building compost bins

[Runningtrails]

I am in the process of building three compost bins from pallets. I just have to go slowly as I collect the pallets. Until this year I have sheet composted, just tossed the stuff onto the empty garden area and tilled in come spring or used it on top of cardboard in lasagna garden areas. Now I want actual compost piles to work with. I have several acres of "stuff" to put in it.

I have a large pile awaiting pallets now but I think it is too close to the garage where the ice falls off the roof. I'll have to move the pile out into the open more before adding the pallets, I think. That'll put it closer to one of the gardens anyway.

I'm excited about this project and looking forward to composting everything! I already have a box full of tp rolls and boxes of newpapers and cardboard scraps. Large cardboard pieces go directly on the garden open areas to keep grass and weeds down but I often have many small cardboard scraps from mailing paintings. I pick up shredded paper form the side of the road on the way home from work at a nearby commercial area. I have been using it for mulch, and it makes great mulch, but I'm going to save some for the compost bins now. I have three huge oak trees that shed an unbeliveable amount of leaves in the fall and a pine forest next door where I can collect pine needles and cones.

I also have a massive amount of weed cuttings and wine/beer slurry.

It will be a fun new project! (Like I need yet another project )

I will probably be checking in here for info and asking questions, especially if I encounter a problem.

[toxcrusadr]

I've made various pallet bins over the years. A couple of things I've found helpful:

Make double or triple bins, each bin smaller than the last. Put your fresh material in the largest, when full transfer to #2, and start again in #1. This way you have a finished batche in the small bin and a place to put your fresh materials.

You can line the pallets with chicken wire to keep stuff in.

I prefer an iron stake (T-post) at the corners for rigidity, and use wire to tie the pallets to the stake, OR screw them together at the corners.

Use wire to hold the front door on, so you can untie it and swing it out of the way to make turning easier.

An old piece of tin roofing or plywood makes a dandy lid when you want to keep moisture in or weather out.

[rot]

..
Set your bins not too close to the house or structure and not too far from water.

I use window screen nailed to the pallets with roofing nails to keep the critters out. Blunt the tips a little to keep from splitting the hard dry wood of the pallets but it's hard not to end up with some split pieces.

Scratch out a flat piece of earth and lay pavers down for a platform. That will keep the tree roots and the burrowing rodents out but let the worms in. You will also be able to sweep up after turning keeping things tidy.

to sense
..

[bogydave]

Some good ideas suggested.
One more idea that helps speed it up & require less mixing:
I put air pipes on the bottom & let them stick out the front. Helps let in new air & circulate up thru the pile.
[img]https://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj269/bogydave/100_6262.jpg[/img]
1-1/2 or 2'' with lots of 1/2" holes, (now I use electrical PVC conduit, tougher & UV resistant.
[img]https://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj269/bogydave/100_6226.jpg[/img]

[vermontkingdom]

I have a 3-bin compost setup made from pallets. I lined three sides of each with 4 x 4 ft. rubber mats that have one inch square holes. In the center of each of the front sides, I sunk a post three feet deep. I cut pallet boards to 22 inches and insert them into groves in the front. In that way, each bin has two sides, and each of those sides has multiple boards. I can adjust them to the height of the pile as it grows or shrinks.

However, let me advise you that once you start using pallets it becomes an addiction. You will find a dozen or so ways to use them and therefore feel compelled to get them before they go to the dump.

[pickupguy07]

If you want some pallets.. you can look around and find them EVERYwhere. People will thank you to come and take them off.
I got most of mine at "Fastenal" nut / bolts/ and tools, store. They get all kinds of shipments coem to them on semi-s and loaded on pallets. These foljks have 30 or so out behind the store. Look around, you can find MANY places in the same situation.

as far as a compost bin, I did mine like TOX suggested. Make 3 or so bins. I actually made FOUR. One bin (#4) is a double-width bin (planned ahead so I can save lots of leaves this fall to have for next year). The rest of my bins are the same size. I stood my pallets up, so I have more height. Not sure one way is better than the other. Maybe less heigt and more ground space is better.. Someone more experienced than me can probably tell us.
Anyway. I have one bin I have been adding to... and when it is time to turn, I turn from bin #1 into bin #2. Later I turn BACK from bin #2 into bin #1.
I just keep doing this. rotate back and forth
Currently I have all my stuff working in bin #1. With all the 'greens' starting to come in (stuff from garden) it is time to start another pile. So I'll start it in Bin #2. Then it's time to turn I'll turn them back and forth in between bins #2 and #3.
NOW it can be as plain or as fancy as you want. I wish I had some screen to put on my pallets to help keep critters out (but if they really want in,.. they'll get in) as far as my front "doors" I just took some twine, and tied them in place. Simply untie, and move out of way when you want to turn the pile.

As a couple others suggested. Covering it with something will help with temps, keeping it wet (or dry), etc. also moving it away from the house will help keep critters away from the home. Finally I like the idea Bogy has with the pipes and the air they provide. If it is too wet you can add the pipes to help it dry out. If it is to dry you can take the pipes out so it don't dry out as fast.
I positioned my pipes slightly different than Bogydaves. I bought one 10' long 1 & 1/2 inch plastic pipe and drilled the holes in it like he did. I cut mine into 2 & 1/2 foot lengths. I put a couple pipes on the bottom like his,.. the put a couple about 1/2 way between the top and bottom. When you turn the pile you can adjust as needed.

