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Question on Homemade Barrel Composter
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Posted by
bookjunky4life 5 Central IL (
My Page) on
Thu, Jan 13, 11 at 12:49
| I have plans to build several compost "tumblers" that spin on a vertical rather than horizontal axis. My husband has built them before but had trouble keeping the lid on. The design I am planning on using uses bungee straps to hold the lid on, but from experience he says they aren't strong enough. Any ideas? My 55 gallon plastic barrels are the kind that have a solid lid with two bung holes in the top. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Question on Homemade Barrel Composter
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| I have built 3 barrels from the big plastic barrels that you speak of and have made them longways instead of how you are thinking of because of the lid taking on all that weight in a small area. I even bought one that is made how you are going to do yours and the lid stays on but the axle broke and I can't turn it, I have a heavy iron railroad pin holding it up from collapsing.It is easier to turn and weight support if the barrel is sideways. The lid on the broken barrel I have would lose shape and be hard to put back on when I would open to check the compost, even if it was only for a minute, it was hard to align it back on the barrel right to close it, and with the collapse that I've experienced, I'll never get one with the upright barrel again, it just can't handle the weight that way.That's my experience anyway. |
RE: Question on Homemade Barrel Composter
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| Poaky's experience sums up what I would imagine would happen. Why not just turn them on their sides and rotate them horizontally? |
RE: Question on Homemade Barrel Composter
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| +1 for what Poaky said. Horizontal seems like the way to go. |
RE: Question on Homemade Barrel Composter
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- Posted by jolj 7b/8a-S.C.,USA (My Page) on
Thu, Jan 13, 11 at 23:04
I have both the plastic drum with the solid lid with two bung holes in top & a metal with a removable top & locking band.
I would like to know how you get it to spin & what do you do to slow the wearing of parts?
Do you use pillow block bearing or run the axle all the way through the drum or both ? |
RE: Question on Homemade Barrel Composter
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| poaky, do you have any photos of your hoizontal method? How did you make your opening on the side and secure it closed ? |
RE: Question on Homemade Barrel Composter
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| Unfortunately I don't have a way to post pics. I just used a jigsaw to make the holes big enough to put the pole through, and as close to being evenly in the middle. On one of the barrels I had to use liquid nails and short screws to secure the lid on. The other barrel lid was part of the barrel. I jigsawed a door sized squareish door on the side big enough to access the compost but not so big that it would be weak, approx 15 inches, maybe 16. If there wasn't so much snow where it is I'd go measure.And I used medium hinges 2 of them, and glued and bolted down a rubber flap over the opening end of the door semi-stiff reasonably thick to stop the contents from escaping when turning the barrel. And secyuring the door shut with one of those (rasp?) It is a U shaped peice with a second peice that goes over the U and you put a fasteneror lock to keep it closed I use what looks like a big heavy safety pin. There are holes in the bottom or what would be parallel to the ground when you stop spinning with the door facing you. There are alot of gaps where the pole goes in sideways, mines far from perfect and I jigsawed some vent holes in the sides and glued hardware cloth to stop fines from escaping. I also used spray paint to make it blend in with the house better. I think it's a hasp not a rasp that keeps it closed. It is kinda awkward to empty but I use a scoop, it takes a while if you are careful not to spill, but it's cheaper than buying the fancy tumbling composters. I've got good results for 3 years so far and glueing and bolting a couple handles on the exterior helps turning when it's full. The stuff hits the middle bar and moves around, not as good as the expensive tumblers but good enough, I got your post mixed up with a similar one so I'm kinda repeating some stuff. |
RE: Question on Homemade Barrel Composter
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| There is a picture on the post about tumbling composter on here that someone else made. Mine just has a bigger door and is more free hanging instead on a mounted base,by the photo it looks like it's on a base.Mine just hangs with the pole holding it up, and a frame holding the pole. |
RE: Question on Homemade Barrel Composter
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| I just made one today (blue barrel) that lays on 3" fixed wheels and rolls, no center pipe thru it, I'm sure I will have to tweak it some but that's part of doing it yourself, mine too is sitting on solid cement blocks. I did add 10" all thread bolts in the sides to help mix it so the materials inside won't just slide around as the barrel turns, if it works as well as I hope then will maybe work on better looking base that I can move around. Filled it up about 3 hours ago and gave it a twirl, seems easy enough to turn even with the weight. Will try to get pics posted soon. Dolores |
RE: Question on Homemade Barrel Composter
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- Posted by tomva 7-central virginia (My Page) on
Sun, Apr 24, 11 at 7:42
| bookjunky4life,google sump basin lid,you could add a piece of corrigated or smooth drain pipe(plastic) the same diameter as your barrel or just a little smaller where it fits snug,it wouldnt have to be much maybe 6 inches into the barrel then bolt it to the barrel then screw the sump basin lid onto the drain pipe.If youve ever seen in a basement where the sump pump is there is usually a plastic lid that screws onto the drain pipe it comes in lots of diameters. and u should be able to get one that matches up pretty close to the diameter of your barrel.Some of the lids have plastic threads that you can screw onto the drain pipe just like a mason jar lid onto a mason jar.Hope this makes sense.U would have to take a jig saw and cut one end of the barrel completely off but that would be simple and the price of the lids would be your biggest expense,you could buy a piece of the plastic pipe about 2 ft long and it would be enough to do 4 barrels.these lids would definetly hold the weight.. |
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