would be done like you did it without metal wire.
Somebody should invent a higher pressure gun that capable of slinging more mud per minute. first thing that i was thinking watching you spray was that a hand full of mud may put thicker and easier way to do it but ive never done it before just what came to mind. Would be a ton meesier by hand on dry straw tho im sure. Cool house!
I made the mistake once too of making my clay slip too thick and even with the largest nozzle it clogged. The thinner slip sprays well, gets more coverage on the walls and works great as a "glue" for the first coat of earthen plaster.
Glad it worked, you can play with the pressure but I believe you want it to go deeper into the straw. Lower pressure could make it only to the surface. I believe this could also work when doing your final coats as long at it doesn’t have straw.
I was actually thinking about applying an earthen paint, or a thicker clay slip with pigments, 5hen finished with either a brush or trowel. We've got some experimentation to do for sure. Someone else menti using a lower pressure, around 30 psi. I've been using 90 cause that's what my compressor was set at for my nail gun. That's why instructions for the texture sprayer would have been helpful.
@@theupsideofdownsizing yes sir when I’m applying texture to a Sheetrock wall I run mine around 30 psi. But that’s more for the texture. For what your doing you need more of a full coat so it will take more pressure.
In such an abrasive environment that sprayer has tolerances measured in 1/8's of an inch, not thousandths. Any tighter than that would cause all sorts of blockage problems even if the slip ingredients had a tighter control on quality. It's like a Sharpie, use it until it stops working then replace it. It is a consumable item, not a long life tool like a drill - and your one does the job well. But your house is progressing very nicely - congrats to both of you happy muddy folks.
I see what you mean. When I opened the box, the first thing I noticed was how they sprayed the paint right over the threads that hold the nozzle in place. And the threads are so fine, like machine threads that cross threading the collar is almost inevitable. But, it's getting the job done and like Bob Barker use to say, the price is right. 😉 Thanks for watching!
That's a fact! If it holds out for the rest of our build it'll be one of the best investments we've made since going off grid! I actually have more plans for it, including spraying clay based paint inside. As one other viewer said in his comment, when it breaks you toss it and buy another. The thought off disposable tools just rubs me the wrong way though.
The average small house (under 1000 sf) uses about 7000 board feet of lumber (like $10k+). I will be really curious how much you have saved on lumber by using straw bales (as well as on insulation, etc) by the time you finish. I think it will be significant. Really exciting to see how quickly your are covering up the exterior bales!
At $9 per bale, and we bought 125, (only used 100), for that money we could have stick framed one wall at today's prices. And the price of insulation, if you want anything other that the pink stuff is outrageously expensive. Rockwool or recycled denim would have been several thousands for the walls. I'm not a receipt keeper ( Yvonne is ) so a true total cost is not going to be possible but we certainly got lucky with the timing of the build. The foundation, the front deck, the roof all would have been 3x our cost if we were starting today.
I'm about to begin plastering my strawbale home. I'm wondering if you have any idea of coverage here- what volume of clay slip covers what square footage of wall surface? Thanks!
Put a piece of vinyl screen mesh over the hopper before you connect it to the sprayer. It will block out the rocks, hay, and unresolved clay. It might be a pain to connect, though.
The issue is I didn't strain the clay. And it's not a big deal. I just have to be careful when I pull the slip out of the mixer. I have to gently skim the slip off the top because the aggregate is all settled to the bottom. Ever since that one clip in the video today, I haven't had another issue, because I know what the problem is. It's an easy work around. Thanks for watching!
In theory yes. In reality, no. I own and know how to use a trowel and hawk. For the first coat, the plaster needs to be pushed into the bale with a good amount of force to achieve a solid bond. The problem with a trowel in this situation is, the pressure is dispersed over the entire surface area of the trowel and cannot force the earthen plaster deep into the bale. The result is a plaster that does not have a strong enough mechanical bond. Now the second coat of plaster can be easily applied with a trowel with good success, and that is how I apply it.
