[PDF]compost bins you can build

Composting Bins You Can Build



The following composting equipment and bins are designed for easy home
construction using a moderate amount of skill, effort, time and some common
tools (see below). In many cases, the materials listed can be substituted with
others more preferable or more readily available. Also, the basic designs can
often be built to different dimensions from those illustrated, and the construction
sequence can also be varied to use different joints or methods of fastening.



Common Tools




Tape Measure Hammer Pencil or other means of Screwdrivers, slotted,

marking material Robertson or Phillips head




Hand or power drill and bits Straightedge, carpenter's square or Handsaw or motorized saw

chalk line



Proper protective equipment such as work gloves, eye goggles
and ear defenders should be worn when using tools.




1



SINGLE COMPARTMENT COMPOSTER



This single compartment bin serves to hold and
confine a compost pile. Access for pile turning and
removing finished compost is via the loose front
boards which are fit into the slots formed by four
of the upright posts. A sliding cross bar at the top
prevents the sides from spreading. An optional
removable top can be made for the unit with a sheet



of heavy plastic stapled to the backboards and the
cross bar.

This design is an adaptation of the New Zealand
Hot Box developed by Sir Albert Howard, a noted
pioneer composting researcher. It should be sited on
a level piece of ground.




Specialized Tools



• hatchet

• Power or hand drill with 1/8" twist bit




2



List of Materials



2x2s (posts)

2x2s

1x6s



• 6 3'-6"

• 1 4'-9"

• 24 4'



• 96 1-1/2" No. 10 galvanized wood screws

• 4 2-1/2" No. 10 galvanized wood screws



Construction Sequence

1. Posts. Shave down the ends of the six 3- V2' long
2x2 posts to a point with a hatchet. At the location
where the composter will be sited, pound in the four
corner posts vertically to a depth of six inches into
the soil. The posts should be spaced apart (outside
of post to outside of post) 4 feet from front to
rear and 3 feet 10 V2" from side to side. Pound in
the remaining two posts to the same soil depth
immediately behind the front posts. Allow a one-
inch gap between the posts for the front boards.

2. Sides and Rear. Starting at the bottom with a Va"
gap, attach six 1x6 boards to the side posts on each
side. Use two 1-1/2" screws per post per board.
Pilot drill the screw holes first with a 1/8" bit. Allow



a V2" vertical gap between the boards for airflow.
After the side boards have been attached, screw and
attach six 1x6 boards to the rear of the unit. Again
use two 1-1/2" screws per post per board.

3. Front. Fit the remaining six 1x6 boards loosely into
the slots formed by the four front posts.

4. Cross Bar. Cut two 3" long pieces from the
remaining 4'-9" 2x2. Turn the pieces and attach one
under each end of the 2x2 with two 2-1/2" screws.
Pilot drill the screw holes first with a 1/8" bit to
prevent the wood from splitting. Fit the completed
bar across the top of the unit at the front.



Too many grass clippings in your bin can cause odours and
methane problems. Mix them well with brown material before
adding them to the bin. Better yet - try Grasscycling!



3



COMPOST SCREEN



A compost screen is a handy device for separating
finely textured finished compost for immediate use.
The remaining coarse materials such as twigs, large
lumps and nut shells can be returned to the compost
pile for further breakdown.

A compost screen can be constructed and sized
to suit individual requirements and preferences.



This design measures 20 inches by 18 inches and is
adapted from one prepared by the Recycling Council
of Ontario. A number of mesh sizes can be used
depending on the end use. Finer, Vi-inch mesh is
suitable for finished compost to be used as lawn top
dressing or in a seed starter mix.




Specialized Tools



• tinsnips

• staple gun or power stapler



e



4



List of Materials


• 6' 2x4


• 3" common nails


• 6' 1x2


• 1-1/2" common nails


• 2'x2' piece of Va" galvanized wire mesh




• carpenter's glue





Construction Sequence



1. Cut the 6' 2x4 and 6' 1x2 each into four pieces,
two at 20" and two at 15". With the 2x4 pieces on
edge, form them into a rectangular butt joint frame
and connect the frame together using carpenter's
glue and two 3" nails at each joint. If required, the
joints can be made more secure with screws and
corner braces.



2. Cut the galvanized mesh to fit the frame and
staple the two together. Use a staple every 4 inches
around the edge. Tension the mesh so that it will not
sag when filled with compost.

3. Once the mesh is secure on the bottom of the
frame, nail the 1x2 strapping pieces over top of it.



20"

►







$


1




1



2X4



1 X2



Adjust the size of your screen to fit securely over your
wheel barrow.



