Toby Newell
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You are, it would appear, at least honestly and earnestly making an effort to do things in a responsible way, which is more than can be said from some BS merchants.
- Thread starter aockenden
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Toby Newell
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I like the fact that someone, somewhere, in a trading room, office of congress or parlianent said to someone influential 'I've got it!' We don't actually have to drastically reduce profits by selling less stuff, we can carry on and simply set up to 'trade carbon'. Then we can game it like we have been gaming the monetary system for decades. And that influential someone said 'Yessss!' pointed at the guy and smiled. And the world blinked and went. Ok. I definitely believe that. Because being fooled is easier than accepting the truth.
Toby Newell
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I know @aockenden was understandably miffed at me shooting down all the many BS merchants. Taking dead, rotting or pre rotting timber (and other plants) that would otherwise decay via methanogen microbes to produce methane and instead pyrolysing it to store underground or in buildings (maybe roads?) is probably the best and cheapest large scale emissions reducing thing we could be doing. Especially if we scrub the carbon monoxide (capture the CO and use it as a heating fuel). Ideally we should be putting charcoal into everything.
Ok I’ve finished making charcoal. I’ve got 2 wheelie bins full of the stuff. All made from offcuts and delivery pallets from our many renovation projects.
We also got the corrugated asbestos roof removed professionally and then I ripped off the old rotten wall-plates and fixed new ones (concrete screws, lime mortar fillets and straps). I also finished blocking-up half the old doorway in preparation for turning it into a second window.
Now just need to roof it and we’ll be ready to start some actual charcoal-lime plastering.
We also got the corrugated asbestos roof removed professionally and then I ripped off the old rotten wall-plates and fixed new ones (concrete screws, lime mortar fillets and straps). I also finished blocking-up half the old doorway in preparation for turning it into a second window.
Now just need to roof it and we’ll be ready to start some actual charcoal-lime plastering.
Well, I’ve tested mixing insulating lime plaster / render with a cement mixer and it actually works quite well and is a HUGE time and labour saver vs both mixing with a hoe in a wheelbarrow and mixing with a powered paddle mixer in a trug bucket.
It required a small amount of babysitting at the start of the mixing to keep lumps from sticking to the side of the belle, and I also threw a couple largish rocks in with the mix to knock around in there and break up any lumps (basically like big mixing balls in a protein shaker cup).
I put the dry ingredients in first, then added the lime putty ontop of the bed of dry ingredients, then added the water on top of everything. And I could comfortably fit 2 trug-buckets worth of mix into the mixer at once.
Considering it only cost 25 quid to rent for an entire week, I will definitely be renting this again to do the charcoal lime plaster in the outbuilding project.
It required a small amount of babysitting at the start of the mixing to keep lumps from sticking to the side of the belle, and I also threw a couple largish rocks in with the mix to knock around in there and break up any lumps (basically like big mixing balls in a protein shaker cup).
I put the dry ingredients in first, then added the lime putty ontop of the bed of dry ingredients, then added the water on top of everything. And I could comfortably fit 2 trug-buckets worth of mix into the mixer at once.
Considering it only cost 25 quid to rent for an entire week, I will definitely be renting this again to do the charcoal lime plaster in the outbuilding project.
That’s a great deal for sure. Was it in working order? Electric or petrol?
Finished one side of the building’s reclaimed slates. I’m pretty satisfied for a first attempt at skating. Next time I’ll definitely splurge on the 38mm copper clout nails instead of the 30mm, as these reclaimed slates are thick and chunky so I would sleep better at night with an extra 8mm of penetration into the battens.
As the roof is now finished and the windows are being are by our joiner, I’ve started prepping for plastering.
The existing internal cement render is thin but tough and the bedding mortar on the blocks of the walls is cement anyways so I’m not going to get full through-building breathability regardless. Therefore I’ve opted to simply rough-up the surface with an SDS to provide a better mechanical key for the thick charcoal lime plaster.
The existing internal cement render is thin but tough and the bedding mortar on the blocks of the walls is cement anyways so I’m not going to get full through-building breathability regardless. Therefore I’ve opted to simply rough-up the surface with an SDS to provide a better mechanical key for the thick charcoal lime plaster.
Internal tongue-and-groove ceiling boards are done (including loft hatch). Going to stain dark with Van Dyke crystals.
Fascia’s and barge-boards are on as well. Just need to do the soffits now and paint them all black. Windows should be done soon. Then just need a door. Lastly will be putting the reclaimed slate tiles down for flooring and then finally onto the plastering.
Fascia’s and barge-boards are on as well. Just need to do the soffits now and paint them all black. Windows should be done soon. Then just need a door. Lastly will be putting the reclaimed slate tiles down for flooring and then finally onto the plastering.
Ok making a start on the interior plastering this weekend. I’ve been playing around with test-patches using different recipes for the charcoal plaster.
From my tests I’ve settled on the following:
6 parts char
2 parts clay
2 parts water
1 part nhl powder
1 part coarse hemp
The charcoal needs to be pre-ground before mixing, which so far seems best accomplished by putting it on a tarp and walking on it until it’s ground into a medium sized aggregate.
The clay also needs pre soaking overnight in water to fully hydrate it and break up all the clumps.
From my tests I’ve settled on the following:
6 parts char
2 parts clay
2 parts water
1 part nhl powder
1 part coarse hemp
The charcoal needs to be pre-ground before mixing, which so far seems best accomplished by putting it on a tarp and walking on it until it’s ground into a medium sized aggregate.
The clay also needs pre soaking overnight in water to fully hydrate it and break up all the clumps.
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Cubist
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Sorry, but this thread of yours passed me by almost completely - note to self Check out Projects more often - I haven't read through it completely or thoroughly yet but its an impressive record of your research and findings; and also confirms that you're more acutely bonkers perhaps than I thought. Excellent stuff and work..... more, more, more please.
Haha thanks, your wish is my command.
I mixed the first full batch today in preparation for application tomorrow. I mixed it using a very similar method to mixing cob, where you put all the ingredients on a big tarp and walk / stomp / dance it all together into a homogeneous mix. Very tiring work (as usual) but definitely a better approach than mixing in a wheelbarrow with a hoe. It combined well. I opted for lime putty as the lime component of the mix instead of the NHL for this batch, as it’s got to sit for 24 hours before applying and I don’t want the hydraulic set going off while it’s laying around pre-application. Next batch will be mixed on the day of application so I’ll use the NHL then.
Cubist
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Hopefully you have no near neighbours who may be alarmed by seeing some bloke dancing around on the horizon and calling the Emergency Services. That's precisely what happened here I'm told when the then nearest neighbour began building a new shed with rammed earth and cob! The police showed up much too late though but then nicked the neighbour for a rather unsavoury crop he was raising!