you could also take an old plastic trash bin and cut out the bottom of it, cost free.

I was aiming for a sufficient volume to maintain heat and moisture for microbial action in the bin. From what I gather going below 1 cu yd in mass limits biological breakdown drastically. This is 45" diameter with over 1.5 cu yd. Havent seen many free trash bins in that size.

As far as the cost goes, you can shave ten bucks off by using less expensive corrugated tin (the wavy type) and that is what I will be using for my first bins as that is what I have. The caveat is that you have to cut it down yourself which is no problem for me but for some the precut material would be a plus... added benefit is it comes in colors so far some it would also be a nice looking way to incorporate a compost pile into the garden.

Interesting concept. I think you might find the 'remove from bottom' plan will be little used after a while. I like the aeration idea but if you are in a really dry area it might be overkill. Of course plugging the ends of the tubes can be used to restrict the drying air. The solid sides will certainly help with moisture retention. I tried something similar but used a tractor for turning. It worked fine but I outgrew it.

Lloyd

"Also a small kiddie pool upside down over the top will make a fine cover."
The children are always the first to suffer.

"when I come up with a cool name I will christen it"
The Nexev Corrugator 2020 is a name I've been holding on to for years but you can have it, no strings attached.

"I would think close spacing of two to three inches would be a good idea"
As for lots of fasteners, dry (versus well lubricated by wetness) material has very little outward force in a restraining cylinder like this. Also there are a ton of ways to tie panels together without leaving nasty snags behind. You could also dull the points and shorten the reach of sheet metal screws with just a touch from a cheap snag grinder.

This will be a bear to work if you have anything but a passive static pile in mind, and if so, you don't have to be too picky about materials to compost down. I'd consider leaving space right beside it to lift off the sleeve (another reason for short fasteners) and reload it if things slow down unacceptably.

We used pop rivets, screws are too dangerous.

Lloyd

Thanks for the comments guys.

Lloyd, I figure I am already outgrown on this as a single unit for what we are looking to do for spring. Been quite some time since we gardened and this last year we did maybe 500 sq ft, well we caught the bug and have seeded up for next year now we are committed to getting beds ready to go.

Half a dozen or so of these is what I will be looking at and at that point should be able to get a wheelbarrow or garden tractor trailer of compost each time we put out new plants. This first year coming up I dont expect too much but hope to have an abundance of prime material after that.

We are working on several fronts for biomass material, comfrey, chinese sumac and japanese empress for coppicing ramial wood and green manure in the form of buckwheat and other cover crops we are establishing as pastures for the chickens. If we can generate enough mass through these to add to the garden cleanup we might have a chance at keeping up with the rate at which the sand swallows soil around here.

Grubby, yep... poor kids. Think I will hold off on the name, someone probably has a patent on the design though I did not see much of anything. I have a couple of round wire bins but have not been real happy with how fast they dry out. Dont think the air through the bottom will hurt too much with the solid sides.

I hear ya on clipping the screws and have a couple of those 4 1/4" angle grinders that see serious use. I wrote the above with the intent that anyone with limited tools could do the same. Bought a pack of short 5/16" self tapping screws for putting this together so i dont think I will have any trouble there. Considered using rivets but figured that would be be too much work.

As far as the bottom access. Seems like those who have been there found it not so much to their liking. This is some food for thought. Not having done this yet my impression was that what spilled out the bottom would be easy to fork up either into a trailer or barrow or back into the top to circulate back through.

Not as young or go getter as I once was but can still make things move pretty well when needed so if its a matter of required effort then I can handle that for the foreseeable future. Was also thinking this could be modified with an auger down the center to make it self turning and probably something I would tinker with down the road.

Pretty much what I am thinking on the pile dynamic (passive/static). Not after an 18 day hot pile but dont want to wait a year either so middle of the road warm pile is where I would like to land. If it ends up stable enough so that earthworms will hang out so much the better.

As with all things its all about the tryin, as much as you can read and learn the real education begins when the boots hit the ground.

I find that compost is more uniform and there aren't uncomposted chunks of stuff (either larger pieces or clumps of leaves, grass etc.) if I've actually turned the pile. Unless your brown/green mix is just right and everything composts on its way down, the result will not always be nice finished compost at the bottom.

I find it much easier to turn compost from a square bin made of pallets or concrete blocks, rather than teasing it out from underneath or through a door. My best composter ever in terms of throughput was a triple pallet bin with one removable side. Batches started in Bin 1, were turned twice and finally compost was used out of Bin 3. It was at least 1.5 yds total size so it would heat pretty well.

Also, pallets are usually free.

Just my opinion, you should build what you're planning and see how you like it. You might find inexpensive used corrugated barn siding on Craigslist or similar sources, btw.

I like the basic idea.

I use those "metal sales" roof panels for various sheds. They are a pretty good deal. I thought about using them to make compost bins like you did, but it doesn't seem really necessary. Although it would be nice in the summer when the compost dries out. If you are in an arid area, it may really make sense for you. Maybe I will try it.

Right now I have two bins made from galvanized steel wire fence with 2x4 " openings formed into a circle. I secure it at the ends with zip-ties. This is for composting cow manure and whatever bedding I occasionally have from chickens, goats, and the cow. It does dry out at times, at least around the edges, but the level constantly shrinks down, and I am able to just keep adding manure on top and it never overflows. So in the middle I am sure it is composting. At some point maybe I will cover the bins with a tarp and let them finish off completely, or maybe mix them into a new bin to let them finish. Not really sure.

For kitchen compost, I have a similar bin, but it is square and has wood support at the corners.

Thanks for sharing the idea! Let us know how it goes.

--McKenzie

If you're using a wire fence bin in a dry climate, you can keep moisture in a bit better by lining the bin with something porous enough to breathe (not plastic) that will still break the wind a bit. Burlap or landscape fabric for example. You can poke a few holes and run twisty ties through it to secure it to the fencing.

I've used a tarp on the outside so that it is more controllable. I could take it off easier. I've also used cardboard pizza boxes on the inside. It worked, but once the cardboard disintegrated, it didn't do much and the finer compost leaked out. For containment and protection from drying wind, nothing beat tin.

Lloyd

This post was edited by pt03 on Thu, Sep 25, 14 at 21:19

Thanks everyone!

--McKenzie

We did have someone year awhile back who posted a design kind of like yours, tall, but shaped like a tapered hopper if I remember correctly. It was intended for the same kind of operation you're thinking about, feed at the top, take out the bottom, recycle anything that's not finished. I wish I could remember who that was or what it was called. They posted some pics and people really seemed to like the concept.

@toxcrusadr I agree, not just turning, I break up lump and return to either the cooking bins or a curing bins. I found that the best compost in terms of texture also allowing a curing period in which the compost has ground contact with good drainage under the bin. The more you compost the same area, the better the soil becomes and then you can make better compost due to the drainage being excellent. Sitting in water is not good for compost.