5



COMPOST TEA CONTAINER



One use of finished compost is to make a liquid
plant watering solution or "compost tea." Macro and
micronutrients are most available to plants when in a
soluble form.

Compost tea can be simply made by suspending
and steeping a bag of finished compost in a drum
of water for a few days. The bag should be of a
pervious material such as burlap.



This design for a compost tea container utilizes
a plastic barrel with a tap installed at the bottom.
Variations of it can be found in both Let it Rot and
The Rodale Guide to Composting, available at your
local library.




Specialized Tools



• hand or power drill with a %-inch or other
size spade bit EXACTLY equal to the outside
diameter of the tap




6



List of Materials


• 1 45-imperial-gallon plastic barrel




2 8" concrete blocks


• 1 Vi" plastic or metal tap


•


silicone sealant




• 1 3' piece of 2x4











Construction Sequence



1. Cut the top off the plastic barrel. Set the barrel
on top of the concrete blocks.

2. Place the tap near the bottom of the barrel. Set
it high enough so that any sludge collecting or
settling at the bottom will not clog the tap, yet high
enough so that a pail or watering can will fit it (see
illustration).



3. Drill the hole for the tap through the side of
the barrel, install the tap and seal it with silicone
caulking. An exact or very close tolerance-size hole
is important since both the tap and barrel will likely
expand and contract at different rates with ambient
temperature, and most caulking materials are not
flexible enough to withstand this.



Compost tea is best used within a day or two.
For smaller batches use a 20 litre pail.



7



PORTABLE COMPOSTER

Portable compost bins serve to temporarily confine
a pile. When it is time to turn the pile or withdraw
finished compost from the bottom, the bin is taken
apart and set up in an adjacent location in the yard.
The partially composted material from the top of
the old pile is then forked over into the empty bin,
leaving the finished compost at the bottom for use.




Specialized Tools

• tinsnips

• hammer and wood chisel or motorized saw
(portable circular, or table saw or radial
arm saw) with a dado blade

• power or hand drill with a 1/8" bit

• staple gun or power stapler c/w staples



Portable compost bins can be made from old
wooden pallets lashed together, or a roll of wire or
snow fencing. This particular version is made from
hardware cloth stretched over four wooden lap
jointed frames. The design was originally developed
for the Community Composting Education Program
in Seattle, Washington.




8



List of Materials


• 4 12'2x4s


• 4 3" galvanized butt door hinges and screws


• 12 36"wide, Vi" mesh hardware cloth


• 4 hook and eye gate latches


• 100 1-1/2" galvanized No. 8 screws


• carpenter's glue


Construction Sequence





1. Cut each 12' 2x4 into 4 pieces 3' long for a total
of 16 pieces.

2. Cut 3-1/2" wide by 3 A" lap cuts at the ends of the
16 pieces of wood. Ensure that the cuts are made on
the same side of each piece. If using a handsaw and
chisel, first cut a 3 A" groove 3-1 /2" in from each
end and a Vi" groove midway into the end of the
board. This will to prevent it from splitting as the
ends are chiseled out. If using a power saw, set the
blade depth to 3 A" and make multiple passes until
the material at each end is removed.

3. Make four lap jointed frames 3' square with the 16
boards. Connect each lap joint with carpenter's glue
and four wood screws. Pilot drill the screw holes
with an 1/8" bit first to prevent the board ends
from splitting.



1 1/2"



H




3'



4. Cut the hardware cloth with tinsnips into four 3'
square sections. Reinforce each edge by bending it
back an inch. Centre each section of cloth onto a
frame (with the bent edge down against the wood)
and staple the two together with a staple every 4".
Tension the cloth so that it will not sag when filled
with compost.

5. Connect each pair of frames with two hinges.
At the outside edge of each connected pair, attach
the hook and eye gate latches so that the L-shaped
sections will latch together (see illustration). For rain
protection, a plastic tarp can be placed on top of
the pile.



9



OTHER PORTABLE COMPOSTERS

Other portable bins can be made with rolls of
wire mesh or snow fencing. The following two
illustrations are adapted from design sheets prepared
by the City of Regina.




The most common problem with compost not working is a dry
pile. If your mesh composter dries out quickly, line the inside
with cardboard and keep it damp.



10



MULTI-COMPARTMENT BIN



Multi-compartment composter bins allow for
continuous processing of large amounts of material
in batches. In a three-compartment composter,
material can be turned and mixed between two of the
compartments, with the third compartment used for
curing and storage.

A three-compartment composter can be thought of as
two additional sections attached to a single compartment



unit. A simple three-section unit can be constructed with
seven discarded pallets lashed together. This particular
design uses four identically constructed wood frames
connected to common top and bottom boards, and
with a single fibreglass lid. It is adapted from a design
developed for the Community Composting Education
Program in Seattle, Washington.




