How to Build a Worm Tumbler

Making compost with a worm tumbler makes healthy soil for gardens and flowerpots. You need four things to make ideal compost -- nitrogen, water, carbon and oxygen. Micro-organisms feed on these and make compost. It's a black soil rich in phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium which is ideal for gardens. Oxygen is crucial for the survival of the worms and other organisms that make the compost. If there isn't enough oxygen, composting will slow down and a foul odor will erupt. But with the right mix, you can make excellent compost for your garden and healthy worms for fishing.

45-gallon plastic drum
Drill
Saber saw
2 1½-inch by 2-inch hinges
1 small hasp
12 1-inch by 1/4-inch stove bolts
2 7 1/2-inch by 3/4-inch pieces of wood
2 7 3/4-inch diameter by 3/4-inch pieces of wood
Wood glue
1 1/2-inch by 40 1/2--inch steel rod
Clamp
8 1 1/4-inch by 1/4--inch stove bolts
4 23 3/4-inch by 1-inch by 3-inch pieces of wood
28 1 ½-inch #10 woods screws
4 40-inch by 2-inch by 4-inch pieces of wood
4 29 3/4-inch by 2-inch by 4-inch pieces of wood
2 40 5/8-inch by 1-inch by 3-inch pieces of wood
2 27-inch by 2-inch by 4-inch pieces of wood
1 pint of black paint
paint brush
worms

Instructions

- 1
  Get a 45-gallon drum that's "food grade" meaning the inside is unpainted and free from rust, or made from rust-resistant material.
- 2
  Make a 1/2-inch hole in the middle of both ends of the barrel with the drill.
- 3
  Draw a hole on the side for a door. Make sure the edges are rounded off.
- 4
  Make a 1/4-inch hole with the drill on one of the lines. Saw along the lines with the saber saw. Put the hinges and hasp on the barrel and door with the 1 x 1/4-inch stove bolts.
- 5
  Take 3/4-inch pieces of wood and cut two circles that are 7 1/2-inches in diameter. Then cut two circles that are 2 3/4-inches in diameter. Measure the wood to make sure you cut them the right size.
- 6
  Make a 1/2-inch hole in the center of the circles. Put glue on the smaller circles.
- 7
  Slide one big circle on the pipe. Then slide one smaller circle on the pipe, glue side down. Clamp them together. Allow them to dry. Repeat with the remaining two circles.
- 8
  Take the circles off the pipe. Slide the pipe into the barrel. Attach the circles to the pipe with four 1 1/4 x 1/4-inch stove bolts on each side.
- 9
  Cut 2-inch by 4-inch board to length with a corner lap joint and screw together with two 1 1/2-inch No. 10 wood screws per joint.
- 10
  Cut the upright pieces to 23-inches in length to accommodate a 1 by 3-inch board.
- 11
  Make 1/2-inch holes in the horizontal pieces on top. Attach the barrel. Put the cross members on the vertical pieces. Secure with 1 1/2-inch No. 10 wood screws.
- 12
  Make a 45-degree angle on both ends of the 1 by 3 by 23 1/4-inch pieces. Attach them to the corners with 1 1/2-inch wood screws.
- 13
  Make many rows of 1/4-inch holes on the bottom of the barrel under the door with the drill.
- 14
  Paint the tumbler black.
- 15
  Put in worms and compost. Starter compost should consist of lawn clippings, leaves and paper products from your home. A few hundred worms will thrive in this environment and produce great compost for your lawn or garden.

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