Comments on: How to Waste Time, Money, and Resources Building a Compost Tumbler, or a Lesson in Simplicity http://frugallygreen.org/how-to-waste-time-money-and-resources-building-a-compost-tumbler-or-a-lesson-in-simplicity/ Saving Earth one dollar at a time Sat, 10 Sep 2011 00:56:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Evan http://frugallygreen.org/how-to-waste-time-money-and-resources-building-a-compost-tumbler-or-a-lesson-in-simplicity/#comment-2055 Evan Sun, 05 Jun 2011 02:06:52 +0000 http://frugallygreen.org/?p=774#comment-2055 Your being to hard on yourself. i'm sure you could sell your compost tumbler to somebody in a situation were a tumbler makes sense. its not my favorite method of composting either, but if you live in an apartment in the city it is a great alternative to sending your scraps to the dump. the city municipalities usually mix compost with all kinds of toxic chemicals, yuck. my biggest critisem of the compost tumbeler is its really too small to get good temperature going and is usually has poor ventilation. something of the scale you are doing is perfect for somebody living in the city or who is a neat freak. Composting is a lost art its all good Your being to hard on yourself. i’m sure you could sell your compost tumbler to somebody in a situation were a tumbler makes sense. its not my favorite method of composting either, but if you live in an apartment in the city it is a great alternative to sending your scraps to the dump. the city municipalities usually mix compost with all kinds of toxic chemicals, yuck. my biggest critisem of the compost tumbeler is its really too small to get good temperature going and is usually has poor ventilation. something of the scale you are doing is perfect for somebody living in the city or who is a neat freak. Composting is a lost art its all good

]]> By: Matt http://frugallygreen.org/how-to-waste-time-money-and-resources-building-a-compost-tumbler-or-a-lesson-in-simplicity/#comment-1935 Matt Sun, 24 Apr 2011 23:57:20 +0000 http://frugallygreen.org/?p=774#comment-1935 Destroying simpler decomposed piles is hard work too - especially when they are huge and far away from the garden! When one has been composting for years with limited space in a heavily wooded area close to a marshland and has made an enormous pile in the back for every season, the backyard has leaf/grass/whatever piles chest high, the soil recesses around them and they start to encroach on your frisbee space. I like the process optimization of the complicated system just for its increase turnaround time for smaller, more manageable piles. Destroying simpler decomposed piles is hard work too – especially when they are huge and far away from the garden!

When one has been composting for years with limited space in a heavily wooded area close to a marshland and has made an enormous pile in the back for every season, the backyard has leaf/grass/whatever piles chest high, the soil recesses around them and they start to encroach on your frisbee space.

I like the process optimization of the complicated system just for its increase turnaround time for smaller, more manageable piles.

]]> By: Daniel http://frugallygreen.org/how-to-waste-time-money-and-resources-building-a-compost-tumbler-or-a-lesson-in-simplicity/#comment-1394 Daniel Wed, 08 Sep 2010 05:40:32 +0000 http://frugallygreen.org/?p=774#comment-1394 Don't beat yourself up mate. Down under in Australia, everyone has compost tumblers for one main reason: flies. An exposed or even badly covered pile of compost will attract thousands of flies to your yard. Don't know if this applies where you are!! Don’t beat yourself up mate. Down under in Australia, everyone has compost tumblers for one main reason: flies. An exposed or even badly covered pile of compost will attract thousands of flies to your yard. Don’t know if this applies where you are!!

]]> By: Bankruptcy Ben http://frugallygreen.org/how-to-waste-time-money-and-resources-building-a-compost-tumbler-or-a-lesson-in-simplicity/#comment-1370 Bankruptcy Ben Fri, 18 Jun 2010 02:10:43 +0000 http://frugallygreen.org/?p=774#comment-1370 Dude I admire your honesty. Thanks for the read I was going to do something similar but with a steel drum. currently i have a worm farm but you can't put citrus or onion in there, I shall start the pile:) Dude I admire your honesty. Thanks for the read I was going to do something similar but with a steel drum. currently i have a worm farm but you can’t put citrus or onion in there, I shall start the pile:)

]]> By: Urban Compost Tumbler http://frugallygreen.org/how-to-waste-time-money-and-resources-building-a-compost-tumbler-or-a-lesson-in-simplicity/#comment-1367 Urban Compost Tumbler Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:41:25 +0000 http://frugallygreen.org/?p=774#comment-1367 A great design for making a compost tumbler. This will greatly speed up the composting process. A great design for making a compost tumbler. This will greatly speed up the composting process.