Specialized Tools



• tinsnips

• hand or power drill with 1/8" bit
and Yz" spade bit

• %" socket wrench or adjustable wrench

• Carpenter's square

• staple gun or power stapler c/w staples




11



List of Materials


• 4 10'2x4s


• 2 3" zinc plated butt hinges for lid


• 4 1 2' 2x4s or eight 6' 2x4s


• 12 Yi" carriage bolts 4" long c/w nuts


• 4 10' ?y?<;

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• 1/j"tIa+ \A/^chprc for thp hol+c

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• 2 fi' 2x2


• 12 V?" flat washprs for thp holts


• 1 12' 2x6


• 2 pounds of 3-1/2" galvanized nails


• 9 6' 1x6s

• 22' 36" wide Vi" mesh hardware cloth


• 1/2 pound 2-1/2" galvanized casement
(finishing) nails


• 1 0' x 2' sheet and one 8' x 2' sheet of 4 oz.


• 4 flat 4" corner braces c/w screws


corrugated fibreglass


• 4 flat 3" T braces c/w screws


• 40 gasketed aluminum nails for corrugated
fibreglass roofing

• 3 8' lengths of wiggle moulding to fit


• carpenter's glue



corrugated fibreglass



Construction Sequence

1. Sides and Dividers. From the 12' or 6' 2x4s, cut
eight pieces 36" long and eight pieces 32" long.
Using two pieces of each on edge, form four butt-
jointed frames 35" by 36" (see illustration). Connect
each joint with nails and glue. Cut four 37"-long
pieces of hardware cloth. Reinforce each edge by
bending it back an inch. Centre each section of
cloth onto a frame (with the bent edge down against
the wood) and staple the two together with a staple
every 4". Tension the cloth so that it will not sag
when filled with compost.

2. Composter Frame. Cut the four 10' 2x4s into four
9' pieces. Lay two of them flat side down parallel to
each other, 36" apart, outside to outside. Place the
four frame pieces on the two boards, 36" dimension
down. The two outside frames should be flush with
the ends of the board and the two dividers should
start at 35" in from each end. Mark the edges of
each frame on both 9' long boards. Lay three of the
frames aside.




35"



Starting with an outside frame, align it with its
markings on a base and drill a Vi" hole through the
frame and baseboard into a piece of scrap wood.
Secure the frame to the baseboard with a carriage
bolt, washer and nut, but do not tighten. Feed the
bolt through from the underside. Connect the frame
to the other baseboard in the same manner and
repeat for the remaining three frames.



12



Lay another 9' top board on top of the frames
aligned with their rear outside edge and mark it in
the same manner as the bottom boards. Keeping the
frames aligned with their markings, drill a V2" hole
through the top board and each frame in turn. Again,
feed a carriage bolt down through each hole and
secure the pieces together with a washer and nut.

Check the composter frame for squareness with
a carpenter's square or by measuring the distance
between outside corners. Adjust if required and
tighten down all bolts with a socket or adjustable
wrench. Connect the cloth to the frame with a staple
every 4". Keep the tension on the cloth to prevent
sagging.

3. Runners and Front Slats. Cut four pieces 36" long
from the 12' 2x6. Nail two of them flush to the top
and outside front edges of the frame. Nail the other
two 2x6 pieces to the front of the inside dividers,
keeping them centred and flush with the top.

From two 10' 2x2s, cut six pieces 35" long for back
runners. Nail these to the frames parallel to the
front runners with a 1 " gap for slats.

For slats, cut all nine 6' 1x6 boards into pieces
30-1/2" long.



4. Fibreglass Lid. For the lid frame, cut the remaining
10' 2x2 into a 9' piece and the two 6' 2x2s into four
pieces 32" long. Form these pieces and the remaining
9' 2x4 into a rectangular frame 9' by 37" as per the
illustration. Check for squareness and then connect
the frame together using corner braces for the outside
corners and T braces for the interior dividers. Pilot drill
the screw holes first to avoid splitting the wood.

Lay the lid frame, brace side down, on the
compartment frame with the 2x4 piece at the rear.
Attach the two together with the butt hinges. Pilot drill
the screw holes first to avoid splitting the wood.

Cut the wiggle board moulding to fit the front and
back of the lid frame. Position the pieces an inch in
from the sides of the frame and nail them to the top
of the lid frame with the 2-1/2" casement nails. Pilot
drill the nail holes first to avoid splitting the wood.

Cut the 10' and 8' sheets of fibreglass into five pieces
37" long. Overlay each piece by at least one channel
and position them on the top of the lid. Trim any
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