Wood & Wire Stationary
3-bin Composting System
This bin system is designed as a turning unit to compost large amounts of yard wastes in the shortest period of time. It also works well for storage until enough material is collected for an entire bin. Gardeners benefit the most from this system because the fresh compost is generated so rapidly.
TOOLS
Safety glasses and ear protection, hand or circular saw, drill with ½”
and 1/8” bits, screwdriver, hammer, tin snips, tape measure, pencil,
¾” socket wrench, carpenter’s square (option: power stapler with 1”
long galvanized staples)
MATERIALS
• 2 18-foot treated 2x4’s
• 8 6-foot treated 2x4’s
• 1 9-foot 2x2
• 2 6-foot 2x2
• 1 16-foot cedar 2x6
• 3 lbs of 16d galvanized nails
• 9 6-foot cedar 1x6’s
• 12 ½” carriage bolts 4” long
• 40 gasketed aluminum nails for corrugated fiberglass roofing
• ½ lb. 8d galvanized casement nails
• 250 wire staples or staple gun
• 1 12-foot sheet clear corrugated fiberglass
• 1 8-foot sheet clear corrugated fiberglass
• 22 ft. of 36” wide hardware cloth
• 3 8-foot lengths of wiggle molding
• 8 flat 4” corner braces with screws
• 2 3” zinc plated hinges for lid
• 4 flat 3” T-braces with screws
Cost: Approximately $150
CONSTRUCTION
Build dividers. Cut two 32" and two 36" pieces from each 12-foot
2x4. Butt end nail the four pieces into a 35"x36" rectangle. Repeat for
the other three sections. Cut four 38" long sections of hardware cloth
and bend back edges 1" for strength. Staple hardware cloth onto the
frame tightly into place, every 4" around edge.
Set up the dividers. Set up the dividers parallel to one another 3
feet apart. Cut four 9-foot pieces out of the two 18-foot 2x4 boards.
Place two 9-foot baseboards on top of dividers. Measure, mark and
center lines for the positions of the two inside dividers. Place the two
outside dividers flush against the outer edge of the 9-foot 2x4s. Drill a
1/2" hole down the center of each junction centered 1" in from the
outside edge. Secure baseboards with the carriage bolts, but do not
tighten yet. Turn the unit right side up and repeat the process for the
top 9-foot 2x4.
Make sure the bin is square, then tighten all bolts securely. Fasten a 9-
foot long piece of hardware cloth securely to the backside of the bin
(again, bend back 1" for strength) and staple every 4" around the
frame.
Slat guides and runners. Cut the one 16-foot cedar 2x6 into four
36" long pieces for front slat guides. Rip cut two of these boards to 4-
1/8" wide. Nail them flush against the edges of the two front outside
dividers and baseboard. (Save the two remaining 1 1/4 of the rip cut
boards for use as back guides.) Center the remaining 36" 2x6 cedar
boards on the front of the two inside dividers, flush with the top edge,
and nail them securely.
To create back guides, cut the remaining 2x6 into a 34" long piece and
then rip cut into 4 equal pieces, 1 1/4x2". Nail the six back guides
parallel to front slat guides on each side of divider, leaving a 1" gap for
the slat runners.
Cut all the 1x6" cedar boards into runners, 31" long. Slide the runners
in between the front and back guides.
Build the lid. Use the last 9-foot 2x4 for the frame of the back lid. Cut
four 32 1/2" 2x2s and one 9-foot 2x2. Lay out into position on ground
as illustrated and check for squareness. Screw in corner braces and Tbraces
on the bottom side of the frame. Center lid frame, brace side
down on bin structure and attach with hinges. Cut wiggle board with
1/8" drill bit and nail onto frame with 8d casement nails. Cut fiberglass
to fit flush with front and back edges. Overlay pieces at least one
channel wide. Pre-drill fiberglass and wiggle board for each hole. Nail
on top of every third hump with gasketed nails.
