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Diane
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My set up is just like Rainbows. I have a small container in my kitchen and I even have my kids trained to throw peels and things into it.
My pile doesn't smell. I always put new scraps into the middle or if I'm turning the pile, on the bottom.
I only had a smell problem once when it got too wet. That's why I covered it with barrel covers. But even then just mixing it up fixed it.

top_dollar_bread
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top_dollar_bread wrote:I'm also building a another composter that is also in the link. They call it a two can bioreacter??I plan on composting in a old laundry basket, sitting in my old garbage can composter.
Ill show photo's of what it looks like when I build it.
And I got a vermicompost up and running, you should check it out..
I finally got to making my new small compost bin or 2 can bioreactor :roll:
it was real easy and free, the laundry basket was old, sitting in the garage and the trash bin was my old composter.. all I did is drill holes and started to layer my materials

[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2671/3842872902_4f01c38ea2.jpg[/img]
@ the bottom of the trash bin, I added a old planting rack..this will help keep the laundy basket above ground, increasing drainage and air flow. then I drilled a few holes in the laundry basket, took maybe 2 minutes tops
[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2462/3842872854_d3f744a42a_m.jpg[/img][img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2432/3842872930_eeb55e9caf_m.jpg[/img]


from here I started to add the brown and greens..I find it best to always start with browns and that if you use large pieces of cardboard or sticks, you help aerate the bottom of the compost better.
I beleive that this helps prevent the microbes at the bottom of the bin from going anaerobe...edit
[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2554/3842872820_6c1f7b2e84_m.jpg[/img]
for browns, I use ripped pieces of empty organic amendment boxes, to start....then switched to shredded paper, soaked in ACT.
For greens, I used saved garden clippings, dry cow manure, and starbucks coffee grounds.

[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2447/3842082197_0b1a724012_m.jpg[/img] [img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3461/3842873214_eae50b64cc_m.jpg[/img] [img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2661/3842873062_c263246885_m.jpg[/img] [img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2658/3842082269_d75b66c4a0_m.jpg[/img] [img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2529/3842873254_84a37c78e0_m.jpg[/img] [img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3534/3842082447_15ef14990c_m.jpg[/img]
[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2526/3817666589_2fde461e90_m.jpg[/img] [img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2567/3842083503_a173f9eb86_m.jpg[/img] [img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3533/3808306106_15b9b7ca44_m.jpg[/img]

for every brown layer I add a green layer 1/3 its size, this is what works for me..
I only filled the bin half way, I needed more browns..so I toped it off with dry cow manure watered down will ACT.
by the way all the ingredients are all free and more then likely will give me a nice manure based finished compost.
[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2559/3842873320_a5f2a589b1.jpg[/img]
sorry I went picture crazy, just thought it was good :idea:
Last edited by top_dollar_bread on Sat Aug 22, 2009 1:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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stella1751
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Never apologize for going "picture crazy," TDB! That makes it so much more comprehensible :D Good stuff in this posting, as always.

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gixxerific
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That is a great idea TDB. You did what I did but "EXTREME" (to be said in loud rumbling voice) :lol:

I had a 4" PVC pipe laying around that I drilled several 1\2 inch holes in. I that put that in the middle of my trash can composter thingy for aeration.

I have not drilled any hole in my trash can yet, I noticed most people have. Should I do this or is that big of a deal. I notice it is normally smell free til I give a good shake that a little rotten smell comes out. It has been layered pretty well green\brown.

top_dollar_bread
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gixxerific wrote:That is a great idea TDB. You did what I did but "EXTREME" (to be said in loud rumbling voice) :lol:
................
I have not drilled any hole in my trash can yet, I noticed most people have. Should I do this or is that big of a deal. I notice it is normally smell free til I give a good shake that a little rotten smell comes out. It has been layered pretty well green\brown.
To me its the little things that count (drilling holes, shredding/soaking paper, etc). I think the holes are a good idea, may not be a big deal but wouldn’t hurt. I explained how I try not to let microbes go anaerob in my compost.
ONLY anaerobic conditions leach N,P or S gases, the gasses that make our compost smell rotten. So its best to do what ever you can to not let compost or compost tea fall under reduced oxygen levels.
So IMO drill those holes gix!!!

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Diane
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I like your idea of wetting the paper. I tear it up but still see it for a while.

a0c8c
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Drilling holes can also help make sure it's not too wet and let worms in.. I wish I had a nice composter like that, but all I have is small room sized trashcans to use, so I only get small batches of quick compost and my slow two big piles.

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gixxerific
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a0c8c wrote:Drilling holes can also help make sure it's not too wet and let worms in.. I wish I had a nice composter like that, but all I have is small room sized trashcans to use, so I only get small batches of quick compost and my slow two big piles.
I've been planting this and that recently and some of the worms I find go in the compost can. Gonna make a tea maker in minute so while the drill is out might as well make my trash can full of holes. Or maybe I grab my 9mm and shoot some holes in it, yeah that will be more fun. :lol:

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stella1751
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Shortly after starting this thread, I decided to play with some black nursery pots left over from my container gardening experiment. At first, it just plain wasn't working: no heat, all anaerobic decaying rather than aerobic composting. Very disappointing. However, I think I went overboard with the soil used at the beginning. I found that the more compostibles I added, the higher the heat. This morning, one of my "compost bins" was quite warm!

