Compost Bin Design

I am getting ready to build more bins and I am wondering how others do it. I have been using garden fencing for my compost pile, but I know some use center blocks, wood, and etc.. Any Photos?

If I could copy anyone's bins it would be this one. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=4190293

Her set up is versatile and could handle a huge amount of materials in three different stages. And the boards being easily removed or added would make it so nice to work with.



This message was edited Dec 1, 2007 9:52 PM

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/666319/#post_2871466

There are some really stylie bins on that thread - noknok's masonry bins complete with gargoyles(!), and pirl's wooden bins are handsome. I bet there's a better picture of pirl's bins somewhere. But check out the asters!
Mine is just three hardwood pallets nailed together loosely. Being open on one side makes it easier to turn the pile. I kind of gave up on removing the fourth side to turn it, and sometimes the pile's too big to use the fourth side anyway.

Anybody who's interested in making a small compost bin out of pallets, look for a roofing supply place. They give away the pallets that plain old asphalt rooffing shingles come on. They're three feet square and really well made, and not unattractive. The gaps between the boards are smaller, and would look pretty good painted or stained, if you were so inclined.

And if you would actually like some plans, I have some downloaded - both for doing it with pallets and another 3 bin system using a lot of hardware cloth - in the dividers, mostly. I would like to the latter made out of the former. I'm also thinking that I would like hardware cloth on the bottom of the bins, perhaps 2" above the ground, to improve air circulation and allow me to harvest incidental moisture for tea, should I get really happy about this whole process.... > smile< ....

I'm sending a picture of mine. I'll try and get some better shots later, it's pour down rain right now. The black bags are leaves, a bonus.........big smile!

"....The black bags are leaves, a bonus..."

Yeah, whatever. Keep rubbing it in, that's right....

LOL I am detecting a large amount of leaf envy here!

Hmmph.

:~} yeah, me too!

double hmmmph!

Er, well, here's another shot...........grin

I suppose these are in addition to the previous bunch?
Doc - methinks you've got bragging rights...

I'm wanting them clear up here in Alaska, now that's long distance envy!

Yes, Katye, between DH and I, we've manager to score about 50 bags of leaves. Gotta love these yuppie types.

Nice compost bins you all! doccat, there you go again w/ all those leaves. Have you gotten your manure, yet?

Probably won't get that until this weekend, Dean. DH has a nasty sinus infection and should just take it easy for a little while. The poo isn't going anywhere. LOL

Good luck!

Another simple bin idea, if you can use a circular saw. My dad made my first one by putting notches in some 3 foot , 2 by 6 boards. Then you build it like Lincoln logs. Height adjusts with number of boards you have on it. You could build taller to fill fresh, then as it cooks down, might start a new pile by taking a few layers off. My hubby made my next one from eight foot boards, 2 by 8's, some halved, so it's four by eight. In fall I fill the whole thing, then as it works, I sort of turn from one end to the other. These eight foot boards are dang heavy though. I think a four by four bin would be the best size in this idea. Board walls give it a little shelter and are tough enough to take my abuse.

Excellent suggestion - smart Dad.

sounds good!

Oh and those Lincoln logs you won't step on and use bad language. My personal preference over tinker toys and modeling clay.........shudder!

Leggo's in the dark, right into the arch of your foot, oh the pain.

SallyG, another suggestion I would have made, but you beat me to it is the Lincoln Log handy pieces you mentioned. (the 4 foot lighter ones), just a pile of them and there you go... anywhere, anytime, easy.
Carol

: ^) My dad the mech engineer. Always making something. Always thinking, what could make this better?

Just the notching and making them, maybe in one by 6 for smaller transition boxes. You're Dad would know if that little tongue is too weak on a one-by.
Carol

those tongues /tabs on the 2 by 6 - many have gotten knocked off at least partially from the dropping and moving around.

Of course, you could use landscape timber - it'd cost more, but might last longer?

Just about forever! That would be some pretty country chic composting. How about those fake wishing well things? Make some of those and fill them with compost.

I like the ideal of starting a new pile by taking some off the old. I'm having a problem w/ a newer pile not heating up.

Weren't you going to get some bunny poop from someone? That should certainly help.

Pagancat,
I am supposed to be getting some chicken poop. It should help! The pile that is cool is mostly leaves. I think I need to add more coffee grounds and kitchen scraps to that pile.

I'm wondering if there is anyone out there who stepped on Lego bricks so many times that in frustration, he/she built a compost bin with them!
hmmm.... it would probably be a sturdy bugger if it was glued together in large sections.

All you people talking about stepping on leggos, tinker toys, stuff like that, we weren't allowed to leave stuff like that laying around when we were little. We treasured our toys and kept them out of the way of adults. My kids always had an end to "play time" with "putting it away time."
Carol

Hmm, didn't they make giant lego's a few years back? They were pretty large and strong. Snapped together they would have made a pretty fun looking compost bin and you could make it as big as you wanted and have as many bays as needed" Even the kids could help build it. I wonder if they still make them...

Carol,my kids knew if it was left on the floor or anywhere except their storage it was mine to keep. After loosing a few favorite items they soon learned to put things away when they were finished playing. If fact,I just gave my grandson a almost new schwinn bicycle that his father "gave" me almost 25 years ago when he left it laying in the driveway overnight.

His daddy did without a bike for about a year while he saved enough money to buy another one. And you can believe it when I say it never was found out of it's rack if he wasn't on it!

Way to go Z

I have cabin fever AND I'm snow bound, sort of. Going to work aint what I want to do. I want to build a compost bin. And make compost tea for the first time. And take inventory of things to build a GH with. And dig plants to trade. And go to as many garden centers as I can find. And that aint work, thats playin':))
Happy New Year and come on Spring:) cant wait to play;))
Lora:)

come on in, slowtornado. we are full of it here...free compost advice that is.

Can you believe it? Winter is just beginning and we are already looking forward impatiently for spring!

Slowtornado, Here's how I ended up with a greenhouse. I was dirt poor, collected dunnage from everywhere. Made 3 two foot high beds out of ole lumber in a row. Made another to kinda square them off by crossing the "T's" with another long bed that made it all a square with two foot wide paths between them all. Dogs, people, chickens all walked all over them. I nailed two by fours to the outside edges of my square and put up chicken fencing. Then I salvaged a large peice of "Rhino hide", a term for plastic reinforced with nylon webbing that when shaken to pieces left 'diamond' shaped pieces of plastic all over. (but that's another story) I went to the middle of my square and used one of the beds sides to put up tall two by fours and connected them with a ridge pole and let the rhino hide just drape over all the beds. Well, that didn't work so well, so I raised the outside of the square with more of a frame eight feet tall all around and put up rafters to the shakey upright ends and ridge pole. (another long two by four) Then stretched the plastic over the make shift ridgepole and sistered up rafters made from two 2X6's. I found that 3 years is the max before the rhino hide/plastic sheet disintigrated from UV rays. So I ended up with this, just from found items slowly over time. I splurged one year and got that wavy plastic stuff for the roof and it lasted longer. I got some more money again one year and did the sides with that wavy stuff, too.
Here's a pic of it from the window of my 2 storey chicken house.
Carol