GardenFork – Eclectic DIY

Tag: compost bin

Homemade Pallet Compost Bins By Greg

These easy to make homemade pallet compost bins were made by GF fan Greg, a machinist by day, and weekend DIY guy. Pallets work great for compost.

I am a new listener/viewer and love your programs. I’m able to listen to the podcast at work, so have really been on a binge. Found your video “Composting 101” while preparing to build my Composting Center, here it is so far.

Homemade Compost Bins = Good

Note how Greg cut down the front door pallets to allow one to add new compost material to the bins. In other words, much smarter than my first go at building compost bins! See more of our pallet compost bin projects here.

First of all, I love this because Greg took the time to share this with me. Plus he allowed us to post the photos here on the site. A simple design, yet it works great, which works for me. Most of all, I love the barrel composer at the end. You can use this for finishing or doing intensive composting, rolling the barrel every day to aerate the mix.

Probably one of the most popular pallet projects, homemade pallet compost bins are good one for most any DIY-er person. Note how Greg elevated the walls of the compost bin up off the ground. This can extend the life of the bins, and most of all, allow air to get into the bottom of the pile. One could also lay PVC drain pipe with vent holes drilled in them, and therefore, get even more air in the bottom of the pile.Greg adds, “Thanks for including the dogs in so much of your content, Life truly is better with pets.” Here are his two pups.

A big thanks to Greg, I say. Love the sharing that happens here, if you have a project like these homemade pallet compost bins, or most anything, please send me some photos!

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February 22, 2017
How To Build A DIY Pallet Compost Bin Video

Build your own pallet compost bin! Its easy. I’ll show you how with these photos and video. You’ll be composting in a few hours. Recycled pallets are perfect to make this bin, they are strong, have built in vents, and are free. This bin is also dog proof, our Labradors can’t get in it and cause trouble. Learn how to compost with our composting basics video. Want more DIY pallet ideas? See this page for more of my pallet projects.

How To Build A Compost Bin

If you have several pallets to choose from, pick those that are made of hardwoods. I am still amazed to find pallets made from oak, but yeah, they are out there. Hardwood pallets will last longer.

Basically, we are building a box, with an open top and bottom. Its best to not site your bin where the ground is wet or muddy. You want your compost to drain, not hold water.

We used some shelf brackets we found in the trash to hold the the walls of the compost bin together. Or you can get some online. Wire, angle brackets, and wood all work. I have used recycled shelf brackets to build my raised vegetable garden beds, and they will hold up longer than the wood they are screwed into.

Once the sides and back of the pallet compost bin are screwed together, I drive old pieced of metal pipe down in between the slats of the two side walls. Wood stakes will work as well here, or even rebar (metal rods).

The door of the compost bin is hinged, and again, use Use What You Got™, used door hinges work fine. I hung the door about 1.5″ higher than the bin walls, using small pieces of wood to hold it up. This is based on experience; if you don’t do this, the door can drag on the ground, I’ve found. To add strength to the bin, I hammered some metal pipes in the two side pallets. Metal fence stakes or other long strong things will work as well.

The hinge side of the door needs the most stability here, as it holds the most weight. I used a piece of chain i had laying around to secure the door closed. The door will have to hold up quite a bit of weight when the bin is full, so think about that when crafting some sort of latch.

The floor of the compost bin is dirt. I don’t put a base in the bin. I like the idea of worms moving from the soil up into the compost and the dirt provides some natural drainage. You could also put into the compost pile some red wiggler vermicompost worms to help break down the pile.

What to add to your compost bin?

We have our Composting Basics video that explains a lot about how to compost in your yard, but a few key things are to not add meat or greasy stuff to the pile, and to make sure it is not packed down, air needs to circulate in the compost pile. You can also read more in Wikipedia. Let us know your questions, suggestions, and how you compost below:

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November 20, 2013
How to make a compost bin – GF Video

Its easy to make a compost bin like this. I’m all about simple when building compost bins, these wire screen compost bins are easy to make and work well for leaves, garden waste and kitchen scraps.

If you want to make a compost bin like this, you can use any screen you have. Or maybe your neighbor has a roll of stuff they want to get rid of. This is one of those projects where checking out what your neighbor is throwing out can come in handy.

What you don’t want is screen that has large holes, as your compost material will fall out of it. Avoid what looks like wire fencing for chickens or goats, it usually has rectangular openings and are too big.

Its better to make one large bin than two small ones. Because compost is all about mass. The more mass you have, the better the compost will break down. We talk about this in another one of our compost bin videos here. Mass allows more heat in the pile, which is good.

If you put screen across the top and bottom of this composter, you can turn it upside down. Its a cheater way of aerating the pile, and it works. Not sure if you want to devote the time and energy to cutting wire caps for the bin though.

The beauty of this design is how easy it is. 3 pieces of scrap wood, a staple gun, and a hammer. done. I usually cut the wood stakes 18″ longer than the screen height so I have plenty to drive into the ground. If you cut the bottom of the stakes with an angle, or even a wedge-knife point, they will hammer in easier. This cut can be done by hand or with a chop saw. Use what you got!

We have more compost bin and compost 101 videos here. Let me know your thoughts below.

October 7, 2009