Compost Bin, For Secondary Aging of Compost

[MossRoad]

Man, that's a fancy pallet! How come you never see those in the free pallet stack?

Because everyone took them home to make composters, of course!

 

[cqaigy2]

Because everyone took them home to make composters, of course!

I see what you did there. :laughing:

 

[TomSeller]

I now just throw the veggies scraps on the garden and rototill them in the next time I till. I used to use a concrete block compost pile.

 

[jeff9366]

I am trending toward a 4' high, circular bin of heavy welded wire, with 1-2-3 T-posts, if necessary, to give the bin support. With this design, changing volume will be easy.

No top, no bottom, just a circle. As aging compost will have completed nature's hot stage breakdown in my plastic bin, I do not think secondary phase compost will attract raccoons, 'possums nor armadillos.

I will research welded wire fencing material available to me at Ace Hardware, Tractor Supply Company and Southern States Co-op, locally and hope to find something satisfactory. If not, I have Lowe's and Home Depot thirty-six miles east in Gainesville, Florida.

Originally thought I wanted something square but input here has convinced me I have been over-thinking this project.

Plan subject to change.

 

[KennyG]

I think you are on the right track here with the wire fence. It doesn't need to be real heavy and you won't need the posts. I did this for a number of years until I got a larger property and now have space to just use an open pile. In pre-tractor days, I would make round bins about 3 ft diameter, 3 feet high just bending the wire ends to connect them. To turn them I would unfasten the wires, strip the fence off and shovel the pile into another bin. Good exercise but not a killer.

Shop Blue Hawk 36-in x 50-ft Silver Galvanized Steel Perimeter Fence at Lowes.com

 

[California]

One thought - I wish I had built my bin wider than the loader's bucket. (only 4 ft wide, for the little YM186D). It would be easier to remove material from the bin if I could drive the bucket right into it. Best of all would be a rigid bin that would stand up to pushing into it with the loader - like the cribs you see at a landscape gravel dealer.

And - it would be more productive to put the shredder next to the bin with the loader right at the shredder's output. Then use the loader to move material to the bin instead of what I do now, tossing the shredded material with a grain shovel as shown in my photo above. (Post #7).

 

[jeff9366]

I am trending toward a 4' high, circular bin of heavy welded wire, with 1-2-3 T-posts, if necessary, to give the bin support. No top, no bottom, just a circle. With this design, changing volume will be easy.

I will research welded wire fencing material available to me at Ace Hardware, Tractor Supply Company and Southern States Co-op, locally and hope to find something satisfactory.

Ace Hardware has Redbrand 12 Gauge Welded Wire Fencing 48" X 50' (2" x 4" mesh) @ $79.99. Not much more money than more readily available 14 Gauge fence rolls and probably considerably sturdier. I am thinking 12 gauge fencing may be sufficiently self-supporting that I can leave a gap wide enough to push in 58" Debris Forks attached to 72" bucket on tractor.

If I decide to use T-posts is there dedicated steel hardware of some sort to attach fence to T-posts securely?

 

[Scooby074]

I use 7 pallets attanged in a modified T. One section for raw. Second stage. And finished compost. Not pretty but cheap and effective. Dad used these brackets from Lee valley and 1x6 cedar for slats. His is a lot fancier and looms better. Composter Bracket Set - Lee Valley Tools

 

[jeff9366]

Ace Hardware has Redbrand 12 Gauge Welded Wire Fencing 48" X 50' (2" x 4" mesh) @ $79.99. Not much more money than more readily available 14 Gauge fence rolls and probably considerably sturdier. I am thinking 12 gauge fencing may be sufficiently self-supporting that I can leave a gap wide enough to push in 58" Debris Forks attached to 72" bucket on tractor.

Here is the result. I used two 6'-6" T-posts pounded 20" into the soil to support the enclosure opening. It is simple to fork compost over the aluminum fence in either direction, or into the 72" bucket on my tractor. Bin used about 1/3 of the 50' roll of 12 gauge welded fencing.

I expect my finished compost output to triple. Finished compost will be used to level my lawn.

Two modular plastic compost containers within fence will consolidate to one.

Thanks, EVERYONE, for your input.