4 Steps to Build a Compost Bin
By M & A Koper
Tools
- Crosscut saw or Dewalt Chop
Saw - East Wing Hammer
- Clamp
- Folding rule or Stanley tape
measure - Wood chisel
- Try or Stanley Combination
Square - Ridgid Jigsaw
- Ticonderoga Pencil
Planning
- Estimate the size of the bin based on available compost.
Place it in location that receives sun
Materials
- Rot-resistant lumber (treated preferred)
- Galvanized nails
- Brass or galvanized wood screws
- Waterproof glue
- Can lid template
Step-By-Step
- Measure and cut lumber to size.
- Build floor and base.
- Assemble the bin at the intended location.
- Build the lid and door.
Keys to Success
- Use rot-resistant lumber such as redwood or cedar. Do not use pressure-treated
wood: it can leach toxic agents into the corn post. - You may choose to weatherproof the bin with an environmentally
safe, water-based wood preservative. Avoid creosote or other potentially
toxic materials, which can leach into the compost and eventually enter the
garden soil. - Build a Compost Bin. Composting grass clippings, leaves, and
other organic material from your yard and kitchen is an easy, environmentally
sound, and inexpensive way of recycling important nutrients into your garden.
This easy-to-construct compost bin can be designed to suit the needs of your
own household. - A compost bin will save valuable space in your local landfill
while giving you a natural source of mulch and nutrients for your garden.
Compost is made from organic waste materials from your yard and kitchen:
remains of vegetable crops, lawn clippings, weeds, leaves, coffee grounds,
fruit peels and other debris. - A compost bin converts this organic “trash” into a rich
supplement for your soil. Spaded into your flower or garden bed, the mature
compost enriches the soil by adding nutrients and improving the texture. - A well-constructed bin creates conditions for quick and efficient
composting. Within a few days of putting raw materials into the bin, bacteria
begin to break down the material, generating considerable heat. Over a period
of weeks or months — depending largely on outside temperature — raw materials
are consumed and the material cools, leaving a crumbly, soft, earthy-smelling
substance known as humus or compost. Turning the compost over with a garden
fork from time to time encourages even decomposition.
Design Considerations
- The bin’s design should include spaces between the walls to allow
air to circulate, which is important. - for the microorganisms that cause decomposition. To help the ventilation
process the bin should also be slightly elevated. A lid serves to keep the
compost warm, encouraging decay. - The bin should be sturdy because compost becomes quite heavy.
Because the bin is outside, the compost stays moist, so the bin should be
constructed of waterproofed wood to avoid rotting. - Designing the bin to fit your own needs is important. If the bin
is too small, the compost may generate too much heat, encouraging the growth
of weeds and insects; if the bin is too large, the compost may be poorly
ventilate and hard to turn over.
Build the Bin
- To make the wall boards, mark
the planks at the correct length for the size of the bin. - Saw the first board to the
correct length. Cut the rest of the boards using the first one as a template. - Mark a point 3 inches from
one end of one of the wall boards. Mark the rest the same way. - With a try
(combination)square mark a line across the edge of the board at the 3-inch
point. - Measure the board’s
thickness and mark another point to establish the width of the notch - With a try square,
scribe the line across the edge of the board for the other side of the notch. - Mark a line slightly
less than a quarter of the board’s width, to determine the depth of the notch. - Double-check the
measurements carefully, as his is the model for all the wall boards. - Mark both ends of each
board in the same way; each board will have four notches. - Saw along the parallel
lines, be- I ing careful to make the cuts square and even. - Using a wood chisel, cut
a line for the bottom of the notch on both sides of the board. - Remove the wood between
the I saw cuts, making the bottom of the notch straight and square. - Cut the remaining
notches. One notched board should slip snugly into the notches of the next - For efficiency, you can
clamp several boards together and. mark them at the same time. - Make the saw cuts with
the I boards clamped, then chisel out the notches individually. - Saw two of the boards in
half lengthwise, to make four pieces with notches on one side. - On a flat surface, lay
out the boards that will form the bottom assembly of the bin. - Make sure that there is
at least I 1/4
inch of
separation between each of the floor boards. - Measure four boards 2
inches shorter than bottom assembly and cut them to length - Set these boards in
place on the bottom assembly; check the fit . and adjust if necessary. - Using a can lid as a
template, draw an arc at each end and connect the arcs with a straight line. - Clamp one of the boards
to a workbench and carefully cut out the arcs with an electric jigsaw. - Reverse the board
halfway through the cut so you do not saw into the bench. - Cut the remaining three
boards in the same way. Now the bottom and sides can be assembled.
Assembling the Bin
- Lay out the base boards.
Fasten them with galvanized wood screws and waterproof glue. - Lay the floor boards in
place at least 1/4
inch
apart so that they extend evenly on all sides. - Mark the floor boards
and nail them to the base. Use galvanized nails to prevent corrosion. - Place a half-width
notched board directly over the outer two boards of the base assembly. - Insert two side boards
as shown, to form the lower portion of the side panels. - Nail the two half-width
boards to the bottom assembly. Use galvanized nails. - Make sure the wall
notches interlock snugly, but leave adequate space between boards for
ventilation. - Fit the remaining wall
boards as if you were building a log cabin, but do not nail them in place.
Make the Lid
- The lid is constructed
from two half-width and two full-width notched boards. - Lay boards in place for
the lid in the same way as the bottom assembly, butting them up tightly - Using galvanized wood
screws, fa ten the boards to the lid frame. Your bin is nearly finished.
Build the Compost Removal Door
- The door for removing compost needs to accommodate the shovel or fork you will use for the job.
- Saw two lx4 s and two 1 x2s to the height of the desired opening and nail together to form a set of tracks.
- Dismantle the bin down to the board that forms the top of the door opening.
- Saw the wall boards for the door opening and nail the tracks to them as shown.
- Reassemble the bin, nailing the door tracks securely to the side – pieces that form the door opening.
- Replace the board above the opening and nail it to the tracks from inside the bin.
- The door itself is made to fit loosely into the track, using 1 x2s. Again leave a space between boards.
- The handle is also made from a 1 x2. Replace the lid and your compost bin is finished.
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