Just found your site…yes I subscribed, where do I find…like a first video of building your foundation…I definitely want to use the straw bales…what size in sq ft is your foundation…
Another tool that helps level plaster surfaces first coat. ???? 42inch or 48 inch magnesium plaster/concrete Darby... App $38 Basically put it on the wall hold the one pivot point and swing circles Move to a different pick it point Float again.. Walls come out pretty level without humps or low spots.... Just another tool that may help
Ordered a 42 incher today from the dreaded Amazon. Magnesium, $29. Binge watching a guy on UA-cam who has been plastering/ stucco work for 30+ years and has something like 900 videos. A real artist with a trowel.
You know I gotta check that out too.... But the edging tool worked pretty well on our solar shed windows. Once floated and sponged they developed a nice radius.
So let me get this straight. You get to play in the mud, you get to buy a new tool(😍), and you get the job done better, faster, and easier!? That doesn’t seem fair! But all’s fair in love and war right? 👍🏼
You are doing amazing work guys! Would like to know what type of spray were sprayed over the straw-bells. Is that simple clay? We are planning to have a straw-bell home for us. Your videos are helping us a lot. At the same time I'm wondering what is its durability of the bales. ....... Though here we don't have ready made straw-bells like you have. We are planning to make the balls. Grateful to you.Thanks! I think I got it.
Looks like the new mudslinger 2.0 really lets the clay slip penetrate the top layer of straw on the bales. So it should make for really strong adhesive for the cob. Is/was the plan to finish the outside before the monsoon season. Or is it more of a finish as much as your able before it hits? Also how long dose it last and often do it rain on you guys? And I have to say the greenhouse really have transformed. It looked more like a jungle in there now then anything. =) So looking forward to the update video. The cacti around the drive way looked very nice as well. Cant wait for them to grow in.
We're not stopping with the plastering. As we go it gets covered, which actually will cause the Cobb to cure more slowly which is better. As soon as the first coat is done, which should be in about 3 days, we'll get started with the second coat. The rains don't last long, an hour or 2 but it can really come down. A slow, steady rain would be nice, bit doesn't happen very often. Thanks for watching!
The hose leaks more air than the gun uses... Fix the hose and save yourself a ton of power running the compressor and less irritation from listening to it also...
It's not the hose it's the gun. And I think it's because I have the compressor set for 90 psi. Another subscriber said I should be using about 30 PSI so I'm going to dial it back and see what happens. Sorry about the irritating sound.
Can anyone please explain to me what's clay slip used for? I am documenting myself in this kind of home insulation and it's quite new to me. Thanks, God bless
Enjoying the build! But I’m wondering why no metal mesh on the bales before using the clay/plastering? Wouldn’t that make the clay/plaster more secure? Maybe it’s on there and my old eyes just don’t see it :))
Stucco lathe is used around the window frames and over any exposed wood. It's not needed over the bales because the straw offers all the texture/ grip needed for the plaster to "key in" and produce a secure bond. Thanks for watching and your comments!
your mix is a little thin. that gun will easily spray pancake batter consistency. you can put a 45 elbow on teh hopper and spray more overhead too. your pressure is a little high which is why u got all the over spray. these guns like about 30psi.
Thanks for the information. That's why I wanted to see some instructions when I opened that box. I had my compressor set at 90 PSI for my nail gun and that's where I left it when using the spray gun. I'll lower the pressure down to 30. The problem with a thicker slip, is that we need to use a lot more clay. And the more clear we use, the more clear I've got to harvest out of a wash. So right now the thin layer of slip is working really well and will probably stick with that consistency. Thanks for watching and for the feedback!
couldn't you do similar when applying the cob? I imagine you might have to cut the straw up to something finer but how would it be any different than how for instance stucco is sprayed onto a house.
Right now, the straw I'm using in the mix is extremely fine 1/4 to 1/2 in Long and would probably go through this sprayer. I've seen sucko sprayers that use much more powerful compressors to throw the stucco on the wall. We've also heard about someone who did an entire Cobb house using such a sprayer. I really don't think that's going to be necessary for us we're happy to continue having our hands on the plaster. If I were doing a business, I'd be looking for a machine for sure. I'm thinking about how I might be able to use this for a clay based paint for the inside. Could be interesting.