Here's what my set-up looks like. Ignore the background. There's no way of making that long story short. My backyard is a work in progress :oops:

[img]https://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy292/mitbah/compost_1.jpg[/img]

Twice a day, I add more compostibles to each bin and then dump the contents into the top, which then becomes the bottom. Today I am adding some window-well leaves. Oh. The one with the green plant cover on it has five cans of expired tuna fish in it. That is five cans too many for one of my dogs to resist, as you can tell by the look on his face :lol:

[img]https://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy292/mitbah/compost_2.jpg[/img]

Anyway, I like this. I'm going to stick with it. I do have a question for those of you who are mechanically inclined: Does anyone sell some type of a clip I could use to clip top and bottom together? I wouldn't need to use the plant cover if I could somehow fasten the pots together between additions :shock:

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smokensqueal
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It looks like both pots have a lip around the top edge. You could possible just drill 4 holes around them and insert a bolt and nut contraption to hold it together.

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stella1751
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I like the germ of this idea, smokensqueal. I hadn't thought about drilling. "Bolt and Nut Contraption" might be beyond me, though. You know, going with the drill idea, I wonder whether I could hinge just one side.

For a DIY latch on the other side, something I can open quickly to dump goodies inside, I was thinking--and this might be dumb--about a heavy duty rubber band with a short piece of pencil on each end. There really is quite a lip; it's about 3/4" deep.

What do you (or anyone else) think? Can this be hinged on one side?

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smokensqueal
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For a hing on my compost barrel I use an old seat belt. Actually two strips of seat belt about 1ft long and screw them to the top and bottom containers. The only problem I have is after a while the screw seems to pull through the seat belt. I'm going to get me some rubber washers to put over the screws to see if it stops that. I tried an old leather belt but that seemed to rip fairly quickly (must not of been real leather).

Problem I see with a rubber band is that it will dry out in the sun.

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applestar
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For hinge, I would drill two holes through top and bottom of the lips a few inches apart, then use nylon cable ties/tie wraps to hold them together. They come in "once you put in the other end, it'll never come out" kind and releasable kind of various strength. Electricians use them to tie cables together, but they're fantastic for variety of jobs around the garden and in the house.
[img]https://www.ziptape.com/Images/SiteImages/cable_ties_color3.jpg[/img]

Now, if you don't need them to hold closed securely while you're turning them over, I would just use spring clamps in two or three places. These are like extra heavy-duty cloths pins. I *think* there are locking kinds too.
[img]https://www.alzodigital.com/images/equipment/spring_clamp.jpg[/img]
[img]https://www.fine-tools.com/z303418a.jpg[/img]

If you DO want the top and bottom to stay together while you flip, nut-and-bolt idea seems to be the best. You can always use a wingnut to make unscrewing easier.

p.s. Sorry these images are so huge. They're what came up in Google Image.
Last edited by applestar on Tue Aug 25, 2009 4:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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smokensqueal
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Good Idea Applestar. I may have to try that on mine.

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stella1751
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Applestar, I am going to experiment with one of those cable ties for a hinge on one of them. That would be perfect for opening and closing. If I am able to turn the entire apparatus at one time, that would be my best bet for a hinge. If it works, I'll do it on both. For the other side, I think I'll try a bungee cord for my latch. It occurred to me that the hole at the top of the container and the lip at its mouth would secure bungee cord hooks.

Thanks! I think the nylon cable tie is the best idea for a permanent, secure, easy-open hinge :D I will hit Home Depot tomorrow.

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smokensqueal
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Stella, you might want to see if you can find one made for outside use. Some of those cheap ties will get brittle and break right off after a few weeks in the sun and rain. I tried to use some cheap ones to secure some lights outside and they started breaking in no time.

I think I'm going to modify my bin too with some of these as my hinge and see how that works.

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stella1751
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I experimented with flipping them, using bungee cords to secure them, and they're just too unwieldy, so I am going to go with bungee cords instead of a hinge. I love dumping the material into its top, too, watching the compost pour out :) Now that they are starting to fill, I'm going to dig out one of my dog's old Queen Anne collars to use as a funnel.

Lots of heat in both of them this morning, by the way. Oh. I also learned that pine shavings alleviates most of the odors on the tuna fish bin 8)

I love composting on a small scale. This is fun. Each day is a treasure hunt as I dig through the fridge, window wells, and back yard. Today they get boiled eggs, sliced with the shells on. I also need to prune some leaves off my front squash so the gas man can read the meter.

Once I've filled these two, I'll have to combine them somewhere so they can finish cooking while I start some new batches. I wish I hadn't given my new neighbor my dog's old wading pool to plant her radishes in :x

cravej
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Here is a pic of the one I made in March. It's 3'6"T x 5'W x 3'D.
[img]https://img99.imageshack.us/img99/1297/0315091223.jpg[/img]

I'll have to get a recent pic to show the progress. I started with too many leaves, but I've been putting all of my summers grass clippings and the apples that my tree has dropped, so now I'm anxious for the fall leaves to rebalance it.



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