How to make a compost tumbler for easy composting | DIY Garden Projects | Gardening Australia

Costa makes a compost tumbler for easy composting. Subscribe 🔔 ab.co/GA-subscribe
Making your own compost can be daunting; a key to its success is regularly turning your compost pile to keep it aerated, activating the microbes working to break down the ingredients.
There are different ways to do this - with a permanent air tube, a fork or a compost screw-turner. But if turning compost isn’t for you, then Costa has an alternative - a compost tumbler. These spin on a central axle so make turning easy. They are also enclosed and off the ground, keeping vermin out, and they’re easy to unload - wheel up your barrow, remove the lid and tip the compost out.
You can buy one ready-made but here's how you can make your own.
What you’ll need:
TOOLS:
Power drill
Spade bit (to diameter of pipe - see below)
PPE: glasses, ear protection
Clamps
Saw (circular saw is easier but you could get away with a decent hand saw)
Pencil
Set square to mark 45 degree cuts
Tape measure
MATERIALS:
Approximately 6 metres of timber, ideally around 42mm x 100mm, hardwood or treated for outdoor use
Galvanised or stainless-steel screws
Plastic food storage barrel, around 200 litres *
Threaded galvanised pipe (this will be the tumbler’s axle) **
Plastic spacers that fit over the galvanised pipe ends to stop the barrel hitting the frame (cut to size as needed)
2 metal pipe end caps to same diameter as pipe
Barrels are easy to source from food wholesales - Costa has a 220L one that was previously used for transporting bulk olives. Ones with a screw top are good to enclose the materials. Food-safe containers will have a symbol on the side featuring a cup and fork.
** The metal axle needs to be long enough to fit through the barrel with enough spare on either end to fit through both planks of wood at either end, plus 3-4cm extra for ease of movement.
What you do:
First, cut the timber for the frame legs, approximately 4 x 1.5m pieces. You will need at least two shorter pieces for the cross bracing, but these can be cut later. If these legs are joined at right angles to each other at the top of the frame, your axle will be about 1m off the ground; to lift it higher, either cut longer legs or join the legs at a more acute angle (less than 90 degrees).
Mark off where you need to cut the timber, using the set square to get a straight line and cut to length.
Clamp two leg pieces together then use the spade bit to drill an axle hole through them, about 100mm from the end or so the hole sits in the centre of the area where the two pieces of timber will cross. If your drill bit is long enough you can cut all four pieces of wood in one go, otherwise repeat this for the other two legs.
Unclamp the legs, arrange them at right angles (or at your chosen angle to achieve the desired height; see above) clamp them together again and fix in place with screws. Repeat with the second pair of legs, making sure you fix them at exactly the same angle as the first pair.
Next, calculate the central point of the barrel - this is where the axle will go through and it won’t spin properly if it’s off-centre. To do this, measure the height of the barrel, then halve this and use that measurement to mark the point that is halfway. Next measure the circumference of the barrel and again halve this to work out two halfway points; these points on either side of the barrel are where you need to cut two holes, again using the spade bit, for the galvanised pipe to fit through.
The hole needs to be a good snug fit to avoid any leakage, so don’t be surprised if it takes a bit of effort to push the axle pipe through.
Next place the barrel on a wheelbarrow to support it while you fit the frame around it.
Put spacers on either end of the galvanised tube axle.
Fit the timber legs on the pipe ends and screw on the metal caps to hold it in place.
Lock the frame even more securely by adding some timber bracing. Costa fixes two pieces across the middle and one across one end, leaving the other end open so that a wheelbarrow can be placed right under the tumbler for easy access.
___________________________________________
Gardening Australia is an ABC TV program providing gardening know-how and inspiration. Presented by Australia's leading horticultural experts, Gardening Australia is a valuable resource to all gardeners through the television program, the magazine, books, DVDs and extensive online content.
Watch more: iview.abc.net.a...
Facebook: / gardeningaustralia
Instagram: / gardeningaustralia
Web: www.abc.net.au/...
___________________________________________
This is an official Australian Broadcasting Corporation KZbin channel. Contributions may be removed if they violate ABC's Online Conditions of Use www.abc.net.au/... (Section 3).

[@justinwynn7299]

Thank you so much for the inspiration Costa. Just completed building my tumbler and he's called Harold The Barrel :-)

[@loverlyme]

If you do want to purchase one instead of making it, check your local area council as many of them offer discounts to encourage their local citizens to be more thoughtful of the environment. Some of the council discounted worm farms & compost bins are up to 50% off their regular store prices.