[bogydave]

Hey pickupguy.
Good explanation.
I use the air spear you see in the pic to push them in the pile near the middle after it's had lots of stuff added to the top or needs air. I made them for some Horse manure piles I had to get air to the center. I also sometimes just stick the garden hose in them (middle ones, at the bottom is typically moist enough) for a few seconds to add water.
I hate mixing & am lazy but have been having good results with out mixing.

[Bobberman]

I like the way some of you mentioned as to plant tomatoes or something that hides the compost and benifits from it at the same time! All those good wasted juices going into the ground flowing out of the compost makes great produce all summer! You can tie the tomatoes or climbings vine plants to the pellets. Put some straw or mulch on the outside of the pellets to keep the weeds down around you tomatoes! Its like having another garden or great vine crop area. Leaves and pine needles seem towork great together. I mixed it this year and it blended great!

[pickupguy07]

Hey pickupguy.
Good explanation.
I use the air spear you see in the pic to push them in the pile near the middle after it's had lots of stuff added to the top or needs air. I made them for some Horse manure piles I had to get air to the center. I also sometimes just stick the garden hose in them (middle ones, at the bottom is typically moist enough) for a few seconds to add water.
I hate mixing & am lazy but have been having good results with out mixing.

Thanks dude.... (I seem to always get carried away.. and end up with (too) long of posts.
In any event. I never considered putting water INTO the pipes to make the pile wetter... I miss the obvious sometimes.

[toxcrusadr]

Indeed the pile makes a great fertile environment for surrounding plants. At our office we have a concrete block finishing bin for our food waste compost. The purple coneflower and iris we planted around it are huge!

[bogydave]

[quote="toxcrusadr"]Indeed the pile makes a great fertile environment for surrounding plants. At our office we have a concrete block finishing bin for our food waste compost. The purple coneflower and iris we planted around it are huge![/quote]

Proves "compost tea" works.

[toxcrusadr]

Yes indeed! I'm just disappointed my compost area at home is mostly in the shade and wouldn't work very well for vegetables.

[mmmfloorpie]

Some good ideas suggested.
One more idea that helps speed it up & require less mixing:
I put air pipes on the bottom & let them stick out the front. Helps let in new air & circulate up thru the pile.
[img]https://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj269/bogydave/100_6262.jpg[/img]
1-1/2 or 2'' with lots of 1/2" holes, (now I use electrical PVC conduit, tougher & UV resistant.
[img]https://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj269/bogydave/100_6226.jpg[/img]

Would those PVC pipes be even better if they went all the way through and out the backside?

That way the air could circulate right through and from both ends... Just a thought.

[bogydave]

Good idea.
I may do that. I may help circulate more air, which is good.
We keep up the good ideas, rt is going to make the "ultimate" compost bins.

[mmmfloorpie]

Good idea.
I may do that. I may help circulate more air, which is good.
We keep up the good ideas, rt is going to make the "ultimate" compost bins.

If you really wanted to be a little plumber you could put Ts in that pipe and attach vertical pipes with holes drilled in them... 3D venting lol...

[pickupguy07]

yeah.. actually thats a good idea.. T's cost (maybe) 25 cents each.. and a couple would do the trick

I covered mine with plastic like someone suggested... FINALLY it's staying wet... still not much over 100* though.

[bogydave]

I did the vertical pipes a couple times. I noticed allot of heat coming & decided to just use another few horizontal pipes every 18" or so.
With hot air moving out the pipes, I'm sure air was getting circulated up thru the pile, so maybe both horizontal & vertical are better.
I do have the ones I put in the middle sagging as the pile shrinks but they haven't broken yet.
I have a few slits in the plastic top cover to let some air out & still hold moisture & some heat in. (On one pile, I laid an air pipe on top before I covered it, with a tight top cover, it seems to be working also)
I believe any air pipes added help. Vert or horizontal, but vertical was the easiest for me since I cover them.

[Skian]

Okay, you guys have lost me.
What is with all the pipes and air circulation? I thought we wanted to retain the heat? Is this not the basic goal for cooking down our compost? Adding twigs, stems and small sticks will help create small air-spaces to reduce matting and in turn help with the heating. Why do we want to circulate so much air? Don't the pipes get in the way when you are turning the pile?

[bogydave]

With the pipes, I don't turn the pile unless I'm adding greens (grass clippings) in the spring to get it hot after it thaws. The pipes supply air, one of the most important parts of composting. The air in the pile (O2) gets used up in the first day or so. The bottom 7/8 of this pile was done compost, I pulled of the top couple inches & the rest was done compost after one summer, thru the winter & when it thawed this spring, with air pipes & no mixing. But you can mix with the pipes without too much trouble.
This bin was full last summer & good done compost this spring.

[img]https://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj269/bogydave/100_6236.jpg[/img]

[toxcrusadr]

I've used pipes a few times. They are particularly useful in a very hot pile that is cooking very fast, because it can use up air faster than it can diffuse into the pile. Especially if it's a large pile. They use them industrially (sometimes even with blowers) to speed the process.

I'm thinking of using pipes in our office building compost project, because the coffee grounds pack down and get anaerobic pretty easily. Turning the stuff when the bin gets full after 6 months is a stinky job.

[Adam W]

Hi all,

New to these forums so double hello I guess
Interesting to see similar thoughts on different sides of the planet! I've just installed a basic pallet bay at my place. I like the use of pallets as, apart from the re-use or up-cycling, they allow you the flexibility of cheaply adding another bay as required.
I write about the garden for a living so when I built mine I shot it too for Australian Better Homes & Gardens magazine.
If you're interested I posted a video of it too.

https://youtu.be/O80tMoWqbfk

cheers