I finally got a chance to read some of the new CS mag. Hey, Polly, great article!!

I was intrigued by the cordwood construction information. There's a lot of the techinique that I don't really understand. Has anyone here tried it?

Can you use this method even out here in the great Northwest, land of rain and fungi?

Any resources for this as a "101" primer? Preferably online? Thanks!

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2001

Answers

Hey sheepish

I had a chance to see one here in KY.Like their looks. Talked to the folks at the Demo Center who built it and got suggestions and problem solving techniques from them,here in the land of hot and humid and fungi.

We've been thinking about them for abt 10+yrs now,but have not constructed a demo yet.But,after all there is always a least a 10 year lag btwn research and developement on the farm, am I right? Is for me. I take the "it'll shine when it shines" approach to homesteading.

On CS board, the cordwoodguy posted his website so check that out.I've seen him post elswhere. Otherwise,we got the cordwood house book by Rob Roy. Also we have his sauna book,available plenty cheep from www.discountnewagebooks.com

A big Howdy this AM, from crazystalkingwoman (my new indian name) in KY. Yes this is really me,not someone pretending to be me to bait others in.Hey,a sense of humor surely does help one get thru life,doesn't it?

FYI This email addy is no longer valid,but you have my new one,as needed.

And I have not received my copy of the mag.I am SOOOO depressed!

-- Anonymous, April 20, 2001

Great name! Thanks. And nice to see your "face" around here too! I'll check out the sources. I'm always looking for new construction techniques. Seems like that's all we do is build around here. A neighbor on one side of us calls our place "Tombstone" because we have nested our buildings in a cluster. However, the neighbors on the other side of us call our place "Jamestown," which is much more charitable. I think we are done building outbuildings, unless I finally get my monitor barn, in which case we would tear a couple down and start over. At any rate, with the shed, woodshed, bunkhouse, garage, ewe barn, ram barn, henhouse, and kennel all in a little group next to our house, it does indeed look like a little village....esp. since everything is painted white, red, green, or combination thereof.

I like the looks of the house in the magazine. Especially round (I'm too impractical to do a round house, although my husband and I affirmed our partnership by handshaking on an agreement to build a dome house, twenty plus years ago....We didn't build it, but we DID get married and build just about everything else...)

Thanks again.

-- Anonymous, April 20, 2001

Hey sheepish-you got Tombstone.I have Boot Hill. Cemetary on property,fair share of outlaws in it,so I named the upper pasture Boot Hill in it's honor. I'm a bit too irreverent for the masses. So far,noone but me thinks it's funny.

Cordwood home I saw was an octogon. I liked it.

With all your little buildings you have a Christmas Village. Hey, decorate them up, manger and sheep and all, and sell Xmas things all year round! Rancho St Nicholas.

Must go to bed.Must stop writing goofy things. G'night,mate.

-- Anonymous, April 20, 2001

Perfect! Rancho St. Nicholas (tell Nick, thanks, btw) it is! I'll notify the neighbors. Thanks for the lift tonight. I needed it.

-- Anonymous, April 21, 2001