[@kathy123114]

Thank you so much for the great advice I used my local council’s website and got a discount thanks to your advice! Much appreciated

[@jamesallen6007]

This is the best composting tumbler video in the whole of KZbin world. I have watched more than I can count and yours is the simplest and quickest one that there must be. Best wishes from the U.K. 🇬🇧

[@sandgroperwookiee65]

Great stuff Costa! 👍👍 now to scab some timber from curb-side pickup as I have a barrel.

[@loverlyme]

I've used an old barrel just like this (but clean & from a food-safe barrel for $15). I drilled about 40 holes in it all around the body. It's sitting on a pot trolley. The best thing is that the lid sits on it really tight. When I want to mix the compost all I do is turn it on its side (on somewhere with grass) and roll the barrel back & forth for a few minutes. The hardest thing is collecting enough variety to go in it. I've asked around at coffee shops for their knock box leftovers & they will not allow me to have any. Thankfully we've found some places further away who will oblige. I'm yet to ask grocers or supermarkets for any 'throw out vegetables.' I just don't seem to have enough of an assortment in my diet (due to several problems).

[@whiskeyinthejar24]

Woolworths Stores will give away produce scraps.

[@loverlyme]

Good to know. I'll check it out.@@whiskeyinthejar24

[@iammai6232]

Ça fait rêver 🎉

[@Mbonner73]

I've watched about a dozen or more videos this morning on building a composter and I wish I had found your video first!!! Best video I've found, that composter is simple and easy to make. You got my My like and subscribe, Thank you for posting

[@mattswadling4572]

I can't wait to have a go at this. Great!

[@ptchowyt]

Would you recommend to drill some holes on the barrel to drain the compost fluid ?

[@GardeningwithDave]

Hi, I previously made a similar compost using a 5 gallon bucket with holes drilled on all sides (bottom, lid, and the sides). Believe it or not, but I forgot about the compost after a few months it was completely finished ❤. Try building a smaller version and if you like it scale up into something at this caliber. Happy gardening mate🎉.

[@ivdg46e]

@@GardeningwithDave What?

[@JurassicJolts]

Thank you, son of Gloin.

[@viuno7097]

I was searching for the right description 😂

[@estherderbyshire1947]

Very impressive. Thank you.

[@lesliedevlin8501]

Great show thanks Les from Perth 💯💯💯👏👏👏👀👀👀

[@GardeningAustralia]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@emilymangelsdorf8455]

Oh my gosh, his comment smell that smells like my grandparents lol hilarious

[@joanntomes636]

Thank you so much for sharing!

[@huggy-Bear]

Brilliant!

[@ivdg46e]

Do you have to manually add organisms like worms to the tumbler?

[@ourv9603]

I built me one of those but it didnt work. I turned it everyday & every couple of days I added 1/2 shovelful of dirt from my garden thinking I was adding microbes and worms to the container. Apparently not. My pile on the ground worked better. \

[@Heckler4u-to7nx]

Don't you have to have lots of holes for air?

[@sterlingmullet457]

Shouldn’t the bin have air holes?

[@GardeningAustralia]

You can add air holes in the side to help excess water drain and increase ventilation, especially helpful if you struggle to get the perfect balance of green and brown materials. Try a smaller drill bit as you don't want compost falling out. Tumbling often is also helpful to keep the air flowing around too! Thanks for watching☀

[@brucedeacon28]

👍👌

[@almuntassermohammad6616]

i dont mean to be mean, but i swear the first 12 seconds and i thought i was watching LORD OF THE RINGS. LMAO.

[@DoctorShrink]

Unfortunately this design will break quickly. Those plastic bin walls are not designed to take an axle holding up to 100kg of compost. They are barely 1-2mm thick. A better design- common on the net is to rotate the barrel on rollers/wheels. The bin walls are more likely to tolerate this. I have built one like that using these same barrels and will see how they go. I suspect it will be pretty poor especially in winter. If you look at the expensive scandinavian designed composters they have lots of insulation to maintain heat, air access via pipes and rotate on a horizontal axis. My plastic bin is identical to the one on the vid and has zero insulation. I doubt it will get hot enough but I will give it a shot.

[@G.H.B.P.]

Cool, thanks for the tip

[@objektivone3209]

Broadcasting companies just don't know how to make watchable diy TV. It's dead boring and worthless.

[@loverlyme]

Are you saying this segment is worthless?

[@rayvin357]

other than the good work you are doing---your grandparents do not smell and then you know you should shave off that filthy hair. and thats for your nice grandparents from an 85 yr older.

[@Lot_2023]

lol.........let's see you do that, when it's full of compost.

[@estherderbyshire1947]

Very impressive. Thank you.