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Sat, Apr 9, 11 at 15:49
| The inside walls of my Compostumbler are very rusted. Want to know how to fix. My only thoughts are sanding, cleaning and using Bondo. Your thoughts/tip much appreciated.
Rosie |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| After about three years, the center bar of my CT rusted thru, but by that time I had quit using it. A mesh bin was much cheaper, much larger, and easier to work with. Since the mesh bins worked so well, I just gave away my ComposTumbler. The mesh bins made of hardware cloth cost about twenty bucks at a good hardware store. I prefer 1/4" mesh, and buy a piece 24" or 30" high, and about 14' long.
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| Preventing steel from rusting in that environment is a lost cause. Though there are good products to forestall decay there is a concern about contact and what may be imparted to your compost. The cost/labor of repair makes it impractical. |
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| Do you have rust though or just crusty surface rust? there are a few rust converter paints although you need to remove as much rust as possible I have used one called chassis saver for some difficult projects available at auto parts stores If you have rust though it could be patched probably from the outside with a fiberglass mesh patch or a piece of sheetmetal screwed or poprivited over the area Of course it is all labor intensive but maybe worth it to you |
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- Posted by rosiew 7 GA (rosemarywalsh@bellsouth.net) on Sun, Apr 10, 11 at 20:14
| Will consider all your suggestions/thoughts. I plan to build a compost bin and will give the Compostumbler to my daughter and her family. The labor intensive part her boys can do! Just want to get the right materials. Jonas, will look at it in the a.m. and tell you had much rust. Chassis Saver sounds like a good option. Thanks. And thanks everyone. Rosie, Sugar Hill, GA |
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| Check out a sheetmetal shop(phonebook) for scrap metal or they can cut you a some. Use gloves to move it & break the sharp edges with a file. Pop rivet would be best or you could use a drill & sheetmetal screws. If you have never done this, Public Library has books or you could have the sheet metal shop do it for $$$money$$$$. The Public Library is the first "wiky Leaks" & the best free stuff out there. |
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| I picked up a totally rusted out composttumbler, it fell apart trying to get it home. I took it apart ( very simple) and using the skeleton of sheet metal, I went to the local heating air conditioning supply and bought a piece of galvanized sheet metal. Using the old sheet metal as a template, I rebuilt the whole thing in about two hours, using tin snips and pop rivets. I left a little extra metal in the door opening area so as to bend the sheet metal over and not leave sharp edges. This really is a simple thing to do, and you or your family might even enjoy your accomplishment. |
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| Not sure if they even sell the stuff anymore but auto parts stores used to carry something called Naval Jelly. The name came from it's use on Navy ships. Good stuff! You apply it then hose it off. I used it on an old truck that was rusted out and it turned the rust back into metal(or so I thought). Don't know how it works but I painted the truck afterwards and the paint lasted at least until my employer sold it 5 years later. |
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| taz6122, they still make it or a replacement. Kimball-Midwestern sell it in a spray bottle, it bonds the rust & seals it, so it stops the rust. It is made to paint over. |
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| Ken1: Sounds like you're a good do-it-yourselfer, and impressive, since the CT manual says it takes two hours just to assemble it (it took me three hours for mine). They should have used stainless or brass sheet metal for the panels, and either a heavier bar for the center rod. |
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- Posted by rosiew 7 GA (rosemarywalsh@bellsouth.net) on Sat, Apr 16, 11 at 16:54
| All my time has been spent weeding - so many dozen hours - can't count high enough to tell y'all. Will go visit a local welding/metal shop hopefully next week. Might borrow a truck so they can see better what I need. Dern, wish I hadn't traded my truck, but it's only two doors away and me using occasionally was part of the deal. LOL, Rosie |
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