For new construction I plan to use slipforms and woodchips/sawdust instead of or in addition to paper in my mix. I also have an unlimited source for the sawdust and it doesn’t have to be shredded, torn, or emulsified. It does, however, need something a little more “sticky” than OPC. The mix I’m playing with includes lime, clay & woodchips/sawdust. I haven’t done anything except little stuff (tuna can & cottage cheese container size) but it’s really promising. The bricks I made with just cement were really brittle and crumbled easily. The clay/lime ones take longer to set up but are much stronger. When I start playing again I’ll include some cement in with the clay & lime to see if I can get a faster set time without making it crumble. Curtis uses a 50/50 mix of papercrete and “gin trash” which would probably work like woodchips/sawdust. I’m guessing gin trash would be the boles & stems from the cotton, maybe some cotton seed as well as some cotton fiber? That mix seems to work for him. I want to play with adding latex paint and borax to the mix and see how it does.
Charmaine has been making blocks with sawdust for a long time. Recently she posted “VOILA!! this is the magic secret I have shared with people for 9 years... sawdust is already ground up, can have shredded paper added, or NOT, and makes a wonderful healthy free insulating wall filler, block, brick, plaster, etc. I am converting my entire old horse barn- circa 1910 -made of solid redwood with no insulation, into walls filed with various mixes of sawdustcrete- with just clay- lime and sawdust, I add fibers too, since sawdust is so small. so far I love it. sand is not needed, and keeps it a light, more insulative mix. ( I put all this info receipes and pics on a folder inside the CDs I offers here is a pic of the cast blocks I made with the same recipe- http://www.dirtcheapbuilder.com/dicd.html”.
This winter I’ll get serious about building stuff. Right now it’s just too hot and humid outside to do anything much. I’ll let folks know and send pictures when I ramp up and get things “off the ground”. ;) If you come up with a “recipe” that works well let us know!
Pat
From:
Sent: Monday, September 10, 2007 10:31 AM
To:
Subject: [papercreters] Tilt up -was- Re: New Member
> Casting the papercrete in place or slipforming sounds reasonable to
me.<
Then thats what I will do.. I was commenting on the tilt up issue
because there seems to be a lot of interest and there are a couple of
areas where I would like to do it. All of the area I want to do is
already chainlink with footing under it, so I'm ready for the next
step. But first more questions.
1. I realize the whole "formula" or recipe thing is far from
standardized and I understand this is because people generally use
what is available to them in their area or is determined by their
weather conditions. My question is will using fine wood chips,
average size 1/4-1/2" x the thickness of a flat toothpick (imagine a
splinter that size, this is what they look like) be feasible for this
application.
wood.
2. Having asked the above question brings me to this. After reading
many articles on waterproofing I realize this is open for massive
variation as well. These walls will be on average 2-3" above grade
when resting on the footings. I'm in central CA near
we get rain a few months out of the winter but its sporadic at best.
Most of the info I have read on water issue was in the context of
using paper as the aggregate, not wood. I'm wondering, in general are
the end products of both methods the same, in terms of reaction to
moisture? As far as strength I would think using just the wood I
have in mind or this mixed in with paper would act
like the reinforcement needles we put in regular concrete.
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Please NOTE: I'm not asking for those reading this to do my homework
for me, I get that from posters on a forum I'm considered an "expert"
and its irritating. I realize using different materials produces
different results, having NO experience with this material matrix I
am at your mercy as to guidance. My point is when I ask questions I'm
not in the mind set of expecting those of you reading them to solve
my problem, just help guide me through parts of it. Part of the
reason why you joined was to help, not be taken advantage of....
Thanks again,
J.P (guy)
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