Not at all. It provided the perfect sticky base coat to the bale's, allowing subsequent coats of earthen plaster to adhere without falling off. It also made it possible to force the Cobb deeper into the straw bale surface for a better bond.
The rock came off the bottom of the cup you were dipping in the slip to fill the hopper. Go back and watch your video of that. A few seconds of care will prevent minutes of repair.
If you look at the video where you refilled your applicator's reservoir you'll see that you introduced grit to the mix from your placing the cup on the ground instead of keeping it clean. The ground is not clean! Just sayin'. Glad it is working for y'all.
Actually there's about two cups of granular at the bottom of the mixer when I make that slip. It's because I didn't sift the clay. Ever since that clip, I'm more careful to skim the slip off the top and I haven't had an issue since. Thanks for watching and you're being so observant! Oh by the way, the rock that was actually stuck in the sprayer was about the size of an almond.
Never bad mouth a tool that works as well as that sprayer does. It will come back to bite you in the butt. lol.... How goes the tire wall you guys built to divert the monsoon runoff?
I was the first to admit that I may have to rethink my assessment of that tool. But it's still a cheap piece of junk. Any tool that has a fitting on it that tears apart at mere sight of a wrench, the quality must be put into question. The tire berms are holding up great!
2-3 depending on how much flattening or correction is needed. Certain areas, like over the windows for example will need 3-4 coats in order to build up the height or thickness to be level with the rest of the wall.
Just ran across this video about applying lime based mortar to a mud base. If your aware of this problem ignore the link. If you have a newer solution for this problem please share your differences. ua-cam.com/video/BAgQZM5clOA/v-deo.html
I've watched that video a couple times and I think the problem that that house had was there was no mechanical bond between the Earthen plaster and the straw bale. that's why it broke away so easily. there was a big gap between the actual Earth and plaster and the Bales. That's another reason I was using natural hydraulic lime as a fortification material in our first coat (or brown coat) of plaster. my thought was, if we add some lime to the Earthen plaster, then if we decide to go with a lime plaster as a top coat, it will be more likely form a mechanical bond between the two layers. Because of the price of the natural hydraulic lime material, we have opted to go another route. That'll be discussed in an upcoming video. Thanks for watching!
We see who does all the labor around there! Bless her anyway!!
HELAL OLSUN . Çok güzel
One could imagine that spraying the slip may actually provide better keying of the plaster into the straw by driving further into the bales. Seems like a great process improvement!
We agree. And in terms of efficiency, were guessing 30% faster overall with 75% less waste ( fall off, both slip and plaster).
Property entrance looks great
👍👍👍👍👍👍
Every thing else looks good too
Bill I love how you and Yvonne are learning as you go but use insightful and intelligent ways to do things like creating the right formula for the slip and using that inexpensive looking but very effective slip spray tool. I am thinking our intense heat could work in your favor as the slip/cob is applied and bake quickly? Lots of hard work but if the end result is anything like that sharp looking solar shed this home is going to be one to admire. Way to go!
Cool tool even if it was cheap it done the job. Coming along very nicely folks! Stay safe and have a great week!
You're right, and you know the old saying, you get what you pay for. Have a great week and be safe!
A little screen in the bottom of the spray gun hopper would prevent clogs.
WoW, Did not realize y'all live so close to where our homestead is. Stay Safe and keep up the great work.
To you as well! Thanks for watching👍
Wow, that gadget is really making a difference. The house is really coming together! I love the new cacti, my favs are prickly pear and saguaro.
Saguaro cactus are really majestic and when they bloom are so beautiful.
Once you say orifice, it's like potato chips. 😆
The sprayer seems like a game changer.
Absolutely. I'm thinking about other applications as well like spraying earthen/clay based paints or Venetian plaster type effects.
Love your landscaping along your driveway!
Your cactus selection, Prickly Pear, apparently makes very good jam! My Little Homestead has a video about how to prepare that! When they get a bit bigger, or you can't wait and go out to forage, enjoy the fruits of your labors!