]]> By: Bob http://frugallygreen.org/how-to-waste-time-money-and-resources-building-a-compost-tumbler-or-a-lesson-in-simplicity/#comment-1366 Bob Sat, 29 May 2010 16:12:30 +0000 http://frugallygreen.org/?p=774#comment-1366 One of your problems is that you built a horizontal roller style. Think of a dryer or front-load washing machine. It has fins on the inside, this is to flip the contents as it rolls. Otherwise you roll the shell and the contents just sit in the bottom. A flip style one like the <a href="http://www.organic-compost-tumbler.com" rel="nofollow">organic compost tumbler</a> works much better, way more mixing, way easier. Much simpler mechanically, KISS design. Lots of different models use these mechanics, but I like this one the best. You can built it yourself with roughly the same material you used on your first try, just you built it differently. One of your problems is that you built a horizontal roller style. Think of a dryer or front-load washing machine. It has fins on the inside, this is to flip the contents as it rolls. Otherwise you roll the shell and the contents just sit in the bottom.

A flip style one like the organic compost tumbler works much better, way more mixing, way easier. Much simpler mechanically, KISS design. Lots of different models use these mechanics, but I like this one the best.

You can built it yourself with roughly the same material you used on your first try, just you built it differently.

]]> By: haverwench http://frugallygreen.org/how-to-waste-time-money-and-resources-building-a-compost-tumbler-or-a-lesson-in-simplicity/#comment-1363 haverwench Thu, 27 May 2010 16:43:50 +0000 http://frugallygreen.org/?p=774#comment-1363 Oops. Entered my website wrong the first time. Oops. Entered my website wrong the first time.

]]> By: haverwench http://frugallygreen.org/how-to-waste-time-money-and-resources-building-a-compost-tumbler-or-a-lesson-in-simplicity/#comment-1362 haverwench Thu, 27 May 2010 16:42:57 +0000 http://frugallygreen.org/?p=774#comment-1362 We went for the 300 percent more complicated version when setting up our compost pile a couple of years back, building a bin out of discarded shipping pallets. The thing is, doing it this way has actually made our lives simpler in the long run, because instead of hiding the open compost pile in some unseen corner of the yard (and then having to trek out there every time we added to it), we were able to put the bin right outside the kitchen door. So now each time we prepare a meal, we just slip out the door, dump the scraps in the bin, and slip back in. And our next-door neighbor doesn't complain about the bin the way he surely would about a big rotting pile of leaves and banana peels. I'd love to get hold of one of those soy-sauce vats for a rain barrel, though. We went for the 300 percent more complicated version when setting up our compost pile a couple of years back, building a bin out of discarded shipping pallets. The thing is, doing it this way has actually made our lives simpler in the long run, because instead of hiding the open compost pile in some unseen corner of the yard (and then having to trek out there every time we added to it), we were able to put the bin right outside the kitchen door. So now each time we prepare a meal, we just slip out the door, dump the scraps in the bin, and slip back in. And our next-door neighbor doesn’t complain about the bin the way he surely would about a big rotting pile of leaves and banana peels.

I’d love to get hold of one of those soy-sauce vats for a rain barrel, though.

]]> By: Schteveo http://frugallygreen.org/how-to-waste-time-money-and-resources-building-a-compost-tumbler-or-a-lesson-in-simplicity/#comment-1357 Schteveo Fri, 07 May 2010 14:09:31 +0000 http://frugallygreen.org/?p=774#comment-1357 Make the GRASS clippings. I'm not sure what BRASS would do for your compost pile / bin. Make the GRASS clippings. I’m not sure what BRASS would do for your compost pile / bin.

]]> By: Schteveo http://frugallygreen.org/how-to-waste-time-money-and-resources-building-a-compost-tumbler-or-a-lesson-in-simplicity/#comment-1356 Schteveo Fri, 07 May 2010 14:08:02 +0000 http://frugallygreen.org/?p=774#comment-1356 IF you use discarded pallets for lumber, old swivels, brackets, hinges, just used hardware in general, and old skate board wheels or in line skate parts, etc, and a cheap plastic one time use barrel, it is "greener", than this. Not to mention cheaper. Cold compost is a good, no brains, no strains idea. But I think the barrel idea is good, IF you are looking for faster composting. Instead of taking months, or two seasons to break down, it will break down your batch in just two weeks to a month. This is great if you have a bunch of brass clippings or leaves or garden leftovers and you want compost quickly. IF you use discarded pallets for lumber, old swivels, brackets, hinges, just used hardware in general, and old skate board wheels or in line skate parts, etc, and a cheap plastic one time use barrel, it is “greener”, than this. Not to mention cheaper.

Cold compost is a good, no brains, no strains idea. But I think the barrel idea is good, IF you are looking for faster composting. Instead of taking months, or two seasons to break down, it will break down your batch in just two weeks to a month. This is great if you have a bunch of brass clippings or leaves or garden leftovers and you want compost quickly.

]]>