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Is there any reason why an ordinary plastic rubbish bin wouldn't do? I could cut out the bottom, for soil contact. (Maybe that's easier said than done...)
One thing that confuses me, is that when you read instructions for making compost bins, you're always told to make holes so air can get in; but ordinary compost bins don't seem to have any - why is that?

Hello! I'm sorry to disappoint if you thought this was an answer :-[, more that I've just been wondering the same since last week acquiring a FREEBIE Dalek 8)

Nice enough thing, already filled with a good mix of stuff, but which I've named Childe Harold....not man enough for the job,  cos I've already got 16 (no's to drastically increase as we come into autumn) black bags of cuttings to house.)...

SO....why not a black bin, bottom cut out?

(sigh)...I'm sure the Scientists are going to give us all the reasons why they Just Won't Work...

Sometimes life's a b**ch ;D

we use the daleks for leaves, just tip in the odd bucket of pee occasionally, left for as long as it takes  ;D
don't see why you can't use a bin  ???

It's to do with price the cheep ones don't have ventilation the more expansive do. :)

Childe Harold seems to be a bog-standard Dalek bought from the Council by a laydee....can't see any ventilation holes.....bloody B'ham Council - rip-off merchants obviously ;D

BUT.....with a hot skewer thingy I can put holes in a cheapo black bin, as I do in my plastic tubs...so.....??

Sounding good for the bin theory, so far. :)  I can easily use the hot-skewer trick to put in a few holes - voila, a top-of-the-range composter!

we use one of them boxes that carry paving flags,lined with one a buliders material sack bag thingie,works a treat

Quote from: hellohelenhere on October 19, 2008, 12:48:10
Sounding good for the bin theory, so far. :)  I can easily use the hot-skewer trick to put in a few holes - voila, a top-of-the-range composter!

Helen. I'm cautiously optimistic! there again, hedging me bets, like, perhaps the Sunday Scientists are out til later doing Sunday Scientific Stuff on their lotties?

To clarify, tho, in a totally non-scientific way.....when I say a 'skewer' I don't actually mean a kitchen skewer I use? I use one of those pointy tool-things you use for marking a wall before drilling? I keep one specially for this......heat up the tip on the gas stove then insert....well-ventilated, obv. cos the fumes are toxic or sommat....do that with the plastic tubs.....

But back to bins & obelisks....?

I use the skewer trick already, for making plant pots out of milk cartons - but I use a fancy-schmancy Turkish kebab skewer. :D

ive used a black bin for ages ,just drilled some holes in the bottom of it ,it works for me !!

Holes v no holes. Apparently it is the difference between anaerobic/aerobic composting. The first one does rot down, but unless you have the mix EXACTLY right it will become a slimy mess. The second is a bit more forgiving, and allows air to circulate so that stuff rots gently and lets you get away with not having quite so much knowledge about chemistry and such.

I may be wrong...an expert will be along shortly. Baccyman?!!

;)

that's what I find. The daleks at home are very well behaved because they have a good mixture with shredded semi-composted leaves going in if there's too much green stuff. The ones at the plot do tend to get slimey, particularly when I fill them up with lots of the same stuff- like broad bean haulms

I'd have said that the problem with using normal bins is that they're too small, and you'ld get stuff not fitting in very well with lots of spaces. Shred beforehand I suppose

I guess they are a fair bit smaller... a wheelie-bin size would be better. The bigger the mass of stuff, the better it heats up, apparently. I could just order a dalek from the council for £17, I suppose, and have done with it. Or build a wooden one, except that it'll be yet another thing on my must-do list and it's pretty long already!
I'm trying to keep expenditure as close to zero as I can, partly because I have little choice, but also it's becoming a goal in itself, to see just how cheaply I can produce food. The first year will be relatively expensive, as there's so much I need to get, starting with a fork and spade, and a load of compost to get me started. Everything beyond that counts as a luxury!
But no, I won't go as far as stealing my neighbours' wheelie bins. :D

i got myself 2 blackwall "dalek" bins on ebay for 4.99 each!

we got ours from http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/buy_a_bin/. £10 each, up to 3 based on postcode, £1 off for ordering online (so you could be naughty and save another £2 by ordering one at a time). Maybe they operate in your area

blimey Mike77 - what was the postage?

my plot neighbours compost bin is 4 tree stakes with heavy duty garden sack (bin bags) stapled to them to make it a box
the lid is another garden bag stapled to the back two posts on the top with 3 bamboo canes duck taped to the front so it is weighted down
its not very pretty but it works quite well going to make myself one next time I go down ;D
he has been using his for 10 years he just replaces the bags if they get ripped
he has 3 in a row using 8 stakes all connected together

have you tried freecycle for a compost bin on the cheap/ even timber to build one.

old doors come up from time to time and they could certainly be recreated to make a compost bin. i added to my 2 store bought wooden bins to create a third bin with the wood from a broken futon.

so free bed frames are also a good source of usable timber but if you don't want to destroy a good frame that someone else could get proper use out of, you could always ask for damaged wooden items.

Rhubarb - Reading council is obviously less generous - they're £17 for my Reading address. That's the scheme I meant, it's not from the council (my mistake) but it's council-subsidised. Only £10 in Hackney, too - I could get my brother to order one - but then I'd have to get it to Reading, by train... :D

Mike77, I did look on Ebay but they were all 'pick-up only' and none near enough to Reading - and I don't  have a car... I'm quite expert at taking unlikely things by public transport, resourceful Freecycling has meant getting a big office chair across south London, and a microwave oven from north to south London, by bus - adventuresome, but possible.

I'll be looking for timber too - the area we're moving to is on the edge of an industrial estate, so there might be pallets and so forth, lying around... I'm hoping. :)

When our council had a weak moment I got four blackwall for £5 each, a bloke on the lottie gave me another and as I was leaving one day a lady turned up at the gate giving me my  sixth dalek, I now exterminate quite a few weeds into compost.    ;D ;D ;D

My word, cornykev - you have a compost empire! I can only dream!