DIY Compost Tumbler

FPS combines my passion for hunting and wildlife conservation with the overall need for self sufficiency.

Step 1: My Current Compost Heap Works Fine But Doesn't Break the Grass Clippings and Tables Wastes Down Very Fast.

Step 2: Here Is My 55 Gallon Steel Drum. Notice the 1 1/2" Holes Drilled Into the Side Using a Hole Saw.

Step 3: I Had a Scrap Piece of Conduit That Was Used to Go Through the Center of the Barrel.

Step 4: I Just Used Some Masking Tape to Form the Straight Lines for Cutting the Lid Opening.

Step 5: The End Blocks Are Drilled and Can Now Accept the Conduit.

Step 6: Using a Cutting Wheel, I Made My First Long Cut. Notice the Holes Drilled in Each Corner of the New Lid. This Gives Me an Easy Ending Point for the Cutting Wheel.

Step 7: Close Up View of the Hinges and Lid Corners Before the Rest of the Cuts Were Made.

Step 8: Here Is My Cut Off Wheel and (homemade) Wheel Wrench.

Step 9: My Next Cut Was the Other Long Cutting Line. Again, Install the Latch at This Point So Everything Stays Square.

Step 10: Finally the Two Short Ends Are Cut and the Lid Is Now Finished and Completely Square

Step 11: The First End Block Is Installed by Running Two Bolts Through the Drum and Cutting a Center Hole Large Enough for the Conduit to Slide Through.

Step 12: End Blocks Installed and Checking Conduit for Fit and Alignment.

Step 13: I Opted to Keep the Tumbler Above My Compost Heap. Very Easy to Load and Now All I Have to Do Is Spin the Barrel to Dump the Contents.

Step 14: Mmmmm, This Is the Good Stuff. Barrel Is Loaded With Clipping, Table Scraps, Cardboard, Newspaper and a Little Water to Keep It Moist.

Step 15: Final Pic of My Compost Tumbler. It Was an Easy Project and Something Your Kids May Enjoy Helping You Build.