Composting is easy and fun. Kitchen scraps, leaves and lawn clippings are allowed to decompose naturally and they become a healthy, nutrient-rich and beneficial soil for the garden, reducing the need for artificial chemical fertilizers. Here’s a DIY to make a spinning double drum composter to make compost rich soil for the garden…
Making The Frame…
The frame consists of 3 pressure treated 4×4’s and 1 pressure treated 1×4, all eight feet long. One 4×4 was cut exactly in half and the 1×4 was cut into quarters – they were to become the 2 beams and 4 stakes…
Pilot holes were drilled through the posts and into the beam and held together with galvanized lag bolts. Each of the corners where the beam meets the post got corner braces and the top got flat braces. The braces are meant for extra support, since the barrels may become heavy. The space between the top beam and bottom beam was 3 feet.
A 2 inch hole saw was used to cut holes into sides of the posts so they can hold the poles later on. Exterior screws were used to fasten the stakes to the bottom of the posts. The entire frame gets cemented into the ground later and the 4 stakes offer additional support to the frame. At the bottom of the posts and stakes, some screws have been partially into the wood to hold them into the cement better…
Installing The Frame…
After the frame was complete two trenches for the posts and stakes to go into…
The holes are filled with fast setting cement. Each hole took 6 bags (12 total – 60 lbs. each). Once the barrels are made and full, they could get very heavy with the compost so the frame and concrete anchors must be strong…
…galvanized poles were used and cut two 5 foot lengths. These go through the holes in the posts and are what holds the barrel. Be careful when selecting poles, since they will need to be strong to support the weight of the barrels when they’re full…
The Barrels…
The composting barrels which are made from 55 gallon drums. The barrels should be a dark color since light colors will reflect the sun and heat is important when composting. Using a 2 inch hole saw, holes are cut exactly in the center of the bottom and top of the barrels. This is what the pole will go through…
Then, using a rotary saw, a rectangular door is cut into each barrel. Take care that the door is big enough to allow comfortable access to the inside of the barrel. After that, a drill to drill several hundred holes all over the barrels to allow for air to circulate inside the barrel. Air is also important when composting…
The door is made from 2 flat braces, 2 handles, 4 hinges, 8 barrel locks and enough screws/nuts/washers to hold everything on. Each door got 4 barrel locks since they work together to hold the door closed while spinning and they help to keep the shape of the door, since they tend to lose their shape and flatten out. Each barrel also got a flat brace installed inside. It sticks up slightly to prevent the door from falling inward…
Now that the barrels are finished, the pole is put through the barrel and secured to the frame. At this point, the project is complete & the barrels should spin easily & freely.
Making Compost In The Barrels…
Making compost in the barrels is easy. Simply throw all kitchen scraps, lawn clippings, leaves and other organic matter into it and it will decompose naturally and make healthy soil. Once one barrel is full, the next one can be started on. Rotate the barrels every so often to mix and aerate the compost.
The Final Product…
If you’re not interested in making one of these yourself, you can pick up a pretty low cost similar solution here too…
If you like this idea, be sure to share it with your friends and inspire someone you know. Anything becomes possible with just a little inspiration…
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Often those blue and black barrels have had chemicals and hazardous materials transported in them and should not be used for anything that will put on, or in a garden. You should be using the white barrels for composing and rain barrels.
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