Yvonne has thought about that as well. I'll have to leave that to her cause she's a much more adventurous eater than me. 😉
We live I'm Tonopah, Arizona. And are planning to build a straw house. Glad to see someone else who lives in the desert building one! Thank you for the video.
Good luck with the build and thanks for watching!
I know I keep saying this, but...
It's so exciting to see how close y'all are getting to having a home. Even more exciting is that you're building with your own two/four hands, and four paws 🐾 (can't forget about Cloe)
Love you guys!
❤️🌵☀️⛈️🌈☮️🐎🐕🦍🐐🐿️🐓🦃
Thank you so much🙏 Chloe is especially grateful that her contribution is not going unnoticed.😉❤️🐕
that sprayer is a great idea. saves a lot of time and does the job better. fantastic .
Spraying that slip looks fun.
And works great too! Makes applying the first coat SO MUCH easier.
I always thought straw and cob houses were such an abandoned super concept from money and environment perspective and that if the process can be improved it might be used more again. This is just whats needed! love it!
As soon as the idea catches on, a bale of straw will miraculously be $100.
@@TheAlmightyGod1 yeah thats the truth.
About straining your slip. A simple section of nylon screen is all you need. Pour your slip into the screen and sift out those rocks and such to make your spraying much less annoying.
The straw bale walls look fantastic, and your brown coat is beautiful. You are going to love living in your new house.
(We've been living in our straw bale house for the last 5 years.)
Thanks for your suggestions and comments James! We are so looking forward to moving in. Even in it's current state, you can "feel" the difference when you go in. Have a great weekend!
wow that worked very good
Amazing what a difference it makes in our work flow.
looking great
Nice work team...
Excellent! much better than a mop!
What I am really liking is that I can spray a coat, let it set up and then go over it a second time for absolute full coverage.
Nice ! An other approach, is to dip each bales into a bathube of slip before placing it. But i like the idea of the sprayer, for something like the roof insulation, it could be lighter and easier to carry a not heavy and wet bale
Then it would never dry in between the layers.
@@TheAlmightyGod1 I did mean dip not soak, and offcourse, as every strawbale workingside, it has to be done in summer so it dries well
@@AutoNomades You still have to fill in the gaps.
@@TheAlmightyGod1 wich gaps ? into the bale or beetween ? Between you can complete manually if you need/want to do. At least its easyer to coat or complete after a first dip or spray, because the dry straw is a bit water proof at first (straws are kinda covered with a kind of natural wax)
It’s coming along beautifully!!! 👏😊👏
Thank you! Hope you and William are well 👍
Crackin' background music too, dude! 😁
Hooper for the win! Great job!
Great! Thanks for sharing!
Sure looks like you are now ready for that mud slinging contest. LOL
What's funny is, the wall prep with slip has become ( with the addition of the mud shooter) a short step in the process. Literally a few minutes and the wall is covered with slip. This definitely belongs on the "Top 5 Things" list for straw bale building.
@@theupsideofdownsizing Exactly. But just for a minute imagine, one of you with the paint brush and the other one with the sprayer...... Who would end up messier?
Good job on those walls
Thanks Martin. 👍
Sweeeeeet!!! Great idea!
Great job guys looking good
Great tool at an even better price. Looks great so far!
It's working even better than I had hoped. Thanks for watching!
There are so MANY of you in Cochise county! Tiny Shiny Home is there, Green Dream Project is there as well. One of the neighbors of Tiny Shiny Home went and did a work shop at CalEarth. Scratch coat to keep it on is 9 parts earth (your soil) to one part Portland. Tiny Shiny had the same issues you did and after they added the Portland, the issues went away.
Looks like you guys are having too much fun to be working. To quote a friend of mine, " If you cant enjoy the journey why do it".
As long as you're having fun, it's not really work. We also try to pace ourselves. If we can get 8 -10 feet of wall done a day, that's plenty. It usually takes about 4-5 hours including the materials prep and clean up. Heck I still need time to put videos together. 🤣
Looking good! 🤠
Thanks for watching!👍
Looks great!
