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BuildingYour Own
The
Wood and Wire 3-Bin System Composter MATERIALS 2
- 18' 2" x 4"s Note: Do not use pressure-treated or chemically-treated wood for your compost bin. Prior to construction, treat the wood with a non-toxic wood preservative.
TOOLS Handsaw
or circular power saw
CONSTRUCTION
Set Up Dividers: Set up dividers parallel to one another and 3 feet apart. Measure and mark center for the two inside dividers. Cut four 9' pieces out of the two 18' 2"x4" boards. Place two 9' base boards on top of the dividers and measure the positions for the two inside dividers. Mark a center line for each divider on the 9' 2" x 4". With each divider line up the center lines and make the base board flush against the outer edge of the divider. Drill a 1/2" hole through each junction centered 1" in from the inside edge. Secure the base boards with carriage bolts, but do not tighten yet. Turn the unit right side up and repeat the process for the 9' board. Using the carpenter's square or measuring between opposing corners, make sure the bin is square or measuring between opposing corners, and tighten all bolts securely. Fasten a 9' long piece of hardware cloth securely to the back side of the bin with staples every 4" around the frame.
Front Slats and Runners: Cut four 36" long 2" x 6"s for front slat runners. Rip cut two of these boards to 4/3" wide and nail them securely to the front of the outside dividers and baseboard, making them flush on top and outside edges. Save the remainder of rip cut for use as back runners. Centre the remaining full width boards on the front of the inside dividers flush with the top edge, and nail securely. To create back runners, cut the remaining 2"x 6"s into a 34"long piece and then rip cut into 4 equal pieces, 1 1/4" x 34". Nail the back runner parallel to the front runners on side of divider leaving a 1" gap for slates. Cut all the 1" x 6" cedar boards into slates 31 1/4" long.
Fibreglass Lid: Use the remaining 9' 2" x 4"s for the back of the lid. Cut four 32 1/2" 2" x 2"s and one 9' 2" x 2". Lay out into position on the ground (as illustrated above) and check for squareness. Screw in the corner braces and T braces on the bottom side of the frame. Centre the lid frame, brace side down, on the bin structure and attach with hinges. Cut the wiggle board to fit the front and back 9' sections of the lid frame. Pre-drill the wiggle board with 1/8" drill bit and nail with 2 1/2" casement nails. Cut fibreglass to fit flush with the front and back edges. Overlay the pieces at least one channel wide. Pre-drill the fibreglass and wiggle board for each nail hole. Nail on top of every third hump with nails.
The
Compost Screen A compost screen can be made in various sizes depending on your needs. These instructions are for a screen that measures 15" x 20". Place it over a wheel barrow or box when screening your finished compost. Coarse or incompletely decomposed materials that remain on top of the screen, such as nut shells or twigs, can be returned to the compost pile. The finely textured compost material that passes through the screen is ready to use. You can use either a 1/4" or 1/2" mesh, depending on how fine a finished material you want. You may prefer the finer mesh if you plan to use the finished compost as a top dressing on your lawn or for a seed starting mix.
MATERIALS 1
- 1" x 3" x 72" strapping or scrap lumber pieces
TOOLS Handsaw
& Chisel
CONSTRUCTION Cut
6' of the 1" x 3" into four pieces, two at 20" and two at
15". Cut a 1/2" deep and 1" wide (or the width of your
strapping) section out of the two 15" ends. Use handsaw and chisel
to cut out these four lap cuts. Make square frame fitting the 20" sides into the 15" lap joints. Put enough carpenter's glue to hold it together, then nail it.
Cut
the galvanized mesh to the size of your square and staple it to the
frame, or staple your mesh to the frame and then cut around the edges
with tinsnips. Try to tension the galvanized mesh so it will not sag
when filled with compost.
The Rotating Barrel Composter If your composting operation is small and you neither relish nor have the time for turning materials, then you'll find this composter suited to your needs. The barrel is rotated several times whenever new materials are needed. It is constructed with a minimum of hand-powered tools, and is not difficult or time-consuming to build. It will cost about $60 to build providing you use a second-hand barrel.
MATERIALS 1
- 45-gallon drum, use 'food grade' drum only (composter)
CONSTRUCTION 1. Obtain a good 45-gallon drum that has not contained any toxic chemicals. Ask for a 'food grade' barrel. If metal, it must be unpainted on the inside and de-rusted (use a metal brush). Add a protective coating inside using a natural metal primer. A plastic drum can also be used.
2. Drill a 1/2" hole in the exact center of both ends of the barrel to accommodate the 1/2" steel rod. (see illustration above for how to make a simple tool to locate centres.) Hold the rounded end of the gauge anywhere along the circumference and scribe a line on the approximate center. Move the gauge 90 degrees and scribe another line. The intersection of these lines will be the exact center.
3. Next scribe the lines for the opening in the barrel making sure to round the corners slightly. Drill a 1/4" hole somewhere along one of the lines to start the saber saw. If your barrel has ribs, as most do, you will have to cut a 1" vee notch on each rib to facilitate opening the door. Attach the hinges and the hasp to the barrel and lid using 1 x 1/4" stove bolts.
4.
From 3/4" white pine, cut two circles 7 1/2" in diameter and
two circles 2 3/4" in diameter. Drill a 1/2" hole in the
center of each and apply glue to the 2 3/4" circles. Glue the 2
3/4" circles to the 7 1/2" circles. This can be done easily if
the circles are temporarily slipped over the 1/2" steel rod and
clamped. After the glue has dried, remove the disks, insert the rod
through the barrel and assemble as shown in the illustration, using four
1 1/4 x 1/4" stove bolts in each.
5. To build the support frame, cut the 2-by-4's to length and, using a corner lap joint, assemble with two 1 1/2" #10 wood screws in each joint. The uprights will also have to be dadoed 23 inches from the bottom to accept a 1 x 3" board. To make a corner lap joint, simply remove one half the thickness of the stock to a length comparable to the width of the stock, on both ends of all pieces
6.
Half-inch holes to accommodate the rod will have to be drilled in the
exact center of the top horizontal pieces before assembling the top
portion of the support frame. Slip the 1/2" steel rod with barrel
attached, through these holes and insert the cross members into the
dadoed uprights. Fasten with 1 1/2" #10 wood screws. Next cut the 1
x 3 x 23 1/4" piece at 45-degree angles at both ends, and attach
with 1 1/2" #10 wood screws across corners as shown in the
illustration.
7. For extra support, use 2 x 4 x 27" cross boards on each side. Cut them to an angle so the upper end is at 14 1/2" and the lower end at 29" from the top of the 2 x 4 frame horizontals.
8.
Drill several rows of 1/4" holes along the bottom of the barrel
exactly underneath the door opening to eliminate excess moisture. Paint
the outside of the unit a flat black colour.
This design has been "reprinted from The Rodale Book of Composting: Easy Methods for Every Gardener Deborah L. Martin and Grace Gershuny, Editors 1992 by Rodale Press, Inc. Permission granted by Rodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098. Available wherever books are sold or directly from the publisher by calling (800) 848-4735 or visit their website at www.rodalestore.com." |
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