How to Make a Composting Bin
How to Make a Composting Bin
By Barbara Woodward
If you reasonably good DIY skills, you may choose to make your own composting bins. You can use any rough wood but obviously the better the wood, the better your finished bin will look in the garden. Rough sawn boards can look good and perfectly adequate for the purpose. You will need a lid to retain the heat and keep out the rain. This could be some plastic sheeting or old carpets but if you have the skills, a close fitting lid with hinges will look much better.
If you do not make a bin in sections, leave the nails at the front protruding enough to pull them out with a claw hammer, it will be easy to get at your finished compost.
Making your own bin can ensure that it fits perfectly into the available space. It is very rewarding to make your own bin and they can look really good in the garden.
It is possible to make a bin from straw bales, these provide the necessary insulation but won’t last very long and they can take up a lot of room due to their bulk.
Chicken wire wrapped round some stakes in the ground is great for a leaf mould bin and you could use this for a compost bin by adding some cardboard around the sides for insulation.
If you construct a bin with identical interlocking sections stacked on top of one another you will have a very versatile system. As you use the compost, you can remove the top sections and start a new heap with them. You could even make a few extra sections to make even more versatile.
To make a bin you will need for each section:
* 4 boards of the required length (70/75cm would be fine) which are approx 7.5cm wide and at least 1.5cm thick.
* 4 wooden corner blocks. These need to be approx 5cm square and about 5.5cm long.
* 20 screws 3.6cm number 8’s
* A saw
* A drill
* A screwdriver
You will probably need approx 10 sections. You can use boards of different widths on different sections, you will need to adjust the length of the corner blocks appropriately and you should keep the length and the thickness the same.
Once you have prepared your boards for the section, cut 4 lengths for the corner blocks and attach 2 of the boards to the blocks – each board to 2 blocks. The ends of the boards need to be flush with the blocks. and the blocks should be offset so that they project 2cm beyond the edge of the board. You should drill 3 holes, 3cm deep at one end of the board, through the board and into the block. Use 3 of the screws to fasten them together.
These boards will make opposite sides of the section so if the sections are not going to be square, ensure these boards are both the same length.
You next need to join these two sides by attaching the remaining 2 boards. This time just drill two holes and use 2 screws.
You continue making the sections until you have enough.
Barbara has been investigating home composting and become fascinated with the subject. She has now put together a lot of information and a series of articles, this one explains how to make your own compost bin Make Your Own Compost Bin
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barbara_Woodward
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Make-a-Composting-Bin&id=2661722
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