Subject: How to Build/Start a Composting Bin?

From: Donna Olson <[email-masked]>
Date: 20 Mar 1995 20:02:43 GMT

Hi Everyone! :)

My husband and I just bought a house 4 months ago in 
Northeastern Ohio. We've never been home owners before
so we're really excited about starting our garden this year!

However, we need some help/advice regarding composting.
My husband would like to build a small composting bin on our 
1/4 of an acre suburban lot for garden/yard/kitchen waste.

Can anyone give us any info. on how to do this? How do you build one? 
What do you need? What should or shouldn't you do? How do you rotate
to control odors, etc., etc.

Thanks so much for any replies!
PLEASE E-MAIL!!

Happy Spring!
Donna Olson

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From: [email-masked] (Kevin Crader)
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 1995 23:18:00 -0500

In article <[email-masked]>,
[email-masked] (Craig Brossman) wrote:

> In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked]
> (Christine Owens) wrote:
> 
> 
> > The easiest way I know of is the 2x4 and chicken-wire
> > method.
> -- 
> The easiest way I know is to use pallets (which can be obtained free from
> local lumber stores). Three screwed together form the sides, and use
> chicken wire around the whole inside and across the front.
> Fairly cheap, the sides are already prebuilt, and easy to put together.
> 
> ... Craig ([email-masked])

Don't forget one on the bottom for oxygen, or you could use some cinder
blocks on their sides, or leach field piping (full of holes). The more
air, the faster the decomposition (like opening the damper on a wood
stove); large scale municiple operations even blow air into piles from
pipes laid along the bottom to speed the process. Might not even have to
turn it!

Kevin who misses his compost heap...

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From: [email-masked] (Christine Owens)
Date: 22 Mar 1995 03:22:00 GMT

The easiest way I know of is the 2x4 and chicken-wire
method.  Buy 16 three-foot long 2x4s, 16 linear feet of
4-foot wide 1 - 2 inch chicken wire, 16 nail plates, and
eight sturdy hook and eye loops.  Using the nail plates,
nail together the 2x4s into four squares -- wide side of
the board to the plane of the square.  Cover each square
with chicken wire, making sure that the wire wraps
around the boards and is fastened in place on the inside
(Saves your hands from cuts.)  Put two hook-and-eye
bolts on each corner, about 1/3 and 2/3 of the way down
the side, so that you can fasten together the pieces.
You now have an easy-to-assemble/disassemble compost
bin that can be added onto by simply building three more
sides.  (I have three in a row in my garden).

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From: ettings <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 00:30:07 -0500

Four stakes from the lumber yard spcaed to form a 3'x3'x3' cube with
chicken wire stapled or nailed on, leaving the front side open (i.e.,
wrapping the wire around three sides only) will do you just great.  It's
cheap and quick.  DON'T waste the money on the fancy ones in the catalogs
like I did.  They don't work any better.  Turning the pile is just plain
hard work, so have your husband do it (just kidding...hell, mine won't).
It won't smell as long as everything is exposed to air, and you remember
to empty the scrap bucket regularly.
 
Carol

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From: [email-masked] (Craig Brossman)
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 1995 09:30:45 -0700

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From: [email-masked] (Kevin Crader)
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 1995 23:18:00 -0500

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From: [email-masked] (Christine Owens)
Date: 22 Mar 1995 03:22:00 GMT

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From: ettings <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 00:30:07 -0500

Carol

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From: [email-masked] (Craig Brossman)
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 1995 09:30:45 -0700

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From: [email-masked] (Robin Netherton)
Date: 27 Mar 1995 21:24:55 GMT

ettings ([email-masked]) wrote: 
> cheap and quick.

Sounds like my kind of project. But how do you keep the critters away 
from the kitchen scraps if the front is open?

--Robin

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From: [email-masked] (AllenO1363)
Date: 28 Mar 1995 09:16:53 -0500

There are as many ways to build bins as there are people who compost.  I
use the heavy wire "hog panels" and steel fence posts to make three bins,
about one cubic yard each.  It is important to make each of the bins large
enough so that you have enough bio mass for all the stuff to heat up.  Too
small a pile and it won't heat up properly.  Your biggest problem will
likely be handling grass clippings.  Too much grass and your pile will get
VERY hot (which is good) but it will also start to generate ammonia (which
is bad) and it will stink (which is also bad).  Offset this by keeping
lots of dried organic matter around to layer with your clippings. 
Tehnically you want a carbon to nitrogen ratio of about 10:1, but who
measures such things?  Turn your pile once a week, religiously.  It serves
three purposes.  One, is that it moves what is on the outside of the pile,
to the inside assuring even composting.  The second is that is ensures an
adequate flow of oxygen.  The third is that the process of turning
mechanically helps break bigger pieces into small ones which also speeds
up the process.  Lots of good books on the subject at the library.  Happy
Composting.