Becoming master of the game...
Thank you, miles to go....
Awesome!
👍
Waited with bated breath for this video. The process is fascinating. Watching how you are doing your cob process is great. Who knew there were so many ways 😊. And that garden...beautiful. An oasis in the desert...literally.
I don't know how she does it. The patience Yvonne has, and the time invested.....I couldn't even come close to doing it. Thanks for watching 😃
Very informative step by step fun content! Subbed!
Thank you!
A paint brush works good to round the corners as well. We love the the look of it. Ur guys are doing a great job.
Thanks Wylee, I'll give that a try. Hope you guys had a great 4th🇺🇸
you have one of the best straw bale build video series i've seen. thanks for all the great hands on detailed work in explaining your techniques. going to do a timber frame with straw bale infill.
Thanks so much! Be sure to check out Building Roots for great information about timber framed Strawbale building. 👍
I like it, this home is going to be great.
Thanks Dan!
@@theupsideofdownsizing Thanks for the reply, but I know your very busy so if your tired or too busy no need to reply. I just enjoy your watching you build your home. On the the last video the the clip of yavonne against the solar shed was good.
Thanks again. I caught her off guard. She is very particular about letting me film her. I try to tell her that people are interested in learning more about her and hearing her perspective on the build. Baby steps. It's why we've never done a "Live". She's just not ready for that.
@@theupsideofdownsizing you're a great couple , it was great to see her in a clip. Buy the way you were styling the mud splatter. I can relate every time I get near sheet rock mud I wear more than I put on the wall it seems.
it looks soo good! keep it up!
Thanks Guys!
Looking forward to seeing how you do the inside, it is looking very nice! :)
Your sprayer might be perfect for the Green Dream Project for a quick UV protectant!
That's a great idea! You might want to make that suggestion to Jim. Their soil is so clay rich, he could make a slip thick as pancake batter and it would be an excellent, and fast way to protect his bags.
I was pricing shotcrete/plaster sprayers last night and loe and behold! Look what shows up.
The government and hackers watching us.
I sure enjoyed this one and previous on the strawbale mudwork. I been thinking of doing a small farm structure using strawbales but I had planned to put chicken wire on sides and do a cement mixture like stucco because of our weather here, I'm in northwest Florida. I have an old cement slab that probably was an old garage back in the 1930s when the house on this property was built. The slab is about 14x16; I was thinking of making it a little farm structure with a shed style roof by having one wall higher than the other. I have some cypress poles, I harvested trees from my property, I was thinking of using for main pole barn type structure, and for the rafters for roof, then cover it with tin. I thought strawbales could be the walls, it would be cool in summer and warm in winter I would think. I didn't realize it would be done like you did it without metal wire.
Looking a bit cray-cray!
use a drywall bull nose for a nice rounded corner😊
To help shape the outside corners with the Cobb
maybe check out the bullnose outside corner trowles
I like the ones with the handle in the middle
Somebody should invent a higher pressure gun that capable of slinging more mud per minute. first thing that i was thinking watching you spray was that a hand full of mud may put thicker and easier way to do it but ive never done it before just what came to mind. Would be a ton meesier by hand on dry straw tho im sure. Cool house!
Put a fine screen like for sinks it will helps keep debris off
great job today.
I've seen other folks trying to use that clay blower and they stuffed up badly with it
I made the mistake once too of making my clay slip too thick and even with the largest nozzle it clogged. The thinner slip sprays well, gets more coverage on the walls and works great as a "glue" for the first coat of earthen plaster.
Glad it worked, you can play with the pressure but I believe you want it to go deeper into the straw. Lower pressure could make it only to the surface. I believe this could also work when doing your final coats as long at it doesn’t have straw.
I was actually thinking about applying an earthen paint, or a thicker clay slip with pigments, 5hen finished with either a brush or trowel. We've got some experimentation to do for sure. Someone else menti using a lower pressure, around 30 psi. I've been using 90 cause that's what my compressor was set at for my nail gun. That's why instructions for the texture sprayer would have been helpful.
