Gardens Outdoor Fine Woodworking

A

compost pile is not a garbage pile, and one

way to differentiate clearly between the two is

with an enclosure—a compost bin. The ideal bin

retains heat and moisture, is easy to fill and empty,

and fends off raccoons, dogs, and other animals.

My own homemade compost bin is easy to as-

semble and disassemble and works with whatever-

size compost pile I have at a given time (see left

photo, opposite page). It is made of rough-sawn

hemlock 1x12s, each 5 ft. long. I cut the corners

from both ends of the boards to create tabs. To

keep the boards in place when they are stacked

in a bin, I make the tabs into notches by screwing

a foot-long 1x3 across the end of each board. I

make the notch slightly wider than the width of

the boards to allow for movement.

The finished boards stack tier upon tier, like

Lincoln Logs. To assemble the bin, I place two

boards on the ground parallel to each other. Then

I slide two more boards into the notches to form

a square. Each time I reuse a board, I put the

opposite side inward; consequently, the boards

have remained serviceable, even after 10 years. A

short piece of scrapwood held by a stake fills in

the 6-in.-wide gap at the bottom of the two sides

where the boards are held above the ground.

One bin is the minimum for good compost. Two

bins allow the ingredients in one to age while new

material is added to the second.

Lee Reich is a soil scientist and author of several books,

including Weedless Gardening (2001, Workman Pub.).

Creating the notChes

Cut the corners out of each board to create tabs at both ends. Then screw a foot-long piece of 1x3 across

the end of each tab to create a notched end. The notches will keep the boards in place when stacked.

Sides are made from

5-ft. lengths of 1x12

rough-sawn hemlock.

Small spaces

between the

boards allow for

air circulation.

A 6-in.-wide gap here and on the

opposite side can be filled in with

a piece of scrap wood.

Boards can be added

or removed depending

on how full the bin is.

assembling the bin

Easy to make and adjust What

you’ll need

Materials

•   rough-sawn

hemlock 1x2s,

each 5 ft. long

(the number will

vary depending

on the size of your

compost pile)

•   1x3 tabs, 1-ft. long

each, screwed

across both ends

of each board to

keep the boards

in place.

Drawings, this page: Bob La Pointe OUTDOOR PROJECTS 31

FWSIP27OP-RE.indd 31 1/30/13 5:31 PM