i just found this online and it is such a smart idea i was blown away by it . it just doesn't get any easier than this lol .
http://conflictedracer.wordpre...



i think i could get those tires a little straighter . i love this idea .

Genius!

Did you have to trim the inner circumference to get it to fit?

>> i think i could get those tires a little straighter

Or, maybe they could be slanted, or two different-size tires used, so that it would roll in a tight circle and stay in just one part of the yard without any steering.

Are there big air holes in the top and bottom ?

Or, in a cold climate, maybe pusdh 4-5 tiers on to one 55-gallon drum, to serve as insulation.

the link above the pic has the directions and info . i just thought it was the coolest thing ever . . i have a copperhead problem so i won't do a traditional compost bin . but this just might let me compost snake free .

i would assume they are air holes . i thought it might be nice to put some type of steel mesh in the center to help sift and stir the compost but i haven't decided what would work best . maybe some rebar rods welded on the inside to each end and then have a door cut on the side on hinges to remove the compost . my daughter is a welder i might just have to get her busy on this project .

>> maybe some rebar rods welded on the inside to each end

My guess is that 2, 3 or 4 angle-iron baffles bolted or welded to the sides would enough to make the compost tumble instead of slide when you kick the can. Even 1.5 or 2 inches projecting into the compost ought to be enough.

You might get more longitudinal mixing action with multiple, short, staggered baffles rather than one long one running the full length of the barrel.

It occurs to me that, if someone had one of these on a sloping yard, they might want some brackets on the ends. Slide a 2x4 through the brackets as a "stop", or as a handle to give leverage in turning it. The bracket would also give a gripping point for lifting the bottom to tip the barel to dump the finished compost.

>> a door cut on the side on hinges to remove the compost
>> a copperhead problem

I was going to9 suggest propping the door open when not rolling it, to let air in and CO2 out, but I guess you would want a screen door to keep snakes out.

yeah the people who owned our house before had a bad copperhead problem because they never took care of the yard . there was brush piled up all around the edge of the property and 8 years of leaves that were never raked or gotten rid of , not mention all of the shade . i have very few sunny spots . so far i have killed 7 of them on the sunny bank beside the house . this summer they will be chilling in the shade . i normally wouldn't kill a snake but copperheads are just to dangerous around my dog and me . sad thing is it was all baby snakes so the snake battle is far from over .

That is a cool idea! And I think Rick is right about using angle brackets instead of long pieces of rebar. Ever look inside a cement mixer?

Ugh! Copperheads? Eeeek! Chalk one up for the frozen northland here; only snakes we have are harmless little ribbon snakes. Although they CAN give one a bit of a start when they show up in unexpected places!

i wish i could have composted all of the leaves and stuff i cleaned out of the yard . but those lil snakes love compost piles . i guess i need to build this soon . heck i am not even going to mulch this year because of the snakes . hopefully if i keep working on removing a place for them to hide they will go away . i have kept the grass cut low , removed all of the piled up leaves from under the trees , cut a couple trees to let light in , and slowly removing the brush piles from the edge of the woods . in planning my flower beds i am trying to have it so there no spots for them to hide . not going to put plants as close together as i normally would . i need to get my pond put back together and flowing but i am afraid if i do it will attract them . i wish my neighbor had told me about the snake problem here last fall so i could have gotten rid of all the underbrush without worrying about getting bit by one . i was chatting with her 3 weeks ago and she said you know your yard has a bad copperhead problem ? UM NO , but i have killed 7 of them .

I just saw the thread. Its a great idea. Would it work with an old propane tank? I want to do a compost/worm bin, but budget is tight (caviar taste, top roman budget). Thanks.