Composting is a very good thing to do for the environment and for your own health. Growing home grown vegetables is a great boost to your health and vigor. Now you can make your own rotating compost bin with the instructions listed here. The tools you will need are; barrel, jigsaw, file, marker, gloves, metal hinges, wood blocks and two by four lumber.


1) The first step is to locate a barrel suitable for the job. If you use metal, remember that the interior may have chemicals or paint and is unsuitable. If you use plastic, some of the chemicals in the plastic may leech into the composting material. If you can use a barrel made of wood, that would be superior to the above materials. A ceramic barrel of the size you want may not be available, but would be even better. Remember you want chemicals as far away as possible from this process of composting.



2) Use a marker or anything that can make a mark on the side of your chosen barrel. Use tape afterwards and make an outline to follow the line you made with the marker.



3) Put on safety glasses and use a drill to make four holes in the four corners ( or however many corners ) of your outline. Use the jigsaw to cut out the door, following the outline of the tape you installed in the previous step. The edges will be sharp, especially if you used a metal barrel. Use gloves to handle the metal pieces and use a file to dull the sharp edges after you cut it out of the barrel.



4) Use metal hinges to attach the new door to the barrel. If you do not want to use hinges, the door can "flap" closed if you use a rubber or heavy cloth hinge. Use whichever you like, but it must be fairly sturdy and somewhat prevent the escape of the terrible smell that will be created in the barrel. You do not want a tight seal, but one that will not be loose either. A tight seal will be dangerous because of the buildup of flammable gases inside the barrel.




5) If the door you made tends to "fall in" to the barrel, attach a wood block or two to the outside of the door. Or attach wood blocks to the inside of the barrel. It is your choice.



6) Make a stand out of two by four lumber for the barrel. It will need to be strong enough to support the weight of a full barrel of compost. You can make the stand in the form of two "X" shapes and have the barrel lay in the top of the two "X"s. If you use this form be sure to provide the "X" shape with sufficient bracing to keep it from collapsing. Connect the bottom of the "X" shapes to brace them with more two by four lumber.



7) Attach a lever or handle to one end of the barrel to mix up the compost that will be inside. Use a lubricant on the wooden stand where the barrel touches the stand. Soap can be used for this or if you can find a long strip of teflon to glue onto the outside of the barrel, that will work also.


You are done. This device will allow you to have great fertilizer for your own gardening or landscaping purposes.