DIY Compost Tumbler Bin

Time and time again I would ask myself why do I struggle with a compost bin that I do not like to use? Eventually my frustration peaked, and I decided I would find a new bin to build. There seems to be an abundance of compost bins and an over abundance of people telling you which one is the best. All of the prefabricated models were immediately taken off the list for several reasons. The old bin is an example of why prefab bins do not work, they are usually ill-designed, cumbersome to use (in this case the lid was too small to get the compost out easily), and there is no hope of ever finding replacement parts. With this in mind, and using my DIY confidence as well as a little bit of common knowledge I set out to find a simple, cheap, and easy to use bin, a similar checklist to all my searches in life. 

The old bin (with worm bin)

I went to a bin build workshop with Western Queens Compost Initiative, where we build a bin using 2 x 6's for a frame, a 50 gal food grade barrel, a metal bar, a PVC pipe, and some elbow grease to construct a very cheap and simple bin that works great. It took about an hour to construct, plus all the time to pre-drill the holes which were done before the workshop. After the workshop I was inspired, and after a week of letting this construction project brew, I finally decided to get started. Of course after a week a lot happens and I totally forgot how to build this thing. I got a handout which was subsequently lost and resorted to looking online for a similar design. In some weird connection from a video I was watching online about building tumblers I found the exact same type of bin, with the plans! This was obviously a great find and helped me get my motivation back.

I sourced the materials from different places and used the following items:

- 55 gal drum barrel - food grade plastic, craigslist or food distributor (olives, etc)

- untreated or treated 2 x 6, (2) at 27", (2) at 28", (2) at 29" (dependent on barrel size)

- 32" galvanized metal pipe

- 28" PVC pipe

-  3" PVC cap

- toilet flange (3" over/outside)

- 1" self-tapping screws

- 4" lag screws

- 5 1/2" carriage bolts

- carriage blot washers

- carriage blot nuts

Here is the finished bin from the build.

 

Ideally, the middle pipe does not come off of the flange on the bottom.

I built this barrel over the course of the weekend. The frame is untreated wood and I used exterior paint to seal it, because treated wood leaches chemicals. Here are some pictures of the bin I built using the new plans.