SB: Re: Re: SB and a Better Mouse Trap

["Mike Rubey" <Rubey@starband.net>]

Dear Straw Wolf,
I also found "The One Straw Revolution" to be very inspirational. And I
admire and
respect how you have applied this philosophy to building. The simplicity of
your method is indeed enlightened. I appreciate and applaud you for
forwarding this technique.
But this purist approach is not neccesary or even appropriate in all
circumstances.

Our home was concieved with a few certain ideas in mind. One, that a
strawbale home could be built that would look somewhat more like a standard
house in the sense of straighter walls and corners in an attempt to create a
structure that would have a greater 'mass' appeal and hopefully create
interest in SB in folks who might otherwise dismiss it as fringe hippy
technology. (Please don't misunderstand, I love fringe hippy tech.) The
bullpanel lathing and steel angle corners makes very straight walls and
corners possible.
I understand that loadbearing SB structures are limited in design in various
ways. Our design is 20000sq.ft. inside the walls and required quite large
header supported openings.
This technique is not complicated, it is in fact quite simple and it may be
a failing of my ability to communicate it without photographs that makes it
seem complicated. We used one simple (galv. angle) piece in many different
ways for 80% of the construction.
Steel is of uniform size and strength which something that those of us who
have worked with wood through the years should appreciate. It is also
roughly half the cost of wood for any given application which should get
peoples attention.

I can't get bamboo here in central Texas but there are millions of tons of
scrap steel. I would argue that recycling steel is not something to
discourage. On a scale of relative environmental problems - recycling steel,
to my mind, comes out more on the side of solution than problem. I could
just as easily say that cutting bamboo is environmentally unsound, but I
actually like the idea of useing it in the way you have discribed. I think
using locally available renewable materials is the way to go.
No doubt the recycling process has it's flaws, but steel is such a
wonderfully strong versatile long lasting and cheap material and it is
available in such grotesque abundance that not recycling it would be
foolish.

We were very concerned about the energetics of a steel cage. So we had
geomancy done and three grounding points were identified along with a couple
of other small recommendations. We are satisfied that this took care of any
potential problems with EMF's etc.

To sum up, we define a point in the overall learning curve. What was done
here is a better way when frames are desired or neccesary. We are completely
supportive of the pure green approach outlined by Straw Wolf but just like
everything else, it does not apply in every circumstance.

Thank you for getting up so early and composing such a thoughtful message,
Mike Rubey








> G ' day Balers
>
> Just wanted to share some thoughts with you all.
>
> "The usual way to go about developing a method is to ask
> 'How about trying this?' or 'How about trying that?'
> bringing in a variety of techniques one upon the other.
> This is modern agriculture and it only results in making the
>
> farmer busier."  {Replace agriculture with building and
> farmer with builder.}
>
> "My way was opposite.  I was aiming at a pleasant, natural
> way of farming {Building} which results in making the work
> easier instead of harder."  'How about not doing this?  How
> about not doing that?- that was my way of thinking.  I
> ultimately reached the conclusion that there was no need to
> plow, no need to apply fertilizer, no need to make compost,
> no need to use insecticide.  When you get right down to it,
> there are few agricultural practices that are really
> necessary."
>
> Masanobu Fukuoka - The One-Straw Revolution - Rodal Press.
>
> Just received my copy of One Straw Revolution and I have not
>
> been able to put it down and the above observations by
> Masanobu Fukuoka really struck a cord with me.  Having woken
>
> up at 4 am this morning and reading my email, as one does,
> (could not sleep), and then reading the posts re a better
> mouse trap and decided not to respond.  Then our post
> mistress, it is Sunday, told me that I had forgotten to pick
>
> up my mail on Friday.  Charmaine Taylor had sent me my order
>
> of books which included One Straw and some stunning bamboo
> books. {Great service and fast delivery, from the USA to
> Ganmain.  Thanks Charmaine.}
>
> Once I had read the above passage I decided to respond to
> the better mouse trap post.  I am not knocking the
> methodology of the Big Heart Balecage just wondering why we
> have to make such a simple method of building (straw bale)
> so complex.  Just a question regarding recycled steel come
> to mind, without upsetting anyone I hope.
>
> How sustainable is recycling steel?  How much energy is used
>
> in the recycling process apart from the energy used to melt
> it all down and turn it into angle iron etc.  Is there much
> energy used to crush and transport the old steel, say a
> Holden Ute or a Cadilac?  Also is there any pollution
> created by the burning of the old steel and the other bits
> and pieces that are in the vehicle etc.?
>
> Also the method described by Mike Rubey brings up another
> question does this amount of steel used in the building
> create a Farady Cage and emissions of EMF forces?  If so how
>
> can the EMF forces be negated in a building with a cage of
> steel?
>
> Just curious as I do not know the answers and it may be a
> good way to go for professional builders but I have my
> reservations.  I have always encouraged experimentation and
> maybe this method that Mike used makes sense, for me, and
> this is my personal view, I will stick to the methods that I
>
> learned from Beeel and Athena:
>
> No need to use steel, No need for pins, No need for steel
> netting, Load Bearing small buildings, lots of Earth and a
> little Lime, No need for cement and soon Bamboo Roof
> Framing.  Just simplicity, as Masanobu says, "a pleasant way
>
> to farm (build)."
>
> A better mouse trap?  Not in my opinion but then again
> someday someone will build a better mouse trap.
>
> Kind regards The Straw Wolf
> http://strawbale.archinet.com.au
> 61 2 6927 6027
>
>
>
>
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