My Compost Bin

Are you ready to start composting, but you don’t have a compost bin?  Why not make your own compost bin.  Building a compost bin is not difficult at all.  All you need are some basic carpentry skills, lumber and a Saturday afternoon.

I made my wooden compost bin for under $100.00, and I wanted to share my experience.  I hope you find this article helpful in your composting endeavors!

Most compost bin plans call for making the bin 48″x48″x48″, but I had a smaller area, and I decided to make a small compost bin, which is 36″x36″x36″.

The wooden compost bin is made out of treated lumber from my local Lowes store.  I actually had a few pieces left over from a deck project last summer, and I went and purchased the rest before I started making my homemade compost bin.

A note about materials:

You can purchase new lumber, use scrap or discarded lumber from a friend’s deck project, or how about using reclaimed lumber from pallets.  It all depends of how creative you are.  In fact, you can use just about any kind of lumber as long as you plan to put some kind of protectant on the lumber to prevent it from rotting.

A word about protectants:

There has been much discussion as to whether it is safe to use wood protectants on lumber used in a compost bin.  In times past, arsenic was used in wood preservatives, and obviously we don’t want to be using compost tainted with arsenic on our home grown veggies!  From what I have read, arsenic is no longer used in wood preservatives, so we have far less to worry about.  The ideal preservative to use is linseed oil.  I actually found a wood preservative by Olympic that contains linseed oil.

Compost Bin Materials

I started by cutting the pieces for my two side frames, and I assembled the pieces with screws for greater stability.

Compost Bin Panel Frames

I used 1″x6″x6′ fence boards for my sides.  I cut 6 boards for each panel and nailed the top and bottom boards and spaced the rest around a 1/2″ apart.  The gaps allow air to flow through your compost bin.  Good air flow is important for a healthy compost pile.

Compost Bin Side Panels

I used a 5/4″x6″x36″ piece of lumber on the front of each compost bin side panel to be used to created a slot to allow the front boards of the bin to slide in and out.  I split a piece of 5/4″x6″x36″ lumber in half and created the back half of the slot.

Compost Bin Slots for Front Boards

Next, I used a couple of 5/4″x6×36″ pieces of lumber to join the 2 panels together on the bottom.  I left the wooden compost bin open on the bottom to allow earthworms to come up into the compost pile and help the composting process.  Some compost bin plans call for making a bottom as well, but the open bottom is better if you want worms to help you compost!

Compost Bin Bottom

I then cut 4 pieces of 5/4″x6″x36″ pieces of lumber to frame out the top of the compost bin.  I attached the other 36″ halves of the fence boards, with the dog ear notches, on the back of the wooden compost bin, so they will be out of sight.

Compost Bin Front View

Finally, I cut 6 boards to fit in the slots of the front of the wooden compost bin to complete the project.  These boards are easily removed so that you can manage your compost pile, as well as harvest your finished compost.

Finished Wooden Compost Bin

I plan to waterproof my homemade compost bin with a sealer by Olympic that has linseed oil in it.  There you have it.  Now go build your own wooden compost bin!  For futher information on composting you many want to look at the articles What Can You Compost and How to Make Compost.  Remember, don’t throw it away, compost it!  Happy composting!