Double-Decker Drum Composter

Step 11 User photo gallery

Big thanks to everybody who made their own double-decker drum composter and submitting their pictures!

They look fantastic and I'm thrilled that you took the time to share!

Comments

[dancfi]

Hey great idea!!
. Will make one soon ! Made one in the past with threaded pipe and put a 90 degree elbow on the end of the pipe. Then put a 12 inch nipple another 90 elbow and an other 6 inch nipple. This makes a crank for your drum.Would have to figure out some way to hold pipe to drum for your idea to be able to turn it ! The one I made used flanges to mount the pipe on a steel drum and  the pipe did not go through the drum.
 I like your idea a LOT better. (But a crank would be nice.)

[iPodGuy]

For the crank, perhaps a pair of Lazy Susan ball bearing assemblies?  Would that be strong enough?  If you want the actual barrel to spin on a crank, check out the instructable of a VAWT made from 55 gallon drums.  It's in the 55 gallon drum guide.  He used Lazy Susan ball bearings and PVC flanges.  I'm sure you could get some inspiration from it.

Thanks!

[fredibarbosa]

Hello Mr. iPodGuy. My name is Frederick B. and i write from São Paulo, Brazil. First of all, I want to congratulate you on the excellent project, it's very good! I have some questions: 1 - How long does it take for the entire process of composting is ready? 2 - During the composting, some "black tea" can fall through the holes of gallons? 3 - Is it possible use a iron gallons? 4 - How many holes you recommends to do in the gallons? Thanks very much!

[iPodGuy]

Frederick -
Thanks for your interest and your kind words. 
1.  The process varies by the volume of waste being composted and by temperature.  I'd imagine that in Brazil, your climate would be very conducive to composting and you could have a finished batch within a few months.   The opposite might be true in Alaska, for example.
2. Yes.  Excess liquid will drip from the drums as your organic matter decomposes.  I collect it with rectangular plant pots under the bottom drum.  I have also seen a very inventive method of collection using gutters and pipes to drain the liquid into a jug.  However, I couldn't read the instructions of how they did it because the website was in Portuguese, but the photographs were good enough.
3.  Iron drums will rust.  I would not use one.
4.  The key to making good compost is to allow fresh air to flow in and around the compost.  I made several hundred holes in the drums, but they were small to prevent compost from falling out of them.

-Don-

[fredibarbosa]

Thanks Mr. iPodGuy! I will do this project and soon i will show for all! Thanks again!

[pckstp]

here is my version of the composter, I went with forty gallon barrels to save weight and skipped the concrete, it looks like it will work well. Did you cover the holes with landscape cloth of any kind or are they just open.

[iPodGuy]

Looks nice, thanks for sharing! You mean the thousand or so holes I drilled in the barrels? I didn't cover them with anything. They're small enough to let air in and the amount of compost I lose is minimal.