LABOR-SAVING Compost Bin
Building a wood container that does the work for you, including diagrams, assembly, instructions.
GARDEN & YARD
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Never break your back turning compost
again.
By David Mukamal Camp
I work so hard in the garden that I don't want to work
hard making compost as well. I'm sure you've seen the
traditional composter design with three separate bins.
You're supposed to use a fork to turn the compost regularly
from one bin into another to aerate it. My alternative bin
design takes up less space in the garden and eliminates
that little bit of labor, so you can throw your back out
doing something more fun, like weeding.
Breaking It Down
The key to leaving your compost in one place is to get air
to the center of the pile. I use 2" ABS pipe that I drilled
full of holes. The sides of this bin have a 2 1/2" channel
for the pipe ends to ride in, leaving them open to draw in
air. I lined the channels with 1/2" hardware cloth, folded
to fit and stapled to the inside of the sides.
Most of the dimensions in this project are not critical; in
fact, you should build it according to the lumber you have
on hand. I had some rough redwood fence boards and a few
extra 2 x 4 studs; I cut the frame pegs from an old broom
handle. Redwood or cedar are the best choices for this
project because they're the most rot-resistant. I won't kid
you though; you're making a box to hold decomposing
vegetable matter and wet dirt. Expect to replace it in 10
or 12 years, no matter what kind of wood you use.
Cutting It Up
Start by cutting all 16 side planks to the same length
— about 40". You're going to make two A sides and two
B sides as shown in the illustration. The basic difference
is that the battens on the B side have to extend past the
planks of the A side. You'll also notice that the rabbets
on the ends of the battens are oriented so they fit
together to form a half lap joint.
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