During the winter and spring of 2021 and on-going, I have assisted in the hands-on work and research involved in creating an adobe dwelling. I have a colleague who has a property in the Mojave desert with no utilities, no well, totally off-grid. Just a beautiful piece of the desert with a spectacular rock pile/ formation on his property. His intent is to live in the desert in an adobe house built partially below ground to manage temperature in the heat of summer and the cold of winter.
Fortunately there is a huge clay deposit in a dried up lakebed less than a mile from his property. We have been collecting the clay by shoveling into the back of a pick-up, then driving it to the property to process.
The clay is good for our purposes without adding any other clay or minerals, but using adobe to make building blocks requires the addition of straw or hay to help bond the clay much like resin, concrete or other types of composite materials need fiberglass or steel to give them strength, and, in the case of adobe, prevent cracking. Just as with any object made of clay, the drying process is crucial to maintain maximum strength. Drying must be slowed down by using plastic sheets to maintain a humid atmosphere, and it is a good idea to turn the blocks after a day or two so they dry somewhat evenly.
We used a mold made of 2"x 6" lumber that is sanded smooth and then oiled so after forming, the blocks can be removed easily but carefully. Once the blocks are completely dry, they can be used for building using a mortar made from the same clay. Once the structure is built, it will be waterproofed by applying a stucco coating made with lime and sand.
