Original Tabby Shell Stucco was made from a mix of slurry of water, homemade lime, local sand, and oyster shells. Occasionally, aggregates of broken glass, brick or other similar products were added. The mixture was poured into a wooden forms or rectangular bottomless cradles made of finished boards approximately two inches thick. The length of the cradle varied; the height was 20 to 22 inches in the eighteenth century but was reduced to 10 to 12 inches in the nineteenth century to minimize collapse and provide greater strength. The sides were held in place by dovetailed braces. The tabby was tamped and leveled by hand.

Round pins set at regular intervals held the cradle in place during the entire process. The tabby air-dried in its cradle for two to three days. After it hardened, the form and pins were removed and placed atop the first pour or “round” for subsequent rounds, thus building a wall in a layer-like fashion. The finished wall was then brushed with a broom before stucco or whitewash was applied.

Minute modifications to this procedure distinguish Tabby Revival tabby from its copied original. In addition to the commercially available Portland cement and lime altering the mix after 1880, the cradle was modified to eliminate the use of pins: huge clamps now held the sides. The qualities of the cement enabled builders to discard the previously essential stucco.

The sand was always from a local body of water. Sand from salt water was washed to remove as much salt as possible, since salt causes decay and deterioration, such as spalling. Oyster shells, procured from Indian middens or trash piles, provided a well-washed aggregate and, when burned, produced the third ingredient, lime. A “rick”, or bonfire, was built, starting with a frame of hardwood tree trunks surrounding a deep pit filled with pine knots. Layers of logs and oyster shells were then piled on top and set afire. The intense fire burned the shells, turning them into a white powder called quicklime, which reacted with water to set or cure the mixture. After 1880, this burn was omitted in favor of purchasing pre-bagged lime and Portland cement.

Tabby Shell Stucco making was labor-intensive and dependent on weather. February through September were the recommended months for making Tabby. This allowed builders to avoid winter freeze-thaw cycles and rainy, hurricane-prone autumn months, and take advantage of months of high humidity, which shortened the setting time. Drying tabby was protected from rain by palmetto branches. With the introduction of Portland cement set times decreased however, tabby builders heeded this traditional advice, but may not have always needed to follow it.