[daveinmanc]

well i got my 17 pallets last week all freebies  

first project was a compost bin for the OH so a few corner brackets and a couple of hinges later i came up with this to get her started













not too sure if the bottom being half open was a good idea or not

figured it might encourage the worms to pop in for a look rather than me rotorvate the ground yet again in search of more, half of which i would have give the ducks anyway lol  

started it off with some twigs and sticks, some straw and duck poo and some veg waste, anything missing???

[noshed]

Looks grand. If I were to be a bit sniffy I could say it's a bit small but as long as you turn the contents a couple of times it should rot down lovely. Mine are nowhere near as posh - pallets tied together with rope and covered with bits of old packing material and composts bags. But I did get an Arts Council grant.

[WG.]

not too sure if the bottom being half open was a good idea or not

Definitely yes since it is important to get enough air into a compost bin - especially one with solid sides.

[DD.]

You may wish to consider something more solid than the chip board for the front, Dave. Once the damp gets in, it'll expand & fall to bits.

[daveinmanc]

cheers chaps, all advice taken on board  

it is only fairly small but its for my OH and there wont be tons going in it as a lot of the veg waste now gets 'recycled' to the ducks lol.

besides, now i seem to have found an endless supply of pallets i can always make another lol

soon as i get some more 'new' ones i'll change the door  . . . . . .

[David.]

Only one 'posh' one for at home:



Lined with polythene dpm to keep (preservative treated) timber dry. Hens go mental when they hear it being opened as they know it's full of worms.

[daveinmanc]

funnily enough  . . . . . .

she's got two beehives and we thought about doing that the other day !

good way to keep her front garden happy as they're out at the front and as you said, another source of worms, and it wouldn't do any harm to have some more for turning them over

 

have you fixed the sides?? hers come off in sections

[SkipRat]

Nice job Daveinmanc, I,m doing a bit of pallet project work myself at the moment a little cold frame. Will post pics when its finished.

[Trillium]

Could I suggest for your future bins, Daveinmanc, that you space all the side boards with a nail width between each for better air intake. Doesn't sound like much, but between every vertical board, it'll be enough to work well yet keep out vermin. You don't want too much air getting in, but some is definitely needed.

[daveinmanc]

cheers trillium, i did wonder while i was doing it if i should have allowed more for air, its not exactly water or air tight now as it is but i know where you're coming from.

how about a series of drill holes to help it along 8mm/10 mm

small enough to keep out the larger pests like rats and hopefully field mice? i know they can get through tiny gaps but would they squeeze through ones that small?

[Trillium]

Vermin can only push through if the wood pcs are loose, which I don't think yours are. They can also chew through wood if determined enough, which they can easily do to bins not spaced at all.
The idea of compost bins is not to make them air-tight as then you'd have another form of decomposition - anaerobic, which creates more of a slimey compost and stinks like you wouldn't believe.
Spacing the vertical slats with a thin nail width is adequate enough to keep your compost aerobic, drain out surplus water and let in worms if you prefer that form of compost.

If anything with your bin pictured, the vermin can burrow in through the bottom quite easily and live happily ever after. I'd strongly suggest placing a square of hardware cloth (a sturdy wire mesh with small spacing) completely under the bin so it actually extends from all sides. The vermin can't easily burrow through that. And do replace that chipboard front which will rot too quickly. Try making a spaced slat front instead. Then the vermin will shake their fists at you    

[daveinmanc]

cheers again trillium  

i will change the door, that one was only temp cos i didnt have anything to hand that was better at the time and i'll be replacing it before the bin starts filling up.

like the idea of the wire underneath, lets the worms in and keeps the nippers out  . .

thank you

[jack russell]

the door that you have is not chip board and will not rot as so.  It is Oriental Strand Board it is compressed wood with  glue and is very strong and durable,  it is not marine ply,  but will last a good few years unlike chipboard.  I would say leave it where it is but drill some hole in it as you said also the sides

[daveinmanc]

cheers jack, i know its not chipboard but i know what they were getting at.

i'll see how it is for a while anyway as i need to make a gate first anyway so i'll just keep my eyes on it.

thanks