@@theupsideofdownsizing yes sir when I’m applying texture to a Sheetrock wall I run mine around 30 psi. But that’s more for the texture. For what your doing you need more of a full coat so it will take more pressure.
YOUR orifice is clogged! lol keep a straightened paper clip in your pocket for orifice poking!
Hey watch it, this is a family channel. 😂
In such an abrasive environment that sprayer has tolerances measured in 1/8's of an inch, not thousandths.
Any tighter than that would cause all sorts of blockage problems even if the slip ingredients had a tighter control on quality.
It's like a Sharpie, use it until it stops working then replace it.
It is a consumable item, not a long life tool like a drill - and your one does the job well.
But your house is progressing very nicely - congrats to both of you happy muddy folks.
I see what you mean. When I opened the box, the first thing I noticed was how they sprayed the paint right over the threads that hold the nozzle in place. And the threads are so fine, like machine threads that cross threading the collar is almost inevitable. But, it's getting the job done and like Bob Barker use to say, the price is right. 😉 Thanks for watching!
Ha! You're sure getting your money's worth out of that sprayer.. ;^)
That's a fact! If it holds out for the rest of our build it'll be one of the best investments we've made since going off grid! I actually have more plans for it, including spraying clay based paint inside. As one other viewer said in his comment, when it breaks you toss it and buy another. The thought off disposable tools just rubs me the wrong way though.
The average small house (under 1000 sf) uses about 7000 board feet of lumber (like $10k+). I will be really curious how much you have saved on lumber by using straw bales (as well as on insulation, etc) by the time you finish. I think it will be significant. Really exciting to see how quickly your are covering up the exterior bales!
At $9 per bale, and we bought 125, (only used 100), for that money we could have stick framed one wall at today's prices. And the price of insulation, if you want anything other that the pink stuff is outrageously expensive. Rockwool or recycled denim would have been several thousands for the walls. I'm not a receipt keeper ( Yvonne is ) so a true total cost is not going to be possible but we certainly got lucky with the timing of the build. The foundation, the front deck, the roof all would have been 3x our cost if we were starting today.
Would you mind sharing a link to where you picked up that hopper?
I'm about to begin plastering my strawbale home. I'm wondering if you have any idea of coverage here- what volume of clay slip covers what square footage of wall surface? Thanks!
Put a piece of vinyl screen mesh over the hopper before you connect it to the sprayer. It will block out the rocks, hay, and unresolved clay. It might be a pain to connect, though.
The issue is I didn't strain the clay. And it's not a big deal. I just have to be careful when I pull the slip out of the mixer. I have to gently skim the slip off the top because the aggregate is all settled to the bottom. Ever since that one clip in the video today, I haven't had another issue, because I know what the problem is. It's an easy work around. Thanks for watching!
Use of hawk and plaster trowel would work better than hands also
In theory yes. In reality, no. I own and know how to use a trowel and hawk. For the first coat, the plaster needs to be pushed into the bale with a good amount of force to achieve a solid bond. The problem with a trowel in this situation is, the pressure is dispersed over the entire surface area of the trowel and cannot force the earthen plaster deep into the bale. The result is a plaster that does not have a strong enough mechanical bond. Now the second coat of plaster can be easily applied with a trowel with good success, and that is how I apply it.
Yea baby! lol.
Said in my best Austin Powers accent 🤣
Just found your site…yes I subscribed, where do I find…like a first video of building your foundation…I definitely want to use the straw bales…what size in sq ft is your foundation…
Thanks for subscribing! Our foundation is 24x40
Hi, do you have the house plan available you used for is to use?
Sorry, only in my head.
Is that sprayer powered by a compressor? If so, what compressor do you use?
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Another tool that helps level plaster surfaces first coat. ????
42inch or 48 inch magnesium plaster/concrete Darby... App $38
Basically put it on the wall hold the one pivot point and swing circles
Move to a different pick it point
Float again..
Walls come out pretty level without humps or low spots....
