In the fall of 2014, following a few years living away for work and a couple of summers as Padre/Chaplain for Greenwood Air Cadets Summer Training Center, some of the things around the home needed work. One of them was the old compost set up. Actually it needed retirement to the dump. On the other hand it has given years of service and like most things or for that matter, most of us, it surely got tired and has no shame in it.
Most of my criteria for the task are simple:
- Easy to Build
- Inexpensive
- Works Well
Comost bins are simple things. All they need to do is keep stuff from blowing away while it rots. Dead organinc matter rots on its own and part way throuogh the rotting process it feeds other plants and animals around it. we call this the circle of life and it has been going on long before we built compost bins and still does without compost bins. What we are trying to do is neaten things up, speed up the process sometimes and get the copmpost so we can spread it where we want it. It is not so much forcing nature as giving it a nudge.
So off the the workshop where I cut some 2 x 4 to 10 pieces 3 feet long and 10 pieces 2 feet long. I also cut some scrap 1/2" plywood into 20 pieces each 7" x 3 1/2". ]
I lined up the pieces on the shop floor as the easiest pace to work. The 2' pieces between the three foot pieces gives a side 3' x 2' 7" (2 x4 are actually 3 1/2" wide). This will later give me a separation that is 2' 7" to throw things over and at 5' 4 " this is high enough for me. A compost pile should be about three feet high and wide so each bin should work out around those dimensions.
A good coat of outdoor, weather resistant wood glue was applied to each of the four pieces of plywood.
Use a good layer and do not worry about squeeze out. You want a solid joint, the wood is rough, and this is not fancy cabenet work. Just get the job done. Make sure the corners are lined up square and get ready to fasten the corner support.
The corner supports are fastened in place with glue and a couple of screws. I have checked the corners with a square and they look good. I f I was making a frame or box for a more specific, cabinet purpose I would have checked square by checking the diagonals but this whole thing will sit on uneven ground and be subjectd to wracking forces that are sure to put it out of square. In this case close will work quite well.