I played 5-a-side footy on Monday and made a chance remark...end result 7 pallets for a 2-bay compost bin and the promise of 4 plastic water butts!! ;D
The pallets turned up today and are on my drive all ready to make a start at the weekend. Don't know whether to put posts into the ground and nail it together or tie it all together with nylon rope? What do others do?
Cheers
TimJ
My marvellous compost bin is pallets joined together with cable ties and then one 'gate' side tied with synthetic string. Has done well so far, and when full, I will be asking OH to make me a second 'bay' ;D
mine's very similar to moggles - I plan to move it around the plot a bit so the cable ties make it much more portable than a solid structure.
Mine is tied together with recycled plastic twine from the hay bales!
Wahhayyy!! One compost bin built and tied together with a combination of cable ties and nylon string!! I've also been to the local stables and fetched some horse manure...free as long as you take the bags back!! Only trouble is it is very fresh :(
But what with our rabbit droppings/straw and loads of horse muck it should give the heap a really good start ;D
Oh yeah, got a paper shredder coming this weekend so that can go on there as well! ;D
How long will fresh horse muck and all the other goodies take to compost down??
TimJ
I'm pretty sure that future students of English usage will be as astonished as I was to find the phrase "My marvellous compost bin" popping up not once but twice in recorded history.
In this thread, of course, but also see http://eclectech.co.uk/compostbin.php. I think you'll enjoy it. You can download the song from http://stablesound.co.uk/mp3/compost.mp3.
Best wishes to all,
David
thats scary
TimJ: The difference with manure and 'other goodies' (household waste) is that manure will normally be useable in a matter of weeks. By it's very make-up it will generate tremendous amounts of heat and be about 1/2 it's original size in no time at all. Compost on the other hand can take months and needs turning inside to outside to speed it up. One reason never to mix the two. Before you use your compost I suggest you do a search on compost, manure and mulch on here.
Ken,
Ah, I see now where my mistake is. To be honest there is very little household vege matter in there yet. A few old carrots that were in the horse muck believe it or not!! Most of everything else is rabbit droppings and straw. Does that make any difference. I will indeed keep it all apart in future....I don't know why but I thought that manure took months to break down.
Lack of experience!!! So pleased that I found this forum. Thanks for your help!
A basic rule to good compost making is, when you have a bin full, don't add to it. Start a new one. While bigger is best regarding compost, it's not your average lottie person that has enough kitchen waste and garden clippings etc to make a big heap quickly. Better to aim for a managable size of about a square yard and then start another one.
I use old scaffolding poles to keep mine up, cut up with an angle grinder and knocked in with a sledgehammer:
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/simon404/compost.jpg)
As the heap fills up I can add another half pallet.
Quote from: davidh on March 02, 2005, 17:15:50
I'm pretty sure that future students of English usage will be as astonished as I was to find the phrase "My marvellous compost bin" popping up not once but twice in recorded history.
In this thread, of course, but also see http://eclectech.co.uk/compostbin.php. I think you'll enjoy it. You can download the song from http://stablesound.co.uk/mp3/compost.mp3.
Best wishes to all,
David
Oh, that song and animation is so funny, I already sent it on to a friend who gardens too.
Thanks for posting it David.
The best book I have found for composting information is;
Composting The Organic Natural Way
By D. Kitto
Publisher; Thorsons Publishing Group
ISBN
0-7225-1588-X
It's got the lot in it! Good plans for DIY Bins, and lots of tips etc.
Mine cost £5.99 back in 1988, hope it's still in print.
Just noticed the site won't accept Richard in It's other guise, but puts Thingy in it's place. So the auther is D**k Kitto, Richard to his Mum!
Brian.
Just gone onto the compost bin song website. Hilarious! Just the thing to start the day. Everyone should listen to it if you've not already done so ;D ;D
Just got my compost bins which had been lost in the post for a month! I've just been trying to put up the big one (a 660 litre soil saver) in my kitchen. Half an hour later I have no skin on my knuckles, no nails, a foul temper and the bin is still in bits! Simple self assembly it says on the instructions. You simply ... I only got as far as simply! I keep telling myself don't buy anymore stuff that's self assembly it only drives you berserk. Here we go again ;D
that has to be the best song EVER its so funny lol lol lol ;D
Wardy ;D ;D ;D
You know what they say about those Flat Packs.......
Simple to Assemble!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ???
Ten Hours Later ....still not done...air Blue...Screw Holes that dont line up...little wooden dowels too short!! :o
And very Simple Instructions.........Engineering Degree
needed. :o
So Good Luck 8)
I got an email from the manufacturer who admit that it would be impossible to put their bin together singlehandedly. Why not say that on the bloody box? I had to get a man in to help me with it. Tt! ;D
Wardy :'(
Sorry peaing myself here with laughter.......Maybe they should include a man in a Box!!! :'( :'( :'(.......... ;D ;D ;D
It's been put up now and it's on the plot full of muck. I feel like kicking it everytime I go past ;D
Wardy ;D
Glad too hear that its now Functional!!