Just another tool that may help
I gotta see one of those in action. I'd be all over it! Thanks for the tip Jim👍
@@theupsideofdownsizing
Check out UTube videos
Darby
Ordered a 42 incher today from the dreaded Amazon. Magnesium, $29. Binge watching a guy on UA-cam who has been plastering/ stucco work for 30+ years and has something like 900 videos. A real artist with a trowel.
@@theupsideofdownsizing
Hope it helps
An outside bullnose trowel might also help
Should feather the corners out 3 - 4 inchs
You know I gotta check that out too.... But the edging tool worked pretty well on our solar shed windows. Once floated and sponged they developed a nice radius.
So let me get this straight. You get to play in the mud, you get to buy a new tool(😍), and you get the job done better, faster, and easier!? That doesn’t seem fair! But all’s fair in love and war right? 👍🏼
The only thing that would be better would be if I could get Yvonne to mix the Cobb. But she's way too smart to fall for that.
What compressor are you using ?
Not the same one as the nail gun ?
Up until last week, I have owned only one compressor. A 6 gallon pancake compressor from Porter Cable.
You are doing amazing work guys! Would like to know what type of spray were sprayed over the straw-bells. Is that simple clay? We are planning to have a straw-bell home for us. Your videos are helping us a lot. At the same time I'm wondering what is its durability of the bales.
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Though here we don't have ready made straw-bells like you have. We are planning to make the balls. Grateful to you.Thanks!
I think I got it.
Looks like the new mudslinger 2.0 really lets the clay slip penetrate the top layer of straw on the bales. So it should make for really strong adhesive for the cob. Is/was the plan to finish the outside before the monsoon season. Or is it more of a finish as much as your able before it hits? Also how long dose it last and often do it rain on you guys?
And I have to say the greenhouse really have transformed. It looked more like a jungle in there now then anything. =) So looking forward to the update video.
The cacti around the drive way looked very nice as well. Cant wait for them to grow in.
We're not stopping with the plastering. As we go it gets covered, which actually will cause the Cobb to cure more slowly which is better. As soon as the first coat is done, which should be in about 3 days, we'll get started with the second coat. The rains don't last long, an hour or 2 but it can really come down. A slow, steady rain would be nice, bit doesn't happen very often. Thanks for watching!
The hose leaks more air than the gun uses... Fix the hose and save yourself a ton of power running the compressor and less irritation from listening to it also...
It's not the hose it's the gun. And I think it's because I have the compressor set for 90 psi. Another subscriber said I should be using about 30 PSI so I'm going to dial it back and see what happens. Sorry about the irritating sound.
Can anyone please explain to me what's clay slip used for?
I am documenting myself in this kind of home insulation and it's quite new to me.
Thanks, God bless
The clay slip acts as a glue, or better said, a bonding agent so that the earthen plaster sticks easier and better to the straw bales.
well when you put your filler can in the dirt and then put it right back in your mix bad ideal
Enjoying the build! But I’m wondering why no metal mesh on the bales before using the clay/plastering? Wouldn’t that make the clay/plaster more secure? Maybe it’s on there and my old eyes just don’t see it :))
Stucco lathe is used around the window frames and over any exposed wood. It's not needed over the bales because the straw offers all the texture/ grip needed for the plaster to "key in" and produce a secure bond. Thanks for watching and your comments!
That makes sense. Thanks!:)
I would still tell my mother no thank you, I would rather have my home built from stone rocks. Hay or straw will burn, and stone rocks won't!
LoL
your mix is a little thin. that gun will easily spray pancake batter consistency. you can put a 45 elbow on teh hopper and spray more overhead too. your pressure is a little high which is why u got all the over spray. these guns like about 30psi.
Thanks for the information. That's why I wanted to see some instructions when I opened that box. I had my compressor set at 90 PSI for my nail gun and that's where I left it when using the spray gun. I'll lower the pressure down to 30. The problem with a thicker slip, is that we need to use a lot more clay. And the more clear we use, the more clear I've got to harvest out of a wash. So right now the thin layer of slip is working really well and will probably stick with that consistency. Thanks for watching and for the feedback!
