I would like to know if anybody has built a homemade compost tumbler, and if they have, what kind of results they've had. Also, any plans or ideas would be helpful. I've looked at pictures and I'm pretty sure I could build one, but I'm not clear on how many vents they should have, or exactly where they should be located on the drum.

-- (dshaske@excel.net), March 11, 2001

Answers

Hi -- I haven't built one, but I've had one of the commercial ones I got as a birthday gift for about 20 years. It's still in use and holding up well.

If you're handy, you probably could build one. I will note that there are is only one area of ventilation on mine. It is in the wall of the barrel, and placed that so when you have finished turning the barrel for the day, it should be at the bottom to allow ventilation. The hardest part is getting the ratios right on materials so that it heats up fast and processes right. It is a small enough amount that it helps if you shred up everything you're adding finely before putting it in, and if you get too much wet stuff in, it'll start dripping out the ventilation hole and you need to add more dry materials.

It doesn't really make a completely finished compost for me, more like a rough compost, but even so, it works faster than my big compost bin does, and I'm always wishing I had more compost.

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), March 11, 2001.

I used to have 2 55 gallon drums, with the door hatch cut out on the side that you are supposed to just roll around. I didn't like them because they always filled up with ants. Don't know why. And it was hard getting all the stuff out of that door, even though it was like 1/2 of the barrel and pretty wide. I just use sheet composting now, don't have to move it twice.

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@hotmail.com), March 11, 2001.

I have built one and it worked like a charm. Took only a few weeks to get usable stuff! We mounted a big plastic trash can between two A-frames by a rebar (or maybe some other pipe, been a while) through the middle and ran a piece of hand-perforated PVC down the center (sticking up through the lid a bit, to stablize it) and drilled some holes along the sides. We filled it, bungeed the top on, and spun it every few days.

Worked great, but When I repeat the process, I will go with the metal drums (the plastic one eventually bent and flexed from the weight and broke) and prop it up on those metal fence posts that have holes running up them (for easy insertion of rebar pivot). A local park has their trash cans done like this (prevents them being carried off and makes for easy tipping out) and it looks much more permanent and stable.

It's great fun to do and you'd be suprised at how quick it makes compost!

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), March 11, 2001.

I forgot to note that when we made ours, the barrels turn end over end, not rolled on their sides.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), March 11, 2001.

dshaske, There was plans for one in the eighties in a back issues of Mother Earth News. I thought about making one myself but, I 55 gallon drum is not enought compost for my purposes. The way I compost now is to just bury my scrap veggies, coffee grounds, tea bags, and eggshells in my garden. I just dig a hole near the veggies that I am planting and put the scraps in and cover it up. They break down fast between the mirco organisms, worms and rain. Sincerely, Ernest http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks

-- Ernest in the Ozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), March 11, 2001.

An old cloths dryer will work to tumble up to about 30 pounds or so, just disconnect the heat strips. Also a 55 gal drum with a bolt on lid works well as long as you mount a sheet metal mix fin on the inside to help mix as its rolled down a timber track.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), March 18, 2001.

In addition to the barrel on a pole style, I found these plans for a olling style. Looks better/easier to roll than other configurations I've seen: http://www.GardenGateMagazine.com/tips/17tip12.html

-- C (ctgammag@ingr.com), October 26, 2001.