@@theupsideofdownsizing yeah i feel that. harvesting dirt is all the fun. you can use bagged bentonite if ya like. but you gotta buy that.
couldn't you do similar when applying the cob? I imagine you might have to cut the straw up to something finer but how would it be any different than how for instance stucco is sprayed onto a house.
Right now, the straw I'm using in the mix is extremely fine 1/4 to 1/2 in Long and would probably go through this sprayer. I've seen sucko sprayers that use much more powerful compressors to throw the stucco on the wall. We've also heard about someone who did an entire Cobb house using such a sprayer. I really don't think that's going to be necessary for us we're happy to continue having our hands on the plaster. If I were doing a business, I'd be looking for a machine for sure. I'm thinking about how I might be able to use this for a clay based paint for the inside. Could be interesting.
@@theupsideofdownsizing I am looking forward to seeing how you do the inside.
Isn’t that way to wet and watery?
Not at all. It provided the perfect sticky base coat to the bale's, allowing subsequent coats of earthen plaster to adhere without falling off. It also made it possible to force the Cobb deeper into the straw bale surface for a better bond.
@@theupsideofdownsizing super cool
Stucco gun, bro...
The rock came off the bottom of the cup you were dipping in the slip to fill the hopper. Go back and watch your video of that. A few seconds of care will prevent minutes of repair.
I'll try to be more conscience of it in the future. Thanks for watching!
Just drill out one you have....
So if you eliminate coal production, you are left with petroleum…or are you thinking you can create power by solar or wind…
?
For $6.00, you can't go wrong...
My thoughts exactly!
If you look at the video where you refilled your applicator's reservoir you'll see that you introduced grit to the mix from your placing the cup on the ground instead of keeping it clean. The ground is not clean! Just sayin'. Glad it is working for y'all.
Actually there's about two cups of granular at the bottom of the mixer when I make that slip. It's because I didn't sift the clay. Ever since that clip, I'm more careful to skim the slip off the top and I haven't had an issue since. Thanks for watching and you're being so observant! Oh by the way, the rock that was actually stuck in the sprayer was about the size of an almond.
@@theupsideofdownsizing Thanks for getting back to me. I now know why you mentioned screening. Enjoy your channel.
Never bad mouth a tool that works as well as that sprayer does.
It will come back to bite you in the butt. lol....
How goes the tire wall you guys built to divert the monsoon runoff?
I was the first to admit that I may have to rethink my assessment of that tool. But it's still a cheap piece of junk. Any tool that has a fitting on it that tears apart at mere sight of a wrench, the quality must be put into question. The tire berms are holding up great!
How many coats of mud do you put on the walls
2-3 depending on how much flattening or correction is needed. Certain areas, like over the windows for example will need 3-4 coats in order to build up the height or thickness to be level with the rest of the wall.
Just ran across this video about applying lime based mortar to a mud base. If your aware of this problem ignore the link. If you have a newer solution for this problem please share your differences.
ua-cam.com/video/BAgQZM5clOA/v-deo.html
I've watched that video a couple times and I think the problem that that house had was there was no mechanical bond between the Earthen plaster and the straw bale. that's why it broke away so easily. there was a big gap between the actual Earth and plaster and the Bales. That's another reason I was using natural hydraulic lime as a fortification material in our first coat (or brown coat) of plaster. my thought was, if we add some lime to the Earthen plaster, then if we decide to go with a lime plaster as a top coat, it will be more likely form a mechanical bond between the two layers. Because of the price of the natural hydraulic lime material, we have opted to go another route. That'll be discussed in an upcoming video. Thanks for watching!
@@theupsideofdownsizing I'll be waiting with fervent interest!
Not going to say it..... O
Say what? Come on say it.
@@theupsideofdownsizing an opening, as of a pipe or tube, or one in the body, such as a nostril or the anus........LOL
@@duhe98 see, don't you feel better now? I know I do😂
Does Yvonne have a sister???
She does....5k miles